Antigen-specific proliferation and interferon-gamma and interleukin-5 production are down-regulated during Schistosoma haematobium infection

J Infect Dis. 1998 May;177(5):1433-7. doi: 10.1086/517832.

Abstract

Antigen-specific cellular immune responses were examined in persons previously infected with Schistosoma haematobium and who were, 2 years after chemotherapy, either free from infection (n = 17) or reinfected (n = 20). Proliferation to adult worm antigen (AWA) was significantly higher in uninfected than in reinfected subjects (P = .02), whereas responses to soluble egg antigen (SEA) remained low in both groups. Interleukin (IL)-5 production in uninfected persons in response to AWA and SEA was higher than in infected subjects (P = .05 and P < .001, respectively), while IL-4 and IL-13 release was similar in the 2 groups. Levels of interferon-gamma to AWA and to SEA were inversely correlated with egg output (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively). These data indicate that the presence of schistosome infection leads to T cell proliferative hyporesponsiveness and that both typical Th1 and Th2 cytokines can be down-regulated by active infection.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibody Formation
  • Antigens, Protozoan / immunology*
  • Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gabon
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-13 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-4 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-5 / biosynthesis*
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • Middle Aged
  • Parasite Egg Count
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use*
  • Recurrence
  • Schistosoma haematobium / growth & development*
  • Schistosoma haematobium / isolation & purification
  • Schistosomiasis haematobia / immunology*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • Antiplatyhelmintic Agents
  • Interleukin-13
  • Interleukin-5
  • Interleukin-4
  • Praziquantel
  • Interferon-gamma