TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of praziquantel treatment during pregnancy on cytokine responses to schistosome antigens

T2 - results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

AU - Tweyongyere, Robert

AU - Mawa, Patrice A.

AU - Ngom-Wegi, Sophy

AU - Ndibazza, Juliet

AU - Duong, Trinh

AU - Vennervald, Birgitte J

AU - Dunne, David W.

AU - Katunguka-Rwakishaya, Eli

AU - Elliott, Alison M.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Praziquantel treatment of schistosomiasis boosts antischistosomeresponses, with type 2 helper T cell bias that may contribute to immunologically mediated killing and to protection against reinfection. Praziquantel treatmentduring pregnancy was recommended in 2002, but the immunological effects of thetreatment had not been investigated. METHODS: A cohort of 387 Schistosomamansoni-infected women were recruited from a larger trial of deworming duringpregnancy. Women were randomized to receive either praziquantel or placebo duringpregnancy. Six weeks after delivery, all women received praziquantel. Cytokineresponses to S. mansoni worm and egg antigens were measured in whole bloodculture before and 6 weeks after each treatment. RESULTS: Schistosome-specificcytokine responses were suppressed during pregnancy. Praziquantel treatmentduring pregnancy caused significant boosts in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma),interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-10 responses to schistosome wormantigen and in IFN-gamma, IL-5, and IL-13 responses to schistosome egg antigen,but these boosts were not as substantial as those seen for women treated afterdelivery. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy suppresses a potentially beneficial boost incytokine responses associated with praziquantel treatment. Further studies areneeded on the long-term effects that treatment of schistosomiasis duringpregnancy have on morbidity and resistance to reinfection among treated women andtheir offspring.

AB - Praziquantel treatment of schistosomiasis boosts antischistosomeresponses, with type 2 helper T cell bias that may contribute to immunologically mediated killing and to protection against reinfection. Praziquantel treatmentduring pregnancy was recommended in 2002, but the immunological effects of thetreatment had not been investigated. METHODS: A cohort of 387 Schistosomamansoni-infected women were recruited from a larger trial of deworming duringpregnancy. Women were randomized to receive either praziquantel or placebo duringpregnancy. Six weeks after delivery, all women received praziquantel. Cytokineresponses to S. mansoni worm and egg antigens were measured in whole bloodculture before and 6 weeks after each treatment. RESULTS: Schistosome-specificcytokine responses were suppressed during pregnancy. Praziquantel treatmentduring pregnancy caused significant boosts in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma),interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-10 responses to schistosome wormantigen and in IFN-gamma, IL-5, and IL-13 responses to schistosome egg antigen,but these boosts were not as substantial as those seen for women treated afterdelivery. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy suppresses a potentially beneficial boost incytokine responses associated with praziquantel treatment. Further studies areneeded on the long-term effects that treatment of schistosomiasis duringpregnancy have on morbidity and resistance to reinfection among treated women andtheir offspring.

U2 - 10.1086/593215

DO - 10.1086/593215

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18983246

VL - 198

SP - 1870

EP - 1879

JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases

JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases

SN - 0022-1899

IS - 12

ER -