Treatment-Resistant Human Extraparenchymal Neurocysticercosis: An Immune-Inflammatory Approach to Cysticidal Treatment Outcome.

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the immune-endocrine profile in neurocysticercosis (NC) patients resistant to cysticidal treatment.
Methods: The inflammatory and regulatory responses of 8 resistant NC patients with extraparenchymal parasites and 5 healthy controls were evaluated through flow cytometry. Serum interleukin levels were measured by ELISA and catecholamines levels by high performance liquid chromatography.
Results: Higher percentages of Tr1, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD127- and CD4+CD45RO+FOXP3HI were found in NC patients compared with healthy controls, but no difference was found in catecholamine levels. Antigen-specific proliferative immune response was observed in NC patients. Neither anti-inflammatory nor pro-inflammatory cytokines showed differences between patients and controls, but IL-6 levels were lower in treatment-resistant NC patients. In addition, TGFβ showed a significant negative correlation with dopamine.
Conclusions: Altogether, these results may point to a modulation of the neuroinflammation in these patients that could indirectly favor cysticercal survival in CNS microenvironment.
(© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)