title: Lymphoproliferative and cytokine responses to Cryptosporidium parvum in patients coinfected with C. parvum and human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: We compared the lymphoproliferative and cytokine responses to Cryptosporidium parvum in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and -seronegative patients. The lymphoproliferative and cytokine responses (interleukin-2 [IL-2], IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, gamma interferon, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) were assessed for 11 HIV-seropositive, Cryptosporidium-positive (group I) patients; 20 HIV-seropositive, Cryptosporidium-negative (group II) patients; 10 HIV-seronegative, Cryptosporidium-positive (group III) patients, including four post-renal transplant (group IIIa) and 6 presumably immunocompetent (group IIIb) patients; and 20 HIV-seronegative, Cryptosporidium-negative healthy individuals (group IV). No significant difference was observed in the number of patients showing positive lymphoproliferative responses in group I compared to group III (post-renal transplant [group IIIa] or immunocompetent [group IIIb]) patients, while a comparison of the median stimulation indices shows that responses were significantly lower in Cryptosporidium-infected, immunosuppressed (group I and IIIa) patients than in immunocompetent (group IIIb) patients. The number of patients showing positive responses and median stimulation indices was significantly higher for Cryptosporidium-infected (HIV-seropositive and -seronegative) individuals than for uninfected individuals, suggesting that Cryptosporidium induces significant in vitro lymphoproliferative responses in infected individuals. Cytokine levels, except for that of IL-5, were significantly higher in Cryptosporidium-infected (groups I and III) individuals than in uninfected (groups II and IV) individuals. There was no significant difference between the group I and III patients and between Cryptosporidium-infected immunosuppressed (group I or IIIa) and immunocompetent (group IIIb) patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh-160012, India.
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.forename: Sumeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wanchu
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines