Investigation of some cytokine levels (IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12, and IL-33) in the sera of patients with cystic echinococcosis and fasciolosis

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12p70, and IL-33 in patients with cystic echinococcosis and fascioliasis and to assess their diagnostic potential compared to healthy controls.

Method: A total of 78 serum samples were analyzed, including 26 from patients with cystic echinococcosis, 26 from patients with fascioliasis, and 26 from healthy controls. Cytokine levels were measured using a multiplex ELISA assay, and intergroup comparisons were evaluated using IBM SPSS Statistics.

Results: The echinococcosis group had significantly higher serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, and IL-33 than the control group (p<0.05). Similarly, the fascioliasis group had significantly higher levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-8 than the control group (p<0.05), but no significant differences were observed for IL-33 and IL-12p70. Between the helminth groups, the echinococcosis group had significantly higher levels of IL-4 (p=0.003), IL-5 (p<0.001), and IL-33 (p=0.015) than the fascioliasis group.

Conclusions: Cytokine profiles in helminth infections differ significantly from those in healthy controls and between parasite species. Th2-skewed responses, characterized by elevated IL-4 and IL-5 levels, were common, while IL-8 and IL-33 involvement suggests roles for both innate and adaptive immunity in disease pathogenesis. In echinococcosis, IL-33 may serve as a biomarker for early diagnosis, recurrence detection, and therapy monitoring, and it provides insights into the immune response to infections.