title: Serum cytokine profile by ELISA in patients with echinococcal cysts of the liver: a stage-specific approach to assess their biological activity.
abstract: To investigate the usefulness of serum cytokine dosage in the clinical management of cystic echinococcosis (CE), we analyzed serum levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in patients with hepatic CE in different cyst stages, CE1-2 (active), CE3a-3b (transitional), and CE4-5 (inactive). Ex vivo assessment of Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-13, and IL-10) cytokines in sera was carried out using ELISA. IL-10 was undetectable in all serum samples of patients and controls, while a few sera contained measurable amounts of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-13. No statistically significant difference was found between the percentages of positive samples for each cytokine and the different groups analyzed (patients/controls, stage, number, location, and size of the cyst, serology, and sex of patients), with the exception of the association of IL-4 and IL-13 with the cyst stage. Overall, this investigation showed many limits of serum cytokine dosage as a marker of biological activity of echinococcal cysts. Because of low sensitivity and lack of specificity of this test, we believe that other ways to evaluate ex vivo biological activity of the cysts should be explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Matteo Hospital Foundation, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy. luca.piccoli01@universitadipavia.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meroni
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genco
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tamarozzi
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Filice
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brunetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D059208:Parasite Load; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines