Anti- Schistosomular Activity of Human Monocytes/Macrophages
in Response to Interleukin-3 and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colonystimulating Factor Stimulation
Human monocytes, co-incubated for 7 days in culture with GM-CSF or
IL-3 but not with IFN-γ, exerted a variable
schistosotnulicidal effect on Schistosoma mansoni
parasites when grown in 96-well round-bottomed plates but not in
flat-bottomed plates. Addition of LPS or IFN-γ or both, for
the last 48 h did not enhance the cidal effect. Addition of LPS but
not IFN-γ to the pre-incubated cells with GM-CSF or IL-3
markedly stimulated TNF-α production by the cells but not
their cidal activity. The variable cidal effects obtained with the
monocytes/macrophages from different donors suggest that these
effects may be genetically predetermined and are possibly linked to
blood group markers or to MHC class I or II antigens