H. K AL-Masoudi - Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Baghdad, Iraq
K. C Al-Hamadani - Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Baghdad, Iraq
I. A Khiarull - Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Baghdad, Iraq

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is the silent chronic Helminthes zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage in intermediate hosts of the dog tapeworm Echicoccous granulosus, which belongs to the Taeniidae family and genus Echinococcu ssp. According to the study of CE, the hospitalization and surgeries of patients indicated the high prevalence of the disease in Iraq.This study aimed to determine some immunological parameters in patients infected with Echinococcus granulose. The study of ۵۳ patients infected with CE showed that in ۴۰ (۷۵.۴ %), ۵ (۹.۴%), ۴ (۷.۵%), and ۲ (۳.۷ %) cases the liver, abdominal cavity, kidney, and lungs were involved. In terms of age, most and least number of the patients were within the age ranges of۳۰-۴۰ (n=۱۵, ۲۸.۳ %) and۶۰-۷۰ years old (n=۷, ۱۳.۲ %), respectively. Moreover, ۳۷(۵۶.۹%) and ۱۶(۴۳%) of them were female and male, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the level of the Interleukin family among patients. There was a significant increase in the serum level concentration of IL۱۷A and IL۱۷B in patients with hydatid disease, compared to the control group. The changes in different age groups also showed statistically significant differences among them (P≤۰.۰۵). The outcome of this study indicated that CE is endemic in Babylon province, Iraq. The ELISA technique is a reliable and efficient test for the early diagnosis and monitoring of human hydatid disease. Moreover, it was found that the liver was the most common site of human hydatid cyst.

Echinococccus granuulosus, Echinocooccosis, Interleukin۱۷, Iraq