Long-term persistence of cellular hyporesponsiveness to filarial antigens after clearance microfilaraemia

Gopinath, R and Hanna, E and Kumaraswami, V and Peruamal Pillai, S V and Kavitha, V and Vijayasekaran, V and Rajasekharan, A and Nutman, T B (1999) Long-term persistence of cellular hyporesponsiveness to filarial antigens after clearance microfilaraemia. America Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , 60 (5). pp. 848-853. ISSN Print: 0002-9637; Online: 1476-1645

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Abstract

The persistence of parasite-specific cellular hyporesponsiveness after clearance of blood microfilariae (mf) was studied in 18 individuals who had been treated with a single dose of ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, or a combination 2-3 years previously and who had initially cleared their parasitemia. At recruitment into the present study, 50% were again mf+ and 50% remained mf-. There were no significant differences between the mf+ and mf- groups in the amount of interferon- g (IFN- g) produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to adult or microfilarial antigens, although IFN- g production in response to purified protein derivative was greater in the mf+ group (geometric mean [gm] = 3,791 pg/ml; P = 0.02) than in the mf- group (gm = 600 pg/ml). These data suggest that although microfilaremic individuals may temporarily regain the ability to produce IFN- g to parasite antigens post-treatment, they subsequently revert to a state of hyporesponsiveness to mf-containing antigens that appears to be independent of the recurrence of microfilaremia and the response to nonparasite antigens.

Item Type:	Article
URI:	http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/486

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