Immunologic responses to repeated ivermectin treatment in patients with onchocerciasis

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
C SteelT B Nutman

Abstract

To assess the effect of ivermectin treatment on the immunologic status of individuals with onchocerciasis, 27 patients from Guatemala were studied before and at 6-month intervals during 2 years of repeated semiannual treatment with ivermectin. T cell proliferative responses to onchocercal antigen increased transiently by 6 months (mean stimulation index [SI] rising from 4.17 to 12.81) but returned to preivermectin levels thereafter. Changes in SI to nonparasite antigen paralleled those induced by parasite antigen. There were also significant decreases in levels of blood eosinophils, polyclonal IgG and IgE, parasite-specific IgG antibody, and IgG subclass antibodies by the end of the study. This study emphasizes the apparent long-term safety of ivermectin by demonstrating the absence of immunopathogenic responses induced by repeated ivermectin treatments.

Citations

Jul 1, 1994·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·A J GillespieJ E Bradley
Feb 1, 1995·Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology·M StankiewiczW Ng Chie
Aug 1, 1993·Current Opinion in Immunology·R L Modlin, T B Nutman
Aug 10, 2016·Trends in Immunology·Subash Babu, Thomas B Nutman
Oct 9, 2001·Parasite Immunology·H FaulknerJ E Bradley
Oct 23, 2008·The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists·Henry J McSorleyRick M Maizels
Feb 11, 2015·The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists·Soumya ChatterjeeThomas B Nutman

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anthelmintics

Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. Discover the latest research on anthelmintics here.

Anthelmintics (ASM)

Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. Discover the latest research on anthelmintics here.