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Abstract
Experimental schistosome infections induce strong parasite-specific Th2 responses. This study aims to relate human systemic cytokine and antibody levels to schistosome infection levels and history. Levels of anti-Schistosoma haematobium antibodies (directed against crude cercariae, egg and adult worm antigens) and plasma cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, IL-21, and IL-23) were measured by ELISA in 227 Zimbabweans (6–60 years old) in a schistosome-endemic area and related to age and infection status. Egg-positive people had significantly higher levels of specific antibodies, IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-23. In contrast, egg-negative individuals had significantly higher circulating IL-10, IL-4, IL-13 and IL-21 that were detected with high frequency in all participants. Subjects with detectable plasma IL-17 produced few or no eggs. When analyzed by age, IL-4 and IL-10 increased significantly, as did schistosome-specific antibodies. However, when age was combined with infection status, IL-5 declined over time in egg-positive people, while increased with age in the egg-negative group. Older, lifelong residents had significantly higher IL-4 and IL-5 levels than younger egg-negative people. Thus, a mixed Th1/Th2 systemic environment occurs in people with patent schistosome infection, while a stronger Th2-dominated suite of cytokines is evident in egg-negative individuals.
Highlights
Schistosomes, commonly known as blood flukes are important trematode parasites of vertebrates and cause significant morbidity in humans
This study focused on systemic cytokine and antibody responses in Zimbabweans exposed to S. haematobium infection to determine the relationship between host immune responses and schistosome infection status
Several experimental and human studies investigating schistosome-specific responses have described the presence of schistosome-specific Th2 responses [40].This study investigated whether these parasite-specific responses were reflected in the systemic environment, representing both broader immune activation to pathogen and environmental challenges, and immunological cross-talk which may down-regulate particular components
Summary
Schistosomes, commonly known as blood flukes are important trematode parasites of vertebrates and cause significant morbidity in humans. Of the three major human schistosome species, Schistosoma mansoni and. S. japonicum adult parasites inhabit blood vessels of the intestine causing intestinal schistosomiasis, while S. haematobium adults are located in the bladder and pelvic plexuses causing urinary schistosomiasis. S. haematobium is the most prevalent species in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is responsible for a substantial amount of schistosomeassociated pathology [1]. Schistosome-specific acquired immunity capable of reducing levels of infection or re-infection develops slowly [2]. The nature of these protective immune responses has been subject to intense analysis [3,4,5,6]. Previous studies suggesting that anti-helminth immune responses fall into a Th1 (pro-inflammatory) and
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