Depression of antigen-specific interleukin-5 and interferon-gamma responses in human lymphatic filariasis as a function of clinical status and age.

In an area in which brugian filariasis is endemic, when cytokine levels were analyzed as a function of clinical status comparing those who were asymptomatic and amicrofilaremic with those who were microfilaremic, it was found that both interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-5 were suppressed in microfilariae carriers (P < .01 and P < .001, respectively), but IL-4 was unabated. Age had a significant effect on cytokine production in both groups. In asymptomatic amicrofilaremic subjects, IL-4 production was high in young persons and decreased with age, whereas in microfilaremic subjects, IL-4 increased significantly with age. Conversely, IFN-gamma showed a tendency to increase with age in asymptomatic amicrofilaremic subjects but not in microfilaremic subjects. IL-5 decreased significantly with increasing age in both asymptomatic amicrofilaremic and microfilaremic groups. These results indicate that the length of exposure to and infection with filarial parasites can each exert a substantial effect on the cytokine response profiles of host T cell populations.

[1]  E. Ottesen,et al.  Evidence for protective immunity to bancroftian filariasis in the Cook Islands. , 1996, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[2]  P. Kremsner,et al.  Elevated proliferation and interleukin‐4 release from CD4+ cells after chemotherapy in human Schistosoma haematobium infection , 1996, European journal of immunology.

[3]  R. Maizels,et al.  Elevated cellular immune responses and interferon-gamma release after long-term diethylcarbamazine treatment of patients with human lymphatic filariasis. , 1995, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[4]  W. F. Gregory,et al.  Infection of IL-4-deficient mice with the parasitic nematode Brugia malayi demonstrates that host resistance is not dependent on a T helper 2-dominated immune response. , 1995, Journal of immunology.

[5]  T. Nutman,et al.  Immunity to onchocerciasis: putative immune persons produce a Th1-like response to Onchocerca volvulus. , 1995, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[6]  D. Dunne,et al.  Immunity after treatment of human schistosomiasis: association between cellular responses and resistance to reinfection , 1993, Infection and immunity.

[7]  T. Nutman,et al.  Regulation of IL-5 in onchocerciasis. A critical role for IL-2. , 1993, Journal of immunology.

[8]  R. Van Ree,et al.  Differential expression of IgE and IgG4 specific antibody responses in asymptomatic and chronic human filariasis. , 1993, Journal of immunology.

[9]  K. Else,et al.  Cytokine production in BALB/c mice immunized with radiation attenuated third stage larvae of the filarial nematode, Brugia pahangi. , 1993, Journal of immunology.

[10]  E. Ottesen,et al.  The Wellcome Trust Lecture: Infection and disease in lymphatic filariasis: an immunological perspective , 1992, Parasitology.

[11]  W. F. Gregory,et al.  Age‐specific acquisition of immunity to infective larvae in a bancroftian filariasis endemic area of Papua New Guinea , 1991, Parasite immunology.

[12]  M. Alpers,et al.  Age specific patterns of change in the dynamics of Wuchereria bancrofti infection in Papua New Guinea. , 1991, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[13]  T. Oda,et al.  Eosinophil hyporesponse of jirds induced by microfilariae of Brugia pahangi. , 1989, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[14]  J. K. Nayar,et al.  Brugia pahangi in nude mice: protective immunity to infective larvae is Thy 1·2+ cell dependent and cyclosporin A resistant , 1987, Journal of Helminthology.

[15]  M. M. Wong,et al.  Filarial antibodies and eosinophilia in human subjects in an endemic area. , 1969, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.