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...

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...

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of past and current intestinal helminth infections with asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and atopy. METHODS Cross-sectional study of 1320 children aged 4-14 years from two Cuban municipalities. Helminth infections were determined by stool examination and parental questionnaire. Asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis were ...

Diagnostic tools appropriate for undertaking interventions to control helminth infections are key to their success. Many diagnostic tests for helminth infection have unsatisfactory performance characteristics and are not well suited for use in the parasite control programmes that are being increasingly implemented. Although the application of modern laboratory research techniques to improve dia...

BACKGROUND Detailed investigations of multiparasitism are scarce in the Mekong River basin. We assessed helminth (trematode, nematode, and cestode), and intestinal protozoa infections, and multiparasitism in random population samples from three different eco-epidemiological settings in Champasack province, southern Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), and determined underlying risk facto...

BACKGROUND Intestinal helminthiasis is a debilitating parasitic disease found in many parts of Uganda including Luweero district. In the district, the disease causes as high as 9% morbidity in children below five years. There was very scanty district information on the disease based mainly on hospital records despite this figure. The current study was carried out to provide data to plan for its...

INTRODUCTION Few studies have described the risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections in the Amazon. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was performed in a City of the State of Amazonas (Brazil) to estimate the prevalence of intestinal parasites and determine the risk factors for helminth infections. RESULTS Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent parasite. The main risk factors dete...

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by the bacteriaMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a global cause of considerable morbidity and mortality [1]. One of the biggest current challenges of TB control is our incomplete understanding of what constitutes protective immunity in TBendemic areas of the world. Although close to 2,200 million people maintain the infection in a state of latency and act as a re...

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009, 9:29–37 Purpose of review To review the findings of recent human studies of the association between helminth parasite infections and allergy and discuss their potential relevance to public health. Recent findings Different helminth parasites may have different effects on allergy that may depend on the timing or intensity of the exposure o...