title: Cellular responses and cytokine profiles in Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infected patients.
abstract: The impact of intestinal helminth infection, i.e. Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura, on cellular responsiveness and cytokine production was investigated in young adults. Ascaris-specific cellular responsiveness was higher in parasite-free endemic controls than in patients infected with T. trichiura, or A. lumbricoides, or patients co-infected with both parasites. Also, mitogen-induced tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was higher in negative endemic controls than in infected individuals. Ascaris antigen-specific production of TNF-alpha, IL-12 and IFN-gamma was low in singly Ascaris as well as in co-infected patients, whereas secretion of IL-10 and IL-13 was elevated and similarly high in all patient groups. The detection of Trichuris-specific and Ascaris-specific IgG4 revealed significantly higher serum antibody levels in Trichuris or Ascaris patients when compared to endemic controls (P < 0.05), whereas parasite-specific IgE antibody levels were similarly high in infected individuals and in endemic controls. In summary, chronically infected Ascaris and Trichuris patients with a high parasite load presented reduced cellular reactivity and lower type 1 TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-12 responses when compared with endemic controls, whereas type 2 IL-10 and IL-13 productions were similar in all groups from the endemic area. The former may support parasite persistence, whereas substantial type 2 cytokine release may promote protective immunity, suggesting an adaptation of the host to control the parasite burden while minimizing immune-mediated host self-damage.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Laboratório de Imunologia, Avenida Augusto de Lima 1715, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil. stefan.geiger@tropa.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Stefan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: Cristiano L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bethony
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Soboslay
authors.forename: Omar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corrêa-Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D015995:Prevalence; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D014258:Trichuris / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma