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Platelets mediate the action of diethylcarbamazine on microfilariae

Nature volume 325, pages 533–536 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

More than 400 million people in the world are infected by filarial parasites leading to a wide range of pathologies1. Although introduced in 19472, the mainstay of the therapy and control of the filariases is diethylcarbamazine ( N,N-diethyl-4-methyl-1-piperazine carboxamide; DEC), the mode of action of which still remains unknown despite widespread use and intensive laboratory investigations1–3. The marked contrast between an extremely rapid action in vivo3–4 and the absence of any significant activity on microfilariae in vitro is unique among chemotherapeutic agents. DEC has been thought to modify the surface layer of the microfilariae and expose them to immunological cell-mediated lysis5. This report provides the first evidence that the effect of DEC is mediated by blood platelets with the additional triggering of a filarial excretory antigen (FEA). The killing mechanism is antibody-independent and involves the participation of free radicals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d'lmmunologie et de Biologic Parasitaire, Unité Mixte INSERM 167-CNRS 624, Institut Pasteur, 1 rue du Pr A. Calmette, 59019, Lille Cédex, France

    Jean-Yves Cesbron, André Capron & Michel Joseph

  2. Unité des Venins, Unité Associée Institut Pasteur-INSERM 285, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France

    Boris B. Vargaftig

  3. Laboratoire d'Hémobiologie, Unité INSERM 63, Institut Pasteur, Faculté Alexis Carrel, 69372, Lyon, Cédex 08, France

    Michel Lagarde

  4. Unité de Biochimie de l'Oxygène, Université de Liège, Bâtiment de Chimie B 6, Sart Tilman, Liège, 4 000, Belgium

    Joël Pincemail

  5. Institut Henri Beaufour, 17 avenue Descartes, 92350, Le Plessis, France

    Pierre Braquet

  6. Institute for Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Henri Taelman

Authors
  1. Jean-Yves Cesbron
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  2. André Capron
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  4. Michel Lagarde
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  6. Pierre Braquet
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  7. Henri Taelman
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  8. Michel Joseph
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Cesbron, JY., Capron, A., Vargaftig, B. et al. Platelets mediate the action of diethylcarbamazine on microfilariae. Nature 325, 533–536 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/325533a0

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