Eotaxin and RANTES expression by the dermal endothelium is associated witheosinophil infiltration after ivermectin treatment of onchocerciasis

The roles of eotaxin, RANTES, and MCP-3 expression in eosinophil recruitmen t to the site of parasite killing that occurs following ivermectin treatmen t of onchocerciasis were assessed in the skin of 13 Onchocerca volvulus-inf ected subjects and two noninfected controls before and after ivermectin tre atment. Adverse reactions in infected subjects were associated with the app earance of eosinophils in the dermis as part of a perivascular inflammatory infiltrate. Although no expression of RANTES and eotaxin was seen in derma l vascular endothelial cells in biopsies taken before treatment (nor at any time in the skin of uninfected controls), endothelial expression of both e otaxin and RANTES was noted by 24 h following treatment. While RANTES expre ssion was transient, eotaxin expression increased in parallel with increasi ng eosinophil recruitment up to 60 h posttreatment. These observations indi cate that endothelial expression of eotaxin and RANTES may have an importan t role in eosinophil recruitment into the skin during helminth-killing reac tions. (C) 2000 Academic Press.