Onchocerca volvulus-exposed persons fail to produce interferon-gamma in response to O. volvulus antigen but mount proliferative responses with interleukin-5 and IL-13 production that decrease with increasing microfilarial density.
The cellular immune response to Onchocerca volvulus antigen (OvAg) was studied in 551 persons exposed to O. volvulus transmission in a hyperendemic area of Ghana, West Africa. A whole-blood assay showed that, in response to a soluble O. volvulus extract, cell proliferation, as well as interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 concentrations in the supernatants, were high in cultures of blood from microfilaria (mf)-negative persons and significantly decreased with increasing mf counts of the donors. Only background concentrations of interferon (IFN)-gamma were found, and these did not correlate with mf counts. In response to a mitogen, cells from all persons strongly reacted with proliferation and secretion of all 3 cytokines studied. These findings show that the response of human peripheral blood cells to OvAg does not include significant IFN-gamma production; that mf negativity is associated with IL-5 and IL-13 production but not, as previously suggested, with IFN-gamma production; and that IL-5 and IL-13 production decreases with increasing mf density.
Brattig
Norbert W
NW
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany. NBrattig@BNI.uni-hamburg.de
Lepping
Bianca
B
Timmann
Christian
C
Büttner
Dietrich W
DW
Marfo
Yeboah
Y
Hamelmann
Christoph
C
Horstmann
Rolf D
RD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000276:immunology*
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007371:Interferon-gamma