Kinetics of serum and cellular interleukin-5 in post-treatment eosinophilia of patients with lymlphatic filariasis.

Limaye Ajit, P.; E.A., Ottesen; Kumaraswami, V.; Abrahams John, S.; Jaya Reghunathan; Vijayasekaran, V.; Kunthala Jayaraman; Nutman Thomas, B.

Journal of Infectious Diseases; 1993; 167; 1396-1400.

Peripheral blood eosinophil counts and serum levels and in vitro production of eosinophilopoietic cytokines were assessed before and at frequent intervals after diethylcarbamazine treatment of Bancroftian filalriasis. Eosinophil counts peaked at day 7 after the start of treatment (3.59%±118% of pretreatment levels) and declined to pretreatment levels by day 17. Serum interleukin-5 (IL-5), undetectable in 14 of 15 patients before treatment, rose sharply but transiently, with peak levels-l (32= 7 pg/mL) 2 days after diethycarbamazine treatment. Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and IL-3 were not detectable in serum at any time. In vitro mitogen-induced IL-5 levels decreased significantly in 7 of 9 patients 3 days after treatment when serum IL-5 was at near-peak levels. By day 10 IL-5 values increased in 8 of 9 patients compared with treatment values (P < 0.02). These data define the temporal relation between serum IL-5 levels and the subsequent development of eosinophilia and suggest that lymphocytes are the source of IL-5.

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