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Down‐regulation of specific antigen‐driven cytokine production in a population with endemic Schistosoma japonicum infection

Schistosome antigen‐driven cytokine responses and antischistosome antibody levels of residents of a Schistosoma japonicum endemic island in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province were studied before and 45 days after treatment with praziquantel. IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10 and INF‐γ were all detected in the supernatants of whole‐blood cultures after stimulation with schistosome soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble worm antigen preparation (SWAP). The percentages of subjects producing detectable amounts of each cytokine assayed were higher in the group who were negative by stool examination at the start of the study than in those who were initially stool positive. After praziquantel treatment the percentages of subjects producing both type I and type II cytokines increased. This suggests that the production of both types of cytokine was down‐regulated in the presence of live, egg‐laying S. japonicum adult worms but that this was reversible by treatment. In contrast, the antibody studies showed higher levels of SWAP and SEA‐specific antibodies (IgE, total IgG, IgG4, IgM) in subjects who were originally stool‐positive than in those who were stool‐negative. After treatment specific IgE responses were elevated, but total IgG and IgG4 anti‐SEA and IgM anti‐SWAP antibody levels all fell significantly.