title: CD4(+), CD8(+), immunoglobulin status and ocular lesions among some onchocerciasis-infected rural Nigerians.
abstract: CD4(+), CD8(+), immunoglobulin status and ocular lesions of some onchocerciasis-infected rural Nigerians as manifested by the presence of microfilariae in their skin snips and some chronic symptoms of the parasitic infestation were evaluated. The highest mean CD4(+) and mean microfilarial (mff) load of 560 +/- 20.46 unit cells/microl and 20 mff/mg were recorded among the individuals within the second decade of life, while the least mean CD4+ and mff load of 307.20 +/- 11.23 unit cell/microl and 6.5 mff/mg occurred among volunteers after 60 years of age. The highest mean CD8(+) of 388.00 +/- 23.71 unit cells/microl occurred at the third decade of life. The individuals above 60 years had the least mean CD8(+) of 350.25 +/- 11.90 unit cells/microl. The volunteers had mean CD4(+) of 372.45 +/- 109.02 unit cells/microl and mean CD8(+) of 359.42 +/- with an overall CD4(+):CD8(+) ratio of 1.04. The mean CD4(+) and mean CD8(+) had positive correlation with the mean microfilarial load (r = 0.52 and r = 0.40), respectively. The mean IgE, IgG, lgA, IgM, and IgD were 2,074.82 +/- 823.09, 19.36 +/- 2.49, 3.88 +/- 0.26, 3.59 +/- 0.38, and 0.29 +/- 0.19 mg/dl, and these immunoglobulins negatively correlated with the mean microfilarial load at r = -0.02, r = -0.15, r = -0.82, r = -0.37, and r = 0.26, respectively. Among these immunoglobulins evaluated, only mean IgE (2,074.82 +/- 823 ng/ml) was statistically different from the control subjects (0 mg/dl) at t = 3.39, P < 0.05. In all, the prevalence of the visual impairment and lesions were low. Among the six visual lesions, namely, cataract, choroidoretinitis, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, sclerosing keratitis, and optic atrophy encountered in Egoro-Eguare, only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis was reported among the children. The female adults had the highest prevalence of reduced vision 20(43.5%). Also, the prevalence of choroidoretinitis (2.2%) and iridocyclitis (2.2%) were the least prevalent ocular lesions reported among these female adults. The depletion of the CD4(+) contributed to the low prevalence of visual impairment and lesions in this locality. The depleted CD4(+), CD8(+), and the lower values of IgA, IgM, and IgG contributed in the maintenance of chronicity of onchocerciasis in Egoro-Eguare, Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Department of Zoology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. nmorsiopg@yahoo.com
authors.forename: O P G
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Nmorsi
authors.forename: N C D
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Ukwandu
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Alabi-Eric
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Popoola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osita-Emina
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins