Background: A small fraction of Human T cell Leukemia Virus type-1 (HTLV-I) infected subjects develop a severe form of myelopathy. It has been established that patients with HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) show an exaggerated immune response when compared with the immunological response observed in HTLV-I asymptomatic carriers. In this study the immunological responses in HAM/TSP patients and in HTLV-I asymptomatic carriers were compared using several immunological assays to identify immunological markers associated with progression from infection to disease.
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common neurological disorder especially in developing countries, caused by infection of the brain with encysted larvae of the tapeworm Taenia solium. Seizures are a common finding associated with this disease. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between the levels of various cytokines present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with NCC and the severity of the disease. The levels of the cytokines IL-1ß, TNF-a, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-g were determined in the CSF of 22 patients with active NCC, 13 patients with inactive NCC and 15 control subjects. CSF from patients with active NCC presented significantly higher IL-5 levels compared to control subjects. IL-5 and IL-10 levels in CSF from NCC patients with inflammatory CSF were significantly higher than those detected in non-inflammatory CSF. These results show a predominant Th2 lymphocyte activation in human NCC and also indicate the possible use of cytokines in the CSF as a marker for the differential diagnosis between inactive disease and the active form of NCC.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.