Cytokine Regulation of Immune Responses in Parasitic Diseases: A Review

Cytokine Regulation of Immune Responses in Parasitic Diseases

Abstract

The immune regulation in parasitic infections plays a central role in cytokine mediation of host defense and disease pathology. It is an integrative review that summarizes the current molecular and quantitative data on the dynamics of cytokines in major parasitic infections, malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and schistosomiasis. A methodical search of the literature was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010-2025) and included specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Descriptive analysis of quantitative cytokine concentration ranges and cytokine ratios was conducted based on heterogeneity of study designs. The figures were made with Figma software to be visually accurate and clear. The results have shown that the outcome of infections depends mostly on the balance between pro-inflammatory (e.g., TNF-α, IFN-γ) and regulatory cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β). Severity of the disease is associated with disrupted cytokine ratios, instead of cytokine abundance. Molecular mimicry and JAK–STAT and NF-κB modulations are some of the ways used by parasites to sustain chronicity by exploiting these cytokine pathways. A combination of comparative cytokine profiles shows common immunoregulatory principles between parasitic infections and cytokine ratios as a potential biomarker of disease progression or immune response to therapeutic intervention. This synthesis offers an integrated framework that connects cytokine signaling with clinical outcomes and provides guidance on subsequent standard, multi-omics studies to achieve precision immunomodulation and better disease prognostication.