Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Th17 Inflammation Model of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis in Immunodeficient Mice
Published on: February 18, 2015
Evaluation of Th1/Th2/Th17 Balance in Pulmonary Cystic Echinococcosis Patients
Umut Gazi1, Yunus Emre Beyhan2, Ozgur Tosun3
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus. umut.gazi@neu.edu.tr.
Purpose:
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical disease prevalent worldwide, particularly in rural areas. Previous studies evaluated immune responses in patients with hepatic CE, however none had assessed Th1, Th2 and Th17 levels simultaneously in pulmonary CE patients. This study aimed to fill this gap in literature by using flow cytometry analysis.
Methods:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from blood samples collected from healthy control (HC) volunteers and patients with active pulmonary CE cysts. The PBMCs were analysed to evaluate Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell levels within the CD3 + CD4 + T-cell population, using antibodies against interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-17, respectively.
Results:
Our analysis revealed elevated Th2 levels in CE patients, while Th1 and Th17 cell counts showed no significant difference between HC volunteers and patients with pulmonary CE.
Conclusion:
The results indicate an imbalanced Th1/Th2/Th17 cell regulation in the pathogenesis of pulmonary CE. Future studies are recommended to compare immune responses between pulmonary and hepatic CE to confirm these findings and evaluate any potential difference in the immunopathology associated with the two clinical forms of CE.
