Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are key immune regulators during helminth infections, and identifying the mechanisms governing their induction is of principal importance for the design of treatments for helminth infections, allergies and autoimmunity. Little is yet known regarding the co-stimulatory environment that favours the development of Foxp3(+) Treg-cell responses during helminth infe...

BACKGROUND We have previously suggested that helminthic infections make the host more susceptible to HIV infection and enhance its progression due to the chronic immune activation they cause. OBJECTIVE To study the effect of antihelminthic treatment on HIV plasma viral load (VL) in HIV- and helminth-infected individuals living in Ethiopia. METHODS Fifty-six clinically asymptomatic HIV-1-inf...

BACKGROUND The clinical spectrum of leprosy is dependent on the host immune response against Mycobacterium leprae or the newly discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis antigen. Helminth infections have been shown to affect the development of several diseases through immune regulation and thus may play a role in the clinical manifestations of leprosy and leprosy reactions. The purpose of this study...

Infection with helminth parasites has been explored as a treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. As helminth antigens have potent immunomodulation properties capable of inducing regulatory programs in a variety of cell types, transferring cells treated with helminth antigens represents a novel extension to helminth therapy. Previous work determined that transfer of bone marrow-deriv...

In the present study, the abdominal contents of 10 mummies from beneath the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, were examined for the presence of helminth parasites using standard archaeoparasitological techniques. Of the mummies examined, only one individual presented with evidence of parasitism. This individual was infected with both Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumb...

Numerous population studies and experimental models suggest that helminth infections can ameliorate immuno-inflammatory disorders such as asthma and autoimmunity. Immunosuppressive cell populations associated with helminth infections include Treg and alternatively-activated macrophages. In previous studies, we showed that both CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg, and CD4(-) MLN cells from Heligmosomoides polygy...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of asthma and atopic disease has been reported to be low in low income countries, however helminth infections are likely to be high among these communities. The question of whether helminth infections play a role in allergic diseases can best be addressed by intervention studies. None of the studies so far have been based on a large scale placebo-controlled trial. ME...

The role of interspecific interactions in the structure of gastrointestinal helminth communities has been at the core of most research in parasite community ecology, yet there is no consensus regarding their general importance. There have been two different approaches to the study of species interactions in helminths. The first one consists of measuring the responses of helminth species in conc...

BACKGROUND Recently there is a high tendency among exotic pet owners for keeping hedgehogs. This mammal can transfer some significant zoonotic pathogens to human. Hence, the present study was conducted for the first time to prepare a list of helminth parasites of hedgehogs (Erinaceus concolor) in North of Iran. METHODS Ten (four males and six females) road killed hedgehogs were collected duri...

Most wild animals face concurrent challenges by multiple infectious organisms, and immunological responses triggered by some parasites may increase susceptibility to other infectious agents. Immune-mediated interactions among parasites have been investigated among individuals in a population, but less is known about broader comparative patterns. We investigated the "macro-micro facilitation hyp...