Hyperreactive onchocerciasis exhibits reduced arachidonate and linoleate levels in serum triglycerides

The mechanism by which the minority of patients with onchocerciasis exhibit ing the hyperreactive (sowda) form of the disease may be able to kill the m icrofilariae of Onchocerca volvulus is still poorly understood. In this stu dy, the relative amounts of arachidonate and linoleate in serum phospholipi ds and triglycerides were investigated by gas chromatography both in patien ts infected with O. volvulus who exhibited either a hyperreactive or a gene ralized form of onchocerciasis and in persons with no filarial infections. Remarkable differences were observed in the serum triglycerides but not in the phospholipids. In comparison to persons without any filarial infection, significantly lower relative amounts of arachidonate-indicated by elevated triene-tetraene ratios-and of linoleate-indicated by lower diene + tetraen e - triene values-were detected in patients with hyperreactive onchocercias is, and less pronounced differences were found in persons with generalized onchocerciasis. The relationship between reduced amounts of arachidonate an d linoleate in serum triglycerides and possible implications on the eicosan oid production in the host-parasite relationship leading to parasite elimin ation are discussed.