[The Levels of IL-4, IL-9, and IgE in Patients Infected with Intestinal Helminths and their Clinical Values].

Objective: To investigate the serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-9 (IL-9), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the patients infected with intestinal helminths, and study their relationship to the clinical symptoms or species of the helminths.

Methods: This study was carried out in the Department of Paediatrics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2010 to July 2014. The blood samples were collected from 55 infected patients. Among the 55 cases, 18 cases (32.7%) were with ascaris infection, 8 cases (14.5%) of hookworm infection, 7 cases (12.7%) of whipworm infection, and 22 cases (40%) of pinworm infection. ELISA were used to measure the levels of IL-4, IL-9, and IgE in peripheral blood samples from the patients and 15 healthy volunteers. The relationship between the concentration of the cytokines and clinical symptoms or species of the parasites was analyzed.

Results: The serum levels of IL-4, IL-9, and IgE in infection group were (157.42 ± 41) pg/ml, (59.9 ± 21.7) pg/ml, and (316.6 ± 129) IU/ml, respectively, which were higher than that of the healthy control[ IL-4 (39.01 ± .5) pg/ml, IL-9 (21.3 ± 12.5) pg/m, IgE (127.7 ± 57.6) IU/ml] (P > 0.01). After treatment by albendazole in the infection group, the level of IL-4, IL-9, and IgE decreased to (98.1 ± 41.7) pg/ml, (38.7 ± 14.1) pg/ml, and (253.1 ± 94.0) IU/ml, respectively, but still higher than that of the control (P < 0.05). IL-9 level in patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage was (76.1 ± 23.5) pg/ml, which was higher than that of those with abdominal discomfort or disruption to bowel habits [(54.3 ± 22.1) g/ml] (P < 0.05), but lower than that of those with allergic dermatitis [(108.5 ± 33.4) pg/ml] (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the levels of IL-4 and IgE among the above three groups. The level of IL-9 in patients infected with pinworms was (120.3 ± 41.0) pg/ml, which was higher than that of ascaris infection group [(90.1 ± 29.7) pg/ml], hookworm infection group [(77.3 ± 18.3) pg/ml], and whipworm infection group [(62.5 ± 24.3) pg/ml] (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the serum level of IL-9 between ascaris infection group and hookworm infection group (P > 0.05), whereas the IL-9 level in ascaris infection group and hookworm infection group was higher than that of whipworm infection group [(62.5 ± 24.3) pg/ ml] (P < 0.01). There were no significant difference in the serum level of IL-4 and IgE among the patients infected with the species of different helminthes (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The levels of IL-4, IgE, and IL-9 are considerably related with intestinal helminth infection, while IL-9 level varied with different helminth species and clinical symptoms.