Cytokines & Antibodies in Lymph & Serum of Cp Patients with Filariasis

Lymphatic Filariasis is caused by thread-like parasitic worms which belong to the species Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and B.Timori. Clinical disease appears later in life but sub-clinical damage starts at an early age. Lymphatic filariasis is a major cause of disability, social stigmatization, psychosocial and economic reductions in life opportunities, and is a major burden on health and hospital resources and social systems. Clinical spectrum has three kinds of patients, they are Endemic normal (EN) Chronic pathology (CP) and Microfilariamics (MF) EN patients elicit Th1, CP patients elicit both Th1 and Th2 and MF patients elicit Th2 immune response. Cytokines are small secreted proteins which mediate and regulate immunity, inflammation, and hematopoiesis. They must be produced de novo in response to an immune stimulus. They act by binding to specific membrane receptors, which then signal the cell via second messengers, often tyrosine kinases, to alter its behavior (gene expression). Samples such as the Lymphatic fluid and its corresponding Serum were collected from Chronic Pathology patients and a sequential analysis was performed for this study.