CD4+, CD8+, immunoglobulin status and ocular lesions among some onchocerciasis-infected rural Nigerians

CD4+, CD8+, immunoglobulin status and ocular lesions of some onchocerciasis-infected rural Nigerians as manifested by the presence of microfilariae in their skin snips and some chronic symptoms of the parasitic infestation were evaluated. The highest mean CD4+ and mean microfilarial (mff) load of 560 ± 20.46 unit cells/μl and 20 mff/mg were recorded among the individuals within the second decade of life, while the least mean CD4+ and mff load of 307.20 ± 11.23 unit cell/μl and 6.5 mff/mg occurred among volunteers after 60 years of age. The highest mean CD8+ of 388.00 ± 23.71 unit cells/μl occurred at the third decade of life. The individuals above 60 years had the least mean CD8+ of 350.25 ± 11.90 unit cells/μl. The volunteers had mean CD4+ of 372.45 ± 109.02 unit cells/μl and mean CD8+ of 359.42 ± with an overall CD4+:CD8+ ratio of 1.04. The mean CD4+ and mean CD8+ had positive correlation with the mean microfilarial load (r = 0.52 and r = 0.40), respectively. The mean IgE, IgG, lgA, IgM, and IgD were 2,074.82 ± 823.09, 19.36 ± 2.49, 3.88 ± 0.26, 3.59 ± 0.38, and 0.29 ± 0.19 mg/dl, and these immunoglobulins negatively correlated with the mean microfilarial load at r = -0.02, r = -0.15, r = -0.82, r = -0.37, and r = 0.26, respectively. Among these immunoglobulins evaluated, only mean IgE (2,074.82 ± 823 ng/ml) was statistically different from the control subjects (0 mg/dl) at t = 3.39, P < 0.05. In all, the prevalence of the visual impairment and lesions were low. Among the six visual lesions, namely, cataract, choroidoretinitis, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, sclerosing keratitis, and optic atrophy encountered in Egoro-Eguare, only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis was reported among the children. The female adults had the highest prevalence of reduced vision 20(43.5%). Also, the prevalence of choroidoretinitis (2.2%) and iridocyclitis (2.2%) were the least prevalent ocular lesions reported among these female adults. The depletion of the CD4+ contributed to the low prevalence of visual impairment and lesions in this locality. The depleted CD4+, CD8+, and the lower values of IgA, IgM, and IgG contributed in the maintenance of chronicity of onchocerciasis in Egoro-Eguare, Nigeria.