Figure 4. Elevated filarial-specific IL-5 production is associated with MF status.

Isolated PBMCs (2×10⁵/well) from NEN or O. volvulus infected MF⁺ or a-MF patients were stimulated with either anti-CD3/anti-CD28 (10 µg/ml/2.5 µg/ml) (A and C), an O. volvulus extract (OV, 5 µg/ml), a B. malayi female extract (BmFE, 5 µg/ml) or an extract from B. malayi females worms from infected animals that were depleted of Wolbachia through tetracycline treatment (BmFEtet, 5 µg/ml) (B and D) for 72 hours. Thereafter, levels of IL-5 (A and B) and IL-13 (C and D) were measured in the culture supernatants via ELISA. Data are plotted as fold increase over unstimulated controls. Graphs show box whiskers with median, interquartile ranges and outliers. Statistical significances between the indicated groups were obtained after Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests.