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Updated: May 1, 2026
10:57
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
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Helminths in the hygiene hypothesis: sooner or later?
R M Maizels1, H J McSorley, D J Smyth
1Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Clinical and Experimental Immunology
|April 23, 2014
Summary
Parasitic infections significantly impact immune system development and behavior. Helminths can therapeutically dampen inflammation, even in adults, raising questions about the timing of their immunosuppressive effects.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infectious agents profoundly influence immune system development and function.
- Declining infection rates correlate with increased immune system hyperactivity and inflammatory diseases.
- Early-life parasitic infections can permanently alter immunological reactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the timing of parasitic influence on host immune responses.
- To determine if helminths exert immunosuppressive effects during immune response initiation or recall phases.
- To understand the molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interactions in modulating immune pathology.
Main Methods:
- Epidemiological studies in parasite-endemic areas.
- Analysis of host-parasite interactions at the molecular and cellular levels.
- Investigation of immune responses during initiation and recall phases.
Main Results:
- Prenatal or early-life infections can imprint long-term immunological reactivity.
- Helminths demonstrate therapeutic potential by dampening established inflammatory diseases.
- Parasites modulate host immune pathology through specific molecules and cell populations.
Conclusions:
- Parasitic infections have fundamental, long-lasting effects on immune system development and behavior.
- Helminths possess therapeutic properties for inflammatory conditions, irrespective of early-life exposure.
- Further research is needed to elucidate whether parasite-induced immunosuppression is primarily an early-life or adult phenomenon.
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