Critical Roles of IL-40 and IL-41 in the Determination of the Severity of Hydatid Cyst Infection in Iraqi Patients

Abstract

Background: Hydatid cystic disease is a serious public health concern worldwide, and the link between the intermediate host (human) and parasite is important to the disease's etiology and severity. Objective: Determine the levels of IL-40 and IL-41 in the serum of Iraqi patients infected with hydatid disease, as well as their function in disease severity. Methods: The quantified ELISA was used to assess the levels of IL-40 and IL-41 in serum from 35 persons in Baghdad, Iraq, who had been diagnosed with hydatid cysts and were undergoing surgery to remove them. In addition, control samples from forty healthy individuals were taken for comparison purposes. Results: The patients' ages ranged from 8 to 63. Females had higher infection rates than males. Rural areas have a higher rate of infection than urban areas. The lungs and liver were the most severely injured. The majority of lung infections resulted in coughs and chest discomfort, whereas liver damage resulted in stomach pain as well as substantial changes in hematological parameters (white blood cells, hemoglobin, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), liver enzyme, and C-reactive protein in patients compared to controls. Patients had lower IL-40 levels than the control group, but significantly higher IL-41 levels (p<0.05) than healthy controls. Conclusions: Patients with hydatid cysts showed higher serum levels of IL-41 and lower levels of IL-40, which may correlate with disease severity and act as biomarkers for chronic hydatid cyst infection.