title: [Study of immune response in Warao children from communities with high tuberculosis prevalence].
abstract: The present study was carried out in a Warao childhood population with extremely high tuberculosis (TB) rate of 3190/100,000 in 0-15 years old children. One hundred seven serum and saliva samples were tested, 32 from patients with active TB (27 positive and 5 negative for the tuberculin skin test, TST) and 75 apparently healthy contact children (45 positive and 30 negative for the TST). The innate, immunoglobulin and cellular responses were studied. The results showed that both, patients and controls, had a high percentage of children with increased levels of complement C3 and C4 components. A high percentage of children with increased total serum IgA and IgG (13.8% and 79.3% respectively) was observed in children with TB in comparison to control children (0% and 69.2%). A high percentage of control children had increased levels of IgM and sIgA (69.2% and 56.16%, respectively) in comparison to patients (48.3% and 31.25%). Both groups showed children with increased levels of IgE. The results concerning to the cellular immune response to PPD and the BCG vaccination status showed that there was a correlation between an increase in PPD reactivity and age. The PPD reactivity in children less than 7 years old was similar and also independent of the BCG vaccination status. A significant number of children without or with scars (46.8% and 27.6%, respectively) showed induration values of 0 mm to tuberculin skin test. The Candida reactivity showed a high percentage of children (80%) with anergy status. In conclusion, an increase in the levels of complement components C3 and C4 and hypergammaglobulinemia was observed in Warao children, and these results were independent from PPD reactivity and BCG vaccination. The isotype results showed that the decrease in sIgA could be and active disease marker, while the increase in IgM levels could represent a marker of recent disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunohematología, Instituto de Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela.
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Cubeddu
authors.forename: Jacobus H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Waard
authors.forename: Cecil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fandiño
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández de Larrea
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Aura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: Yelka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ocaña
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Rhaxeda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Jacinto
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Convit
authors.forename: Flor H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Marianella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castés
authors.forename: Zaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Araujo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D014687:Venezuela