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Plasmin in Parasitic Chronic Infections: Friend or Foe?

Javier González-Miguel1, Mar Siles-Lucas2, Vladimir Kartashev3

  • 1Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.

Trends in Parasitology
|January 18, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Plasmin, crucial for dissolving blood clots, can aid pathogen invasion. However, excess plasmin from host-parasite interactions may cause vascular damage, prompting a re-evaluation of its role.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pathology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Plasmin is the end product of the fibrinolytic system, essential for breaking down blood clots.
  • Pathogens can exploit the fibrinolytic system, recruiting plasmin to facilitate invasion and colonization.
  • Recent research indicates that excessive plasmin generation during host-parasite interactions is linked to vascular pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dual role of plasmin in host-parasite interactions.
  • To re-evaluate the benefits and detrimental effects of plasmin in the context of parasitic infections.
  • To highlight the pathological consequences of dysregulated plasmin activity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on fibrinolysis and host-parasite interactions.
  • Analysis of data linking plasmin activity to vascular cell behavior.
  • Examination of plasmin's role in extracellular matrix degradation.

Main Results:

  • Plasmin facilitates pathogen invasion by aiding in fibrinolysis and host tissue penetration.
  • Excessive plasmin levels correlate with increased arterial wall cell proliferation and migration.
  • Plasmin contributes to inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation in pathological conditions.

Conclusions:

  • The interaction between plasmin and parasites presents a complex scenario with both facilitative and detrimental effects.
  • A critical reassessment of plasmin's role in host-parasite dynamics is warranted.
  • Understanding plasmin's dual nature is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies against parasitic diseases and associated vascular complications.
Keywords:
fibrinolytic systemhost pathologyhost-parasite relationshipsparasite survivalparasitic adaptationsplasmin

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