Burchard G D, Brattig N W, Kruppa T F, Horstmann R D
Tropical Medicine Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1999 Jan-Feb;93(1):103-5. doi: 10.1016/s0035-9203(99)90199-2.
Although considered of critical importance, the mode of helper T-lymphocyte function in Onchocerca volvulus infection is still unclear including the role of the Th1/Th2 dichotomy. We studied the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, which is the classical Th1 response, to O. volvulus antigens in Africans exposed and not exposed to the infection. DTH reactions were found in a small percentage of patients with generalized onchocerciasis, but in a high percentage of patients with localized onchocerciasis, in putatively immune subjects, and also in non-exposed individuals, which may be due to cross-reactivity with other nematodes. These findings support the notions of (i) prenatal influence of maternal O. volvulus infection preventing development of Th1 responses and/or (ii) suppression of Th1 responses by the infection itself.
