Cytokine and chemokine secretion by human peripheral blood cells in response to viable Echinococcus multilocularis metacestode vesicles

In human alveolar echinococcosis, asexually proliferating metacestodes of E chinococcus multilocularis progressively infiltrate host tissues and cause serious pathology to the affected organs. This study employed art in vitro culture off. multilocularis and examined the production of cytokines and ch emokines by peripheral blood cells from echinococcosis patients in response to viable proliferating E. multilocularis metacestode vesicles (Em-vesicle s). A significant interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein -1 (MCP-1) production was elicited in echinococcosis patients when their ce lls were cocultured with viable Em-vesicles and autologous immune sera. Fur thermore, in echinococcosis patients, substantial amounts of cytokines were detected; and the levels of IL-12 and IL-13 found in patients correlated w ith the actual state of clinical disease. These observations suggest that v iable E.multilocularis vesicles will induce significant cellular production of cytokines and chemokines in patients, and that such immune mediators ma y activate and enhance antibody-dependent cellular effector mechanims again st proliferating metacestodes of E.multilocularis.