Abstract

CARABALLO, Luis. The various effects of helminthiases on allergic inflammation. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2016, vol.40, n.155, pp.200-208. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.335.

Helminth infections and allergies are very common in tropical countries, where they are linked by multiple interactions. Defense mechanisms against helminths are quite similar to the allergic immune response, mainly because both processes have a significant participation of antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE). But there are also important differences, one being the degree of immunomodulation, which is weak in the allergic response and strong in anthelmintic immunity. This issue has implications in medicine because some helminth infections such as ascariasis (caused by Ascaris lumbricoides), are able to modify the course of allergic diseases, sometimes reducing their intensity and sometimes intensifying allergic symptoms. In this review we discuss some of the influence of helminthiases on the allergic immune response and speculate about its impact on the current international prevalence trends of inflammatory disorders.

Keywords : Helminthiases; immunomodulation; IgE; allergy; epidemiology; allergic response.

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