Circulating Angiopoietin-like proteins in Strongyloides Stercoralis infection and reversal following treatment

Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss) is a parasitic infection affecting 50-100 million people globally, with significant immune and metabolic consequences, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. While Strongyloides infection is known to modulate the host immune system, the role of angiopoietin-like proteins (AGPTLs), which regulate inflammation and immune responses, has not been explored in this context. In this study, we investigated the systemic levels of AGPTL-2, -3, -4, -6, and -8 in 60 Ss-infected (Ss+) and 56 uninfected (Ss-) individuals. AGPTL levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). We also assessed the effect of anthelmintic treatment on AGPTL levels in Ss+ individuals. Our results show that Ss+ individuals had significantly elevated levels of AGPTL-2, -3, -6, and -8 compared to Ss- individuals. After anthelmintic treatment, these elevated levels were significantly reduced. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct clustering of AGPTLs between Ss+ and Ss- groups, explaining 25.1% and 36.1% of the variance, respectively. Additionally, a positive correlation between AGPTL levels and IgG suggested an association with immune activation. These findings suggest that Strongyloides infection is associated with elevated AGPTL levels, which decrease following effective treatment. This highlights the potential role of AGPTLs as biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring infection and treatment response. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of AGPTL regulation in parasitic infections and their impact on immune modulation and metabolic alterations.