Serum cytokine detection in the clinical follow up of patients with cysticechinococcosis

The relation of serum cytokine levels and outcome of chemotherapy was evalu ated in 15 patients with cystic echinococcosis. Serum IL-4, IL-10 and inter feron-gamma (IFN-gamma) concentrations were determined by ELISA before and after a 3-month course of albendazole treatment: at least one serum sample per patient from 13 patients (87%) contained measurable amounts of IL-4; sa mples from five patients (33%) measurable amounts of IL-10 and samples from only two patients (13%) measurable amounts of IFN-gamma. Clinical assessme nt at 1 year after the end of therapy showed that 11 of the 15 patients had responded clinically. Seven of these patients had lower IL-4 serum concent rations, two had unchanged and two undetectable amounts (pre- versus post-t herapy, n = 11, P = 0.008). Conversely, of the patients who did not respond , three had higher and one patient unchanged serum IL-4 concentrations. Ser um IL-10 levels also decreased in all patients who responded (3/5) and incr eased in all patients who did not (2/5). No association was found between c ytokine concentrations and cyst characteristics or antibody levels. Overall these data suggest that serum IL-4 detection may be useful in the follow u p of patients with cystic echinococcosis.