Maternal and child cytokine relationship in early life is not altered by cytokine gene polymorphisms.

The development of immune responses is influenced by the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Our previous study showed a close association between maternal and young infant's cytokine responses. The question is how this association evolves over time and the contribution of genetic polymorphisms to this association. Five cytokines in mitogen-stimulated whole blood culture were measured from pregnant mothers and their children aged 2, 5, 12, 24 and 48 months. Cytokine gene polymorphisms were determined in both mothers and children. High production of maternal interleukin (IL)-10, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was significantly associated with higher levels of the corresponding cytokines in their children at 2 months (T2), but the association decreased over time. Maternal single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in IFN-γ gene, rs3181032, was found to be associated with child's IFN-γ levels at T2 only, whereas maternal IL-10 rs4579758 and child's TNF-α rs13215091 were associated with child's corresponding cytokines at later ages but not at T2. In the final models including the gene polymorphisms, maternal cytokines were still the strongest determinant of child cytokines. Maternal cytokine during pregnancy, which could be a proxy for child's environmental factors, showed its highest impact at early age, with no or little influence from genetic factors.

Effect of anthelmintic treatment on leptin, adiponectin and leptin to adiponectin ratio: a randomized-controlled trial.

Emerging evidence suggests that helminths might confer protection against the development of type 2 diabetes. We aimed to assess the role of adipokines in mediating the effect of helminths on insulin resistance. Serum samples were obtained from a randomized-controlled trial of anthelmintic treatment in an area endemic for soil-transmitted helminths (STH), Flores Island, Indonesia. In STH-infected subjects, anthelmintic treatment significantly increased the ratio of leptin to adiponectin (treatment effect factor (95% confidence interval (CI)), P-value for interaction: 1.20 (1.06-1.35), P=0.010), which largely stemmed from a significant reduction in adiponectin (0.91 (0.85-0.98), P=0.020) and a trend for an increase in leptin level (1.10 (1.00-1.21), P=0.119). No significant effect on resistin level was observed. This increase in leptin to adiponectin ratio seemed to contribute to the observed effect of deworming on increased insulin resistance (IR) as adjustment for leptin to adiponectin ratio attenuated the effect on IR from 1.07 (1.01-1.14, P=0.023) to 1.05 (0.99-1.11, P=0.075). Anthelmintic treatment in STH-infected subjects increases leptin to adiponectin ratio which may in small part contribute to the modest increase in IR. Further studies will be needed to assess the effect of the changes in adipokine levels on the host immune response and metabolism.

Detection of filaria-specific IgG4 antibodies using Brugia Rapid test in individuals from an area highly endemic for Brugia timori.

The filarial parasite Brugia timori is of great public health importance in some islands of Eastern Indonesia. To establish a simple serological test for the identification and post-treatment monitoring of areas endemic for B. timori, a rapid immunochromatographic dipstick test (Brugia Rapid, BR) was evaluated on microfilaraemic and amicrofilaraemic individuals. This test is based on the detection of anti-filarial IgG4 antibodies that react with a recombinant Brugia malayi antigen (BmR1). In our study area on Alor island the prevalence of microfilaraemia was 26%. With the BR test, 100% of 196 sera from microfilaraemic persons and 76% of 563 sera from amicrofilaraemic persons, either symptomatic or asymptomatic, reacted positive. All 50 control sera from areas non-endemic for lymphatic filariasis gave negative BR test results. This study showed that the BR test can be also used to detect antibodies against B. timori. Due to the high prevalence of IgG4 antibodies as detected by the BR test (81%), no significant correlation with the prevalence of microfilaraemia could be detected within the endemic village. The BR test also shows great promise to be employed as a monitoring tool for B. timori in the framework of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF).