[Cytokine profile in human hydatidosis: possible role in the immunosurveillance of patients infected with Echinococcus granulosus].

Hydatidosis is a severe parasitic disease caused by infection with metacestode of the tapeworms Echinococcus granulosus. In human, the larval forms develop into large cysts especially in the liver, lung and brain. Our aim in this study was to investigate Th1 and Th2 cytokines production in hydatid disease in order to evaluate implication of Th1/Th2 ratio in the evolution of pathology according to the cystic localization, clinical stage and clinical evolution. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukine-12 (Il-12), interleukine-16 (Il-16), interleukine-18 (Il-18), interleukine-4 (Il-4), interleukine-5 (Il-5), interleukine-10 (Il-10) and interleukine-13 (Il-13) production is determined in sera from hydatid Algerian patients (n = 177) with liver, lung, liver and lung associated, spleen, kidney, osseo, heart and multiples hydatid cyst and in sera from patients with clinical complications (calcified liver cysts; infected lung cysts; vomique lung cysts and patients who relapsed) and according clinical stage (before surgical extirpation of the cyst and after surgical extirpation of the cyst). Cytokines are evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent Kits (ELISA Immunotech). The coexistence of elevated activities of IFN-gamma, Il-12, Il-16, Il-18, Il-4, Il-5, Il-10, and Il-13 is observed in most of sera from hydatid patients. In contrast, healthy controls showed minor levels. These results support Th1 and Th2 cell subsets activation in human hydatidosis. The comparison of Th1/Th2 production shows that the induction of these mediators is related to the cystic localization, the clinical stage and clinical evolution. Collectively, our data indicates that Th1 cytokines are related to the protective immunity, in contrast Th2 cytokines are responsible to the susceptibility to disease and associated with chronicle stage, clinical complications and secondary locations.