title: Impact of Taenia solium neurocysticercosis upon endocrine status and its relation with immuno-inflammatory parameters.
abstract: Neurocysticercosis (NC) is a parasitic disease caused by the infiltration of the larval stage of Taenia solium in the central nervous system. Clinical presentations are heterogeneous and particularly depend, on the age and gender of the host. We designed a clinical study to evaluate the hormonal changes associated with neurocysticercosis and the relationships between disease heterogeneity, endocrine and immunological status. A total of 50 patients and 22 healthy subjects were included. A precise clinical and radiological description of disease for each patient was recorded. A broad hormonal profile was assessed for each participant and, in a sub-group of patients, immunological features were also evaluated. Compared with controls, all patients had lower dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentration; male patients also had lower concentrations of 17β-estradiol and higher concentrations of luteinising hormone (LH). In the clinically severe patients, lower concentrations of progesterone and androstenedione were found in women. Higher concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and lower concentrations of testosterone were found in men when compared with the less clinically severe patients. Significant correlations were found between estradiol and IL-10 in male patients, and between dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and IL-1β, and androstenedione and IL-17 in female patients. To our knowledge the present study constitutes the first demonstration that the presence of T. solium larvae in the central nervous system can modify the host environment by the induction of endocrine and immunological changes. These results provide a stimulating background to analyse the repercussions of these changes on the course of the disease and on patient reproductive health.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sáenz
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bottasso
authors.forename: Gladis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Edda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sciutto
authors.forename: Marta C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleury
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D055815:Young Adult