Immunological characteristics of patients infected with common intestinal helminths: results of a study based on reverse-transcriptase PCR.
To determine whether common helminth infections could modify the intestinal immunopathological status of the host, the expression in the human duodenal mucosa of cytokines, eosinophil- and mast-cell-specific molecules and monosaccharide transporters of the glucose-transporter (GLUT) family was explored. The 31 subjects were all patients at the gastro-intestinal disease unit of Nongkhai Hospital, Thailand. Four of the 10 patients who presented with eosinophilia (> or = 6.0% of their leucocytes were eosinophils), and five of the other 21 patients, had intestinal infections with helminths when they presented or within the previous 3 months. Studies based on semi-quantitative, reverse-transcriptase PCR revealed that the interleukin-5/interferon-gamma ratio was significantly higher in the noneosinophilic, helminth-infected patients than in the non-eosinophilic, uninfected patients, whereas the IgE receptor type I (Fc epsilon RI)/mast-cell tryptase ratio was significantly higher in the eosinophilic, helminth-infected patients than in the eosinophilic, uninfected patients. Expression of Charcot-Leyden-crystal protein, GLUT-1 and GLUT-5, however, showed no significant inter-group differences. Principal-components analysis of the data on eosinophils, interleukin-5, interferon-gamma, Fc epsilon RI and mast-cell tryptase revealed that one principal component could discriminate the patients who had helminth infection from the non-eosinophilic, uninfected patients, but not from the eosinophilic, uninfected patients. These results indicate that, whatever the intestinal pathology, patients infected with common intestinal helminths tend to develop a mucosal immunological response of the Th2 type.
Lertanekawattana
S
S
Nongkhai Hospital, 1158 Meechai Road, Nongkhai 43000, Thailand.
Wichatrong
T
T
Chaisari
K
K
Uchikawa
R
R
Arizono
N
N
D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D051296:Glucose Transporter Type 5; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008245:Lysophospholipase; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology
D016207:Cytokines; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D051296:Glucose Transporter Type 5; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015848:Interleukin-5; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D017455:Receptors, IgE; C495677:SLC2A1 protein, human; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008245:Lysophospholipase; C011711:lysolecithin acylhydrolase