IL-1 activity in human fascioliasis before and after treatment with bithionol and dehydroemetine

Interleukin-1 [IL-1] activity level was measured in monocyte culture supernatant of twenty patients with established fascioliasis before and after treatment with two faciolcidal drugs; bithionol and dehydroemetine [ten cases each] as well as a group of control [fifteen normal parasite free individuals]. The IL-1 mean activity level was found to be significantly higher in patients [84 +/- 21.6 micro/ml] than in normal individuals [9.4 +/- 3.7 micro/ml] This indicates increase in many immunological reactions which IL-1 is involved especially the monocyte activities and most of the inflammatory processes considering the multifunctional role of IL-1 as an inflammatory mediator. This high IL-1 activity may be due to the effect of Th1- deriven monocyte activating factors such as TNFbeta and lFNalpha stimulated by the adult worm antigens. After treatment, IL-1 activity level was significantly decreased [21.9 +/- 6.9 after bithionol, and 13.9 +/- 5.6 after dehydroemetine] than that before treatment, indicating good effectiveness of both drugs. This study also revealed a slight difference between the therapeutic effect of the two drugs which seems to be due to their different mode of action