title: HTLV-1 decreases Th2 type of immune response in patients with strongyloidiasis.
abstract: Eosinophils, immunoglobulin (Ig)E and cytokines have important roles in defence mechanisms against helminths. In this study, the influence of HTLV-1 infection, characterized by a Th1 type of immune response, was evaluated on the cytokine pattern and parasitic specific IgE response in patients with strongyloidiasis. Patients were divided into four groups: strongyloidiasis without HTLV-1 infection, strongyloidiasis with HTLV-1, HTLV-1 without strongyloidiasis and controls without either helminth infection or HTLV-1. The cytokine profile was determined in supernatants of mononuclear cells stimulated with Strongyloides stercoralis crude antigen and the parasite specific IgE was measured by ELISA. Patients coinfected with HTLV-1 had higher levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-10 (P < 0.05) and lower levels of IL-5 and IgE (P < 0.05) than patients with strongyloidiasis without HTLV-1. There was an inverse relationship between IFN-gamma and IL-5 (P = 0.01; rs = - 0.37) and between IFN-gamma and parasite specific IgE (P = 0.01; rs = - 0.39), and a direct relationship between IFN-gamma and IL-10 (P = 0.04; rs = 0.35). These data show that coinfection with HTLV-1 decreases IL-5 and IgE responses in patients with strongyloidiasis consistent with a relative switch from Th2 to Th1 response. Immunological responses such as these are important in the control of this helminthic infection.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunologia do Hospital Unversitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Neva
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lisboa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alcântara
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000276:immunology*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma