title: Antibody and cytokine responses in Dracunculus medinensis patients at distinct states of infection.
abstract: Dracunculiasis is a promising candidate for eradication, but transmission of Dracunculus medinensis and recrudescence of the disease have been observed repeatedly. In the present investigation, the D. medinensis-specific cellular cytokine response profiles and the parasite-specific antibody subclass reactivity were evaluated in dracunculiasis patients at distinct states of infection. Analysis of the cellular cytokine response in dracunculiasis patients disclosed a D. medinensis antigen-specific depression of IFN-gamma production with patent D. medinensis infection, while the T helper type 2 cytokine IL-10 was similar in patent, post-patent and control individuals, and IL-5 production was always the highest in controls. In parallel, diminished IFN-gamma and IL-12 responses to antigens from Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica and mycobacteria were observed in patent and post-patent dracunculiasis cases. The parasite-specific IgG(1) and IgG(4) subclass reactivity profiles corresponded with the D. medinensis infection state, and a clear distinction between patent and post-patent patients and controls was found. Overall a depressed cytokine release was observed with patent D. medinensis, which extended beyond the parasite-specific immune responsiveness. The detection of D. medinensis-specific IgG(1) and IgG(4) isotypes may help to distinguish newly exposed, patent and post-patent D. medinensis infections.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knopp
authors.forename: Ignace K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Amegbo
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Hartwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz-Key
authors.forename: Meba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banla
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Soboslay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004320:Dracunculiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004321:Dracunculus Nematode / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014037:Togo / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G