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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Cultivation of Heligmosomoides Polygyrus: An Immunomodulatory Nematode Parasite and its Secreted Products

Cultivation of Heligmosomoides Polygyrus: An Immunomodulatory Nematode Parasite and its Secreted Products

Published on: April 6, 2015

Interactions between helminth parasites and allergy.

Philip J Cooper¹

¹Centre for Infection, St George's University of London, London, UK. pcooper@sgul.ac.uk

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology

|December 25, 2008

Summary

Helminth parasite infections may influence allergy development, with some infections potentially reducing allergy prevalence. However, a definitive causal link between helminths and atopic diseases remains uncertain.

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Area of Science:

Immunology
Infectious Diseases
Epidemiology

Background:

Helminth infections are common globally.
Allergic diseases represent a significant public health burden.
The relationship between helminth infections and allergy is complex and debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent human studies on the helminth-allergy association.
To discuss the public health implications of this relationship.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of human studies.
Analysis of associations between specific helminth infections and allergic outcomes.

Main Results:

Early life infections with *Trichuris trichiura* may reduce later allergy.
Infant eczema prevalence is lower in mothers with helminth infections.
Hookworm infection is linked to reduced asthma prevalence in Ethiopia.
Anti-*Ascaris* IgE may be a risk factor for asthma, potentially due to atopic individuals' IgE production.
Toxocara infections might increase wheeze risk, possibly via host response or parasite-enhanced Th2 responses.

Conclusions:

Helminth infections can modulate host inflammatory responses.
A causal link between helminth infections and atopic diseases is not yet established.