Table 5 Associations between number of different helminth parasite infections and cytokine production by peripheral blood leukocytes cultured in medium alone (i.e. spontaneous cytokine production) in 1,271 children

IFN-γ [mean (pg/mL) = 21.0]*

(n = 870)

(n = 114)

0

450 (445.7)

89.8

10.2

1

1

1

361 (36.7)

87.8

12.2

1.22 (0.79; 1.89)

1.17 (0.74; 1.84)

2

117 (11.9)

86.3

13.7

1.39 (0.76; 2.56)

1.35 (0.72; 2.53)

3

56 (5.7)

85.7

14.3

1.46 (0.65; 3.28)

1.36 (0.59; 3.11)

IL-5 [mean (pg/mL) = 16.0]*

(n = 1.150)

(n = 66)

0

569 (46.8)

95.1

4.9

1

1

1

443 (36.4)

94.1

5.9

1.20 (0.70; 2.09)

1.18 (0.67; 2.07)

2

144 (11.8)

95.8

4.2

0.84 (0.34; 2.07)

0.86 (0.34; 2.15)

3

60 (5.0)

90.0

10.0

2.15 (0.85; 5.41)

2.18 (0.84; 5.67)

IL-10 [mean (pg/mL) = 35.6]*

(n = 1.213)

(n = 110)

0

610 (46.1)

95.1

4.9

1

1

1

482 (36.4)

90.7

9.3

1.99 (1.23; 3.21)

1.99 (1.22; 3.24)

2

164 (12.4)

88.4

11.6

2.53 (1.39; 4.63)

2.45 (1.32; 4.55)

3

67 (5.1)

76.1

23.9

6.07 (3.10; 11.86)

5.97 (2.97; 12.01)

IL-13 [mean (pg/mL) = 85.6]*

(n = 826)

(n = 432)

0

542 (45.5)

65.4

34.6

1

1

1

458 (36.4)

66.6

33.4

0.95 (0.73; 1.23)

0.96 (0.73; 1.24)

2

152 (12.1)

64.5

35.5

1.04 (0.72; 1.51)

1.07 (0.73; 1.57)

3

64 (5.0)

64.1

35.9

1.06 (0.62; 1.82)

1.10 (0.63; 1.91)