Evaluation of some interleukins and immunomodulatory factors in Iraqi scabies patients

Scabies is a contagious skin infection, caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. It is one of aneglected parasitic disease. It causes complications that lead to inflammatory andallergic immune response. This study was designed to obtain the role of somecytokines in scabies patients and compare their levels with dermal diseases patientsand control (healthy).The study included one hundred and three patients infected with scabies, sevendermal disease patients (positive controls) as well as 34 healthy individual as controlgroup. The blood samples were collected from scabies and dermal disease patients aswell as the control groups. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was usedto measure Interleukine-4 (IL-4), Interleukin -8 (IL-8), Interleukin-17A (IL-17A),Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), Monocyte ChemotacticProtein-1 (MCP-1) and Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1-α (MIP-1- α) in theserum of scabies patients, dermal disease patients and healthy individuals.The results showed that IL-4, IL-8, IL-17A and TNF- α was higher in scabiespatients than in other groups (positive control and healthy), with no significantdifferences. While both of MIP- α and MCP-1 were higher in scabies patientscompared with healthy group, with significant differences. MIP- α was higher indermal patients individuals than in scabies patients. TNF- α was lower in scabiespatients than in healthy group but higher than in dermal disease patient group. Therewas positive correlation between IL-17A and each of IL-8, TNF- α, MCP-1 andbetween IL-8 and both of IL-17A and MCP-1, while there was negative correlation between MIP-1- α and both of IL-4 and MCP-1. The results suggested that thescabies infection may induce the systemic and inflammatory immune response.