Nielsen N O, Bloch P, Simonsen P E
Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory (DBL), Jaegersborg Allé 1D, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2002 Jul-Aug;96(4):446-52. doi: 10.1016/s0035-9203(02)90390-1.
The filariasis-specific cellular responsiveness was assessed in 109 adult individuals from a Wuchereria bancrofti-endemic area in north-east Tanzania. There were 9 study groups. Five groups of individuals were negative for microfilariae (mf) and specific circulating filarial antigen (CFA) and had leg lymphoedema of varying severity ranging from early to more advanced grades (pathology groups 1-5). Another group comprised individuals with mixed grades of lymphoedema and positive for mf and/or CFA (mixed pathology group). Three asymptomatic groups consisted of individuals without leg pathology but with different infection status: (i) CFA- and mf-negative individuals, (ii) CFA-positive but mf-negative individuals, and (iii) CFA- and mf-positive individuals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected and proliferative responsiveness and secretion of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and gamma interferon (IFN gamma) were measured upon stimulation with a Brugia pahangi antigen. No distinct differences in responses were observed between the 5 uninfected pathology groups. Instead, responses were associated with infection status, with generally higher proliferative activity and higher levels of IL-4 and IFN gamma in uninfected as compared to infected individuals. High levels of IL-10 were observed in asymptomatic individuals without infection and in asymptomatic CFA-positive but mf-negative individuals. Asymptomatic individuals with mf had relatively low IL-10 levels. Groups presenting with chronic pathology generally had low levels of IL-10 independently of infection status. The findings thus give no immediate indication that the measured immunological parameters are related to progression of leg pathology. However, alternative interpretations are presented which suggest a possible role of immunological reactions in development of pathology in lymphatic filariasis.
在坦桑尼亚东北部一个班氏吴策线虫流行地区的109名成年个体中评估了丝虫病特异性细胞反应性。共有9个研究组。五组个体的微丝蚴（mf）和特异性循环丝虫抗原（CFA）呈阴性，且患有不同严重程度的腿部淋巴水肿，从早期到更严重的等级不等（病理组1 - 5）。另一组包括淋巴水肿等级混合且mf和/或CFA呈阳性的个体（混合病理组）。三个无症状组由没有腿部病理但感染状态不同的个体组成：（i）CFA和mf均为阴性的个体，（ii）CFA阳性但mf阴性的个体，以及（iii）CFA和mf均为阳性的个体。采集外周血单个核细胞，并在用彭亨布鲁线虫抗原刺激后测量增殖反应性以及白细胞介素（IL）-4、IL-10和γ干扰素（IFNγ）的分泌。在5个未感染的病理组之间未观察到明显的反应差异。相反，反应与感染状态相关，与感染个体相比，未感染个体的增殖活性通常更高，IL-4和IFNγ水平也更高。在未感染的无症状个体以及无症状的CFA阳性但mf阴性的个体中观察到高水平的IL-10。有mf的无症状个体的IL-10水平相对较低。出现慢性病理的组通常IL-10水平较低，与感染状态无关。因此，这些发现并未立即表明所测量的免疫参数与腿部病理的进展有关。然而，提出了其他解释，表明免疫反应在淋巴丝虫病病理发展中可能起作用。
