Similar cellular responses after treatment with either praziquantel or oxamniquine in Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Abstract

The effect of treatment with either oxamniquine or praziquantel on S.mansoni specific IFN-gamma, IL-4 , IL-5 and IL-10 was compared on PBMC which were collected pretreatment, 6 and 18 weeks post treatment. Using sandwich ELISA on the supernatants harvested from the PBMC stimulation by crude S. mansoni SEA and SWAP antigens after 5 days the levels of PBMC proliferation and cytokine production were similar according to treatment with either praziquantel or oxamniquine. Before treatment, infected groups showed low ratios, of IL-4:IFN-gamma, IL-5:IFNgamma and IL-10:IFN-gamma, indicating that IFN-gamma was high in the infected individuals. The general increase in immuno-modulation was observed post-treatment with elevated immune reactivity and cytokine production in both treatment groups. Treatment induced significant increases in levels of IL-4 (p<0.05), IL-5 (p<0.0001) and IL-10 (p<0.05) cytokines 6 and 18 weeks after treatment. There were no significant differences in the increase in IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 between children treated with praziquantel or oxamniquine. Pre-treatment IFN-gamma and IL-5 levels were positively correlated with infection (p<0.001), while post treatment IL-4 cytokine levels were negatively correlated with baseline infection status (p<0.001). The results suggest that treatmentinduced immune responses are similar for both commonantischistosome drugs praziquantel or oxamniquine having similar and immunizing effect.

Cytokine Response Profiles of School-Aged Children Infected with Schistosomiasis before and after Praziquantel Treatment

“…IL-4 which marks the Th2-like response is known to stimulate B cells to selectively mature and proliferate for production of particular antibody isotypes, which could eventually be involved in antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) reactions, resulting in multicellular parasite killing and preventing any further invasion [ 30 ]. In this study, IL-4 was significantly reduced at week six and twelve after treatment as compared to pretreatment levels.…”

Drug treatment of malaria infections can reduce levels of protection transferred to offspring via maternal immunity

“…By shortening the duration of infection experienced by adults, drug treatments can negatively affect the breadth of the immune response by reducing the range and the amount of antigens expressed by the parasite [ 11 ]. Alternatively, it is possible that drug treatment can render different parasite proteins accessible to the host immune system, inducing quantitative and qualitative changes in antigen recognition, which could include antigens not exposed by parasites under normal conditions [ 12 , 13 ]. Testing these hypotheses requires data on the affinity and avidity of maternal antibodies to parasite antigens exposed during infections in offspring.…”

“…Consequently, by decreasing the duration of expression, or the range and amount of antigens expressed by parasites, anti-parasite drugs may negatively affect the effectiveness of an immune response [ 11 ]. Alternatively, it has also been hypothesized that treatment against parasites could enhance immune responses by altering the different parasite proteins accessible to the host [ 12 , 13 ] and result in a stronger or more directed response. The effect of drug treatment on the acquisition of immunity is particularly important to consider for individuals living in endemic areas, where re-infection is likely to occur and anti-parasite drug treatment is widely used.…”