title: Serum IgE levels of tuberculosis patients in a tropical setup with high prevalence of HIV and intestinal parasitoses.
abstract: Tuberculosis remains a major health problem worldwide in the era of HIV/AIDS. Co-infection with intestinal parasites has been suggested to worsen the outcome of infection by polarizing the immune response towards Th2. This study investigated serum IgE levels of 241 tuberculosis patients and compared the IgE profiles in the tuberculosis patients either with or without intestinal helminthic infection and/or HIV infection. The serum levels of IgE in tuberculosis patients before initiation of antimycobacterial chemotherapy were found to be 1722 +/- 1290 IU/ml (Mean +/- SD) in HIV seronegatives and 2366 +/- 1849 IU/ml in HIV seropositives. Further, the IgE level was significantly higher in patients coinfected with intestinal helminthes and HIV compared to those infected with helminthes or without coinfection (P < 0.05). Anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy significantly reduced serum IgE levels in HIV seronegative tuberculosis patients (P < 0.05). These findings might indicate an active role of therapy in shifting the immune response towards Th1 which is crucial for prognosis in tuberculosis patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Environment and Nutrition, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Graduate School of Health Biosciences Research, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kassu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohammad
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moges
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mengistu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wondmikun
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007073:Immunoglobulin E