Immune response and in vivo production of cytokines in patients with liver hydatidosis

Abstract

SUMMARYCytokines play an important role in the human immunological response, but the exact role of cytokines in the human immune response against parasites, especially against Echinococcus granulosus, remains unclear. IL-1, IL-2, IL-4 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) levels in peripheral blood of 21 patients with liver hydatidosis were evaluated before surgical treatment, and the levels of IgA, IgM, IgG, IgE, specific IgE against E. granulosus, C3, C4 and BF complement fractions and CD20, CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD16 cell percentages were also determined, as was the relationship between these variables and cytokine levels. Data from hydatid patients were compared with data obtained from 21 healthy volunteers. Hydatid patients showed increases of IgG, IgE, IgEs and IL-2 (P < 0 . 01), and decreases of IL-1 and TNF levels (P < 0 . 001), but these variables (respectively) increased in patients showing cysts in the central area of the liver or with a wide opening of cysts in the biliary tract. The increase of IL-1, IL-2 and IL-4 showed a close relationship with the number, characteristics and above all the location of cysts within the liver itself. IgG and IL-4 levels and also IgG and IgE levels showed a significant correlation (P < 0 . 05).

Therapeutic effects of Sophora moorcroftiana alkaloids in combination with albendazole in mice experimentally infected with protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus

“…Examination of serum IL-4 and IgE levels in patients has been suggested to be helpful in monitoring the therapeutic effects (13,15). In the present study, we found an obvious decrease of serum IL-4 and IgE levels in mice infected with protoscolices and then treated with the alkaloids for 3 months.…”

Musculoskeletal hydatid disease: A report of 13 cases

“…Immunologic tests are useful in the diagnosis of hepatic hydatidosis (Navarro et al 1983, Torcal et al 1996, and infected hepatic hydatidosis (Salinas et al 2000). However, in other reports (Martin et al 1993, Essadki et al 1996, as in our series, serological tests and the eosinophil count were not positive for muscular echinococcosis in all cases, therefore only a positive test is helpful.…”

Postoperative changes in serum cytokines profile and nitric oxide levels in patients with cystic echinococcosis

“…The roles of cytokines in host immunity seem to be quite complex and may differ with the genera and species of the helminth, its size and location within the host, its metabolic products, and species of the host (Torcal et al, 1996;Dematteis et al, 2003). Moreover, conflicting cytokine responses were reported in many studies and attributed to technical and methodological points, differences in dose and type of the used stimulus or antigen and the course of the infection (Haralabidis et al, 1995;Rigano et al, 1999;Rigano et al, 2001;Mondragon-de-la-Pena et al, 2002;Fraize et al, 2004).…”

“…It is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals and man is infected accidentally. Clinical features of the disease are highly variable and depend on the organs involved, the size of cysts and their sites within the affected organ, the complications caused by rupture of cysts, and subsequent immunologic reactions (Torcal et al, 1996). Therapy of CE is primarily sur-2004) and Th 2 response is associated with susceptibility to the disease, whereas a Th1 response is related to protective immunity (Ortona et al, 2003).…”