Clonorchis sinensis infection modulates key cytokines for essential immune response impacted by sex

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 16; no. 9; p. e0010726
• Main Authors: Kan, Shuo, Li, Qi, Li, Hong-Mei, Yao, Yan-Hua, Du, Xin-Yue, Wu, Chen-Yun, Chen, Guang-Jie, Guo, Xiao-Kui, Qian, Men-Bao, Wang, Zhao-Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 09.09.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age groups; Antibodies; Antigens; Biology and Life Sciences; Clonorchis sinensis; Correlation analysis; Cytokines; Defence mechanisms; Dimorphism (Biology); Diseases; Enzymes; Feces; Females; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Helminths; Helper cells; IL-1β; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin G; Immunology; Infections; Interleukin 12; Interleukin 2; Interleukin 4; Kruskal-Wallis test; Lymphocytes T; Males; Mann-Whitney U test; Medicine and Health Sciences; Morbidity; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Phenotypes; Research and Analysis Methods; Serum; Sex differences; Shape; Tropical diseases; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Ultrasonic imaging; Worms; Worms, Intestinal and parasitic; γ-Interferon; China; United States > US
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010726

Infection with helminths can modulate the host immune response, which ultimately shape morbidity and mortality of the associated diseases. We studied key cytokines for essential immune response in sera from 229 southeastern China individuals infected with Clonorchis sinensis and 60 individuals without C. sinensis infection, and measured serum specific IgG and IgE against worms in these people. Individuals infected with C. sinensis had significantly higher antigen-specific IgG and IgE levels, which were positively correlated with egg counts in feces. However, less enhancement of IgE antibody was observed in females when compared to males with similar infection levels. C. sinensis infection caused diminished Th1 cytokines (IL-1[beta], IL-2, IL-12p70, IFN-[gamma] and TNF-[alpha]), Th2 cytokine (IL-4), as well as Th17 cytokine (IL-17A) in sera, which showed decreasing trend by infection intensity. Notably, these phenotypes were more significant in females than those in males. Although C. sinensis infection is associated with the development of hepatobiliary diseases, there was no significant correlation between the dampened cytokine profiles and the hepatobiliary morbidities. Our study indicates C. sinensis infection is strongly related to the immune suppression in human. Sex differences shape the immune milieus of clonorchiasis. This study provides a better understanding of how worms affect immune responses and cause a long-term immune alternation in humans with C. sinensis infection.