Human Infection with Ascaris lumbricoides Is Associated with a Polarized Cytokine Response

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 182; no. 4; pp. 1207 - 1213
• Main Authors: Cooper, Philip J., Chico, Martha E., Sandoval, Carlos, Espinel, Ivan, Guevara, Angel, Kennedy, Malcolm W., Urban, Joseph F., Griffin, George E., Nutman, Thomas B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.10.2000; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Allergies; Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; Antigens, Helminth - immunology; Ascariasis; Ascariasis - blood; Ascariasis - immunology; Ascaris lumbricoides; Ascaris lumbricoides - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Diseases caused by nematodes; Female; g-Interferon; Helminthic diseases; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interleukin-10 - blood; Interleukin-2 - blood; Interleukin-5 - blood; Larva; Larvae; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes - immunology; Major Articles; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitism; Reference Values; Trichuris - immunology; Tropical medicine; Tuberculin; South America; Ecuador; America; Human; Ascaris lumbricoides; Immune response; Interleukin; Cytokine; Helper cell; Cellular immunity; Parasitosis; Helminthiasis; Infection; Ascariasis; Nematode disease; Young adult; T-Lymphocyte; Helmintha; Nemathelminthia; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/315830

To define the cytokine response to Ascaris lumbricoides infection, the cellular immune response to adult and larval-stage Ascaris antigens in young adults with moderate infection intensities (n = 73) was compared with that of a group of uninfected control subjects (n = 40). A. lumbricoides-infected subjects had significantly greater lymphoproliferative responses to adult and larval-stage antigens, compared with uninfected control subjects (P < .01). The frequencies of parasite antigen—stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-expressing interleukin (IL)—4 and IL-5 were significantly greater in the infected group (P < .001), whereas the frequencies of IL-10— and interferon-γ—expressing PBMC were similar in the 2 groups studied. The ratios of Th2 to Th1 cytokine frequencies were significantly elevated in the infected group, compared with those in uninfected subjects, as was IL-5 protein production by PBMC stimulated with adult (P < .05) and L3/L4 stage (P < .001) antigens. Analysis of these data indicates that A. lumbricoides infections in endemic regions are associated with a highly polarized type 2 cytokine response.