Immune system parameters in chronic opisthorchiasis patients related to genes polymorphisms associated with developing ischemic heart disease

The aim of the study was to identify a relationship between gene polymorphisms associated with developing coronary heart disease and pathogenetic features of opisthorchiasis invasion. There were compared laboratory parameters assessing the immune system functioning (lymphocyte immunophenotyping evaluated by flow cytometry, serum immunoglobulin and cytokine concentrations, non-specific resistance indices) in patients with chronic opisthorchiasis (caused by Opisthorchis felineus) of various genotypes with/without mutations in loci associated with predisposition to developing coronary heart disease. It was found that opisthorchiasis invasion leads to altered immune response in patients bearing mutations in genes encoding adenosine monophosphate deaminase 1, hypoxia induced factor 1 alpha, and apolipoprotein E affecting relevant protein functions compared to those without minor alleles. Upon that, patients carrying mutation in the adenosine monophosphate deaminase 1 gene, turned out to have lowered cellular (decreased count of cytotoxic lymphocytes) and humoral immunity (decreased immunoglobulin A level). Patients with opisthorchiasis bearing a rare allele in the hypoxia-induced factor 1 alpha gene were featured with activated adaptive immunity and reduced activation of innate immunity. Moreover, mutated apolipoprotein E gene was coupled to decreased activity of cellular immune response, which exacerbates the course of opisthorchiasis invasion, whereas minor allele of the rs1333049 polymorphism in the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene results in no significantly altered immune response. Thus, gene-related dysfunction of certain proteins may allow opisthorchiasis invasion to elicit multidirectional changes in immune response, so that approaching the normal range of diverse immune-related parameters during chronic parasitic invasion may not necessarily be interpreted as a “protective” effect exerted by any of gene polymorphisms. The most prominent changes in immune response of patients with chronic opisthorchiasis were detected in case of polymorphism in the factor-induced hypoxia-1 alpha gene. The data obtained suggest that the aforementioned genetic polymorphisms may predispose to manifestation of certain opisthorchiasis clinical forms.