Early post-treatment immunoglobulin profile in human schistosomiasis
Abd El-Aal, A.A.; El-Arousy, M.H.; El-Gendy, A'a.M.; Tunkul, A.El-Kader.; Ismail, S.A.; El-Badry, A.A.
Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology 35(1): 167-180
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1110-0583 PMID: 15881004 Document Number: 592996
The levels of IgE, IgA, IgM, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 isotypes against soluble S. mansoni egg antigen (SEA) were determined in 20 patients from Egypt suffering from active intestinal Schistosoma mansoni to demonstrate the pattern of antibody responses before and early after treatment with praziquantel . All patients were cured 6-7 weeks after treatment as indicated parasitologically. Results of ELISA performed for the different immunoglobulin isotypes raised against SEA before treatment were all positive (except for 2 sera negative for IgA). The intensity of infection or worm burden, as indicated by egg output (range 24-960, mean 308.4+or-277.2) and the different immunoglobulin levels, except for IgG3 subclass, were significantly correlated. Highest statistical significance was obtained for IgG4 (P<0.001). Five to six months after praziquantel administration, whereas the level of anti-SEA IgE rose significantly, all other anti-SEA immunoglobulins (IgG1-4, IgA and IgM) showed a statistically significant drop in their levels (P<0.001). The drop reached until below the cut-off value in the case of IgA and IgM (except for 2 sera which remained positive for IgM), whereas the ELISA readings of IgG1-4 remained positive. At the post-treatment level, a comparison between various Ig isotypes indicated that IgE was the most statistically significant class (P=0.002), followed by IgG2 and IgG4.