Open AccessProduction of IL‐5 and IL‐6 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with Echinococcus granulosus infection
Author(s) -
RIGANÒ R.,
PROFUMO E.,
TEGGI A.,
SIRACUSANO A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-796.x
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , echinococcus granulosus , immunology , biology , interleukin 4 , peripheral blood , helminthiasis , medicine , cytokine , in vitro , zoology , biochemistry
The role of Th2 cytokines in human hydatidosis was evaluated in ELISA determining IL‐5 and IL‐6 production in PBMC cultures from 27 pharmacologically treated hydatid patients and from 13 uninfected controls. PBMC from patients produced large amounts of parasite antigen‐driven IL‐5, whereas PBMC from uninfected individuals produced none. In contrast, PBMC from patients and from uninfected controls produced large amounts of parasite antigen‐driven IL‐6. Immunoglobulin isotype analysis revealed that IL‐5 production correlated significantly with IgE and IgG4 expression (IL‐5/IgE r =0.5, P <0.05; IL‐5/IgG4 r =0.6, P <0.05). The high IL‐5 levels in supernatants from patients’ PBMC did not correspond to an increase in eosinophils. Neither IL‐5 nor IL‐6 production showed an association with the outcome of therapy. Overall, these findings confirm that the lymphocytes of individuals with Echinococcus granulosus infection contain Th2‐like subpopulations.