The Cytokine Profile in Different Stages of Schistosomiasis Japonica

To explore and profile the level of cytokines in the sera of patients infected with Schistosoma japonicum to explore the helper T-cell response of patients either at the chronic or advanced stage of the disease. We randomly selected 58 subjects from several areas endemic for schistosomiasis japonica in China and collected serum samples to be tested for 18 different cytokines secreted by (1) Th1/Th2 cells (GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12p70, IL-10, IL-13, IL-18 and TNF-α) and (2) Th9/Th17/Th22/Treg cells (IL-9, IL-17A, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23 and IL-27). The Th1/Th2 cytokines in chronic patients were not significantly different from those in healthy people, while patients with advanced schistosomiasis had higher levels of IL-2, IL-23 and IL-27 and lower levels of IL-18 and IFN-γ. With respect to the Th9/Th17/Th22/Treg cell cytokines, there were higher levels of IL-23. Thus, a limited variation of the cytokine response between the three patient groups was evident, but only in those with advanced infection, while there was no difference between chronic schistosomiasis infection and healthy subjects in this respect. The cytokine expression should be followed in patients with advanced schistosomiasis who show a cytokine pattern of a weakened Th1 cell response and an increased Th17 response.