IMMUNOMODULATION OF ALLERGIC RESPONSE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM LYMPHATIC FILARIAL INFECTION
ANA MARIA AGUIAR DOS SANTOS ¹, SILVIA MONTENEGRO¹, ZULMA MEDEIROS¹, ABRAHAM ROCHA¹, CLARICE MORAIS¹, ALMERINDA SILVA¹, CRISTINE BONFIM¹, MERCIA CRISTIANE CUNHA¹, AMANDA XAVIER¹, EMANUEL SARINHO¹
1. IAM/FIOCRUZ - Instituto AGGEU MAGALHAES, 2. UPE - Universidade de Pernambuco, 3. UFPE - UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE PERNAMBUCO, 4. FUNDAJ - FUNDACAO JOAQUIM NABUCO
amas@cpqam.fiocruz.br

Background: Although it is well known that allergic diseases involve a strong Th2 immune response, with production of high levels of specific IgE allergen, knowledge on the association between filarial infection and allergies, among pediatric patients, is scarce. Objective: To evaluate the allergic response patterns in cases of filarial infection by comparing peripheral eosinophils, total IgE levels, immediate hypersensitivity and cytokine levels in children and adolescents in Brazil . Methods: This was an e xploratory study with three groups: I. with filarial infection and without allergic diseases; II. without filarial infection and with allergic diseases; and III. without filarial infection and without allergic diseases. The prick test and specific IgE tests for aeroallergens were performed using five antigens. Peripheral eosinophils and total IgE were also evaluated. IL-4 and IL-5 were determined using whole-blood culture stimulated by three antigens. Results: Eosinophilia and elevated levels of total IgE (≥ 400 IU/dl) were observed in all groups. The prick test was positive in 56.6% of the cases. Group I presented hypersensitive responses similar to the allergic disease groups. In the whole-blood culture stimulated by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus , average IL-4 production did not differ significantly among the groups, but IL5 production resulting from stimulation was greater in the allergic disease groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions : The allergic response pattern in group with filarial infection was similar to that of the groups with and without allergic diseases, but the response to IL-5 in the culture stimulated by D. pteronyssinus was an exclusive characteristic of the allergic group.