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

Malawi Med J. 2009 Dec;21(4):176-82. doi: 10.4314/mmj.v21i4.49642.

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 treatment-induced immune responses are similar for both common anti-schistosome drugs praziquantel or oxamniquine having similar and immunizing effect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Helminth / immunology
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cytokines / drug effects*
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Male
  • Oxamniquine / pharmacology*
  • Oxamniquine / therapeutic use
  • Praziquantel / pharmacology*
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use
  • Schistosoma mansoni / immunology
  • Schistosoma mansoni / isolation & purification*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / diagnosis*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / drug therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Zimbabwe / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antigens, Helminth
  • Cytokines
  • Oxamniquine
  • Praziquantel