[The interferon status in helminthiases. 3. Opisthorchiasis]

In 23 patients with Opisthorchis felineus infection, 4 in subacute and 19 in chronic stages of the disease (7 subclinical, 8 with cholepathy and 4 with gastroduodenitis) the blood levels of alpha-interferon (IF-alpha) and IF-gamma were measured using vesical stomatitis virus culture. In patients with subacute opisthorchiasis the blood contents of IF-alpha and IF-gamma were the same as in control-30 practically healthy people (640-1280, log2 9.73 +/- 0.19, and 128-256, log2 7.75 +/- 0.25 against 640-1280, log2 10.04 +/- 0.12 and 128-256, log2 7.47 +/- 0.13 respectively). In patients with chronic opisthorchiasis the levels of IF-alpha and IF-gamma were lower than in control (320-640, log2 8.68 +/- 0.28 and 32-128, log2 6.0 +/- 0.58, p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.01 respectively). Among the ones with the subclinical course of the infection the content of IF-alpha was lower than in control (320-1280, log2 9.31 +/- 0.27, p less than 0.05). Patients with cholepathy had lower levels of IF-alpha and IF-gamma than those with subclinical course of the infection (160-640, log2 8.55 +/- 0.24 and 16-64, log2 5.0 +/- 0.26, p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01 respectively). That seemed to be a sign of immunodepression in the chronic stage of the disease some way more prominent in cases with cholepathy. Immediately after praziquantel therapy interferon levels remained unchanged.