Summary Human fulminant amoebic colitis (FAC) is characterized by ulceration and inflammation of the colon. The specific mixture of pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines may participate in either the host defense or in the pathogenesis of amoebic colitis. Therefore, we studied the expression of IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐4, TGF‐β and IFN‐γ in human FAC patients and controls through immunohistochemistry analysis. The number of cells expressing IL‐8, IL‐4 and IL‐10 was significantly enhanced in all FAC samples compared to the control samples. However, the expression of TGF‐ β in patients was low in the colonic mucosa and high in the lamina propria compared with the control. No expression of IFN‐γ was found in the controls or FAC samples. The production of IL‐8 by intestinal epithelial cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of amoebic infection, because this cytokine attracts neutrophils, which lead to an inflammatory reaction that results in tissue damage. The predominant expression of the macrophage down‐regulating cytokines, IL‐4, IL‐10 and TGF‐β, or the Th2‐type immune response could inhibit a cell‐mediated immune response, which in turn would facilitate parasite invasion in these tissues.
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