title: Antibody responses and resistance against Ascaris lumbricoides infection among Venezuelan rural children: the influence of ethnicity.
abstract: We studied the production of anti parasite antibodies and the resistance against A. lumbricoides infection among the school population of three different Venezuelan ethnic groups: Warao Amerindians, Afro- Americans and white 'Creole' descendents. The prevalence and intensity of A. lumbricoides were determined before and after 1 year of anthelminthic treatment. Parasitic loads were associated to pre-treatment serum levels of anti A. lumbricoides IgE and IgG4 antibodies. The intensity of the infection and the proportion of re-infected children were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) among the Warao Amerindians, exhibiting higher levels of IgE (p < 0.0001) and lower levels of IgG4 (p < 0.0001) compared to their non-Amerindian counterparts. IgE levels correlated inversely with the proportion of re-infected children, whereas the levels of IgG4 were positively associated. These results suggest that ethnicity may influence the balance of IgE/IgG4 levels, modulating the intensity of A. lumbricoides and the resistance to the infection.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hagel
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buvat
authors.forename: Loana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santaella
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Benito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.forename: Maria Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: Yelitza
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Barrios
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology*; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014687:Venezuela / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D015766:Albendazole