Journal of Advanced Biomedical & Pathobiology Research Vol.4 No.1, March 2014, 1-15 1 Relationship between TH1, TH2 Immune Responses and Serum SOD Activity In Scabies Malak Majid Al-Musawi 1,a Hadi Rasool Hasan 2,b Azar Hadi Maluki 3,c 1 Dept. of Biology, College of Education for Girls, Kufa University, Iraq 2 College of Pharmacy, Karbala University, Iraq 3 College of Medicine, Kufa University, Iraq malakalmusawi@yahoo.com ISSN: 2231-9123 ABSTRACT Scabies is a common ectoparasitic contagious skin infestation globally, particularly in the developing world. Infestation invariably leads to the development of localized cutaneous inflammation, pruritis and skin lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate immunobiochemical response of the host's inflammatory/immune response to scabies during infestation. The present study was conducted on 60 scabietic patients who visit Dermatology Outpatient Clinic, Al-Sader Medical City in Najaf governorate/ Iraq during February 2012 till November 2012. Blood samples from 60 scabietic patients (30 early and 30 late scabietic patients) and 28 healthy and non-allergic controls were collected for eosinophils (%) count using Cell-Dyn Ruby; serum was obtained to estimate serum cytokines (IL- 1β, TNF-α, IL-4 & IL-5) and IgE using (ELISA) technique, and SOD levels. All the studied parameters were highly significant elevated (p< 0.05) in both early and late scabietic patients in comparison to control group. IgE positively correlated with IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-5 in early scabietic patients, whereas it had negative correlation with IL-1β, TNF-α and positive correlation with IL-4 and IL-5 in late scabietic patients. SOD showed negative correlation with IL-1β and TNF-α, whereas positive correlation appeared with IL-4 and IL-5 in both scabietic patients. In early and late scabietic patients, eosinophils (%) positively correlated with all the studied cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-5. The findings of the current study demonstrated that host immune response in early scabietic patients resembles a TH2 allergic response, whereas in late scabietic patients; It resembles a TH1 cell- mediated protective response. Keywords: Scabies, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IgE, SOD activity. 1. Introduction Scabies is an intensely itchy ectoparasitic infectious dermatosis caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis. Scabies is a neglected worldwide health problem. It has been estimated that 300 million people develop scabies worldwide annually (Feldmeier & Heukelbach, 2009). The clinical presentation of scabies is characterized by a generalized itching (pruritus) often more intense at night, and coincides with a widespread eruption of inflammatory papules. The pathognomonic lesions of scabies are burrows, which are best seen in the interdigital webs, wrists, elbows, the borders of the hands, the sides of the fingers, feet, particularly the instep and, in males, on the genitalia; and in females on the chest and nipples (Stone et al., 2008;