Amebic lectin stimulation of lymphocytes of Mexican Mestizos recovered from amebic abscess of the liver induces decreased production of IL5 and IL6.

Th1-dependent cellular immunoinflammatory responses are claimed to be primarily involved in the progress and eventual outcome of invasive amebiasis [i.e., amebic abscess of the liver (AAL)] (1). Th1 cells control mostly cell-mediated immune responses, and the resulting inflammatory reaction through the production of IL2, IFNg , TNFa , etc., while Th2 cells are mainly involved in humoral antibody immunity and eosinophilia through the production of IL4, IL5, IL6, IL10, etc. (2). We explored whether the risk to develop AAL could be related to a particular, possibly inherited (HLA-DR3-related?) (3), pattern of Th1 or Th2 cytokine response in the host. We, therefore, measured the production of Th1 (IL2, INFg , and TNFa ) and Th2 (IL4, IL5, and IL6) cytokines in lymphocytes of healthy adult Mexican mestizos who had long before recovered from AAL, and compared it to Mexican mestizo healthy controls.