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Association between polymorphisms of IL4, IL13, IL10, STAT6 and IFNG genes, cytokines and immunoglobulin E levels with high burden of Schistosoma mansoni in children from schistosomiasis endemic areas of Cameroon. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 111:105416. [PMID: 36889485 PMCID: PMC10167540 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030 requires a better understanding of the disease transmission, especially the asymmetric distribution of worm burden in individuals living and sharing the same environment. It is in this light that this study was designed to identify human genetic determinants associated with high burden of S. mansoni and also with the plasma concentrations of IgE and four cytokines in children from two schistosomiasis endemic areas of Cameroon. In school-aged children of schistosomiasis endemic areas of Makenene and Nom-Kandi of Cameroon, S. mansoni infections and their infection intensities were evaluated in urine and stool samples using respectively the Point-of-care Circulating Cathodic Antigen test (POC-CCA) and the Kato Katz (KK) test. Thereafter, blood samples were collected in children harbouring high burden of schistosome infections as well as in their parents and siblings. DNA extracts and plasma were obtained from blood. Polymorphisms at 14 loci of five genes were assessed using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and amplification-refractory mutation system. The ELISA test enabled to determine the plasma concentrations of IgE, IL-13, IL-10, IL-4 and IFN-γ. The prevalence of S. mansoni infections was significantly higher (P < 0.0001 for POC-CCA; P = 0.001 for KK) in Makenene (48.6% for POC-CCA and 7.9% for KK) compared to Nom-Kandi (31% for POC-CCA and 4.3% for KK). The infection intensities were also higher (P < 0.0001 for POC-CCA; P = 0.001 for KK) in children from Makenene than those from Nom-Kandi. The allele C of SNP rs3024974 of STAT6 was associated with an increased risk of bearing high burden of S. mansoni both in the additive (p = 0.009) and recessive model (p = 0.01) while the allele C of SNP rs1800871 of IL10 was protective (p = 0.0009) against high burden of S. mansoni. The alleles A of SNP rs2069739 of IL13 and G of SNP rs2243283 of IL4 were associated with an increased risk of having low plasma concentrations of IL-13 (P = 0.04) and IL-10 (P = 0.04), respectively. This study showed that host genetic polymorphisms may influence the outcome (high or low worm burden) of S. mansoni infections and also the plasma concentrations of some cytokines.
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Oyesola OO, Souza COS, Loke P. The Influence of Genetic and Environmental Factors and Their Interactions on Immune Response to Helminth Infections. Front Immunol 2022; 13:869163. [PMID: 35572520 PMCID: PMC9103684 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.869163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Helminth infection currently affect over 2 billion people worldwide, with those with the most pathologies and morbidities, living in regions with unequal and disproportionate access to effective healthcare solutions. Host genetics and environmental factors play critical roles in modulating and regulating immune responses following exposure to various pathogens and insults. However, the interplay of environment and genetic factors in influencing who gets infected and the establishment, persistence, and clearance of helminth parasites remains unclear. Inbred strains of mice have long been used to investigate the role of host genetic factors on pathogenesis and resistance to helminth infection in a laboratory setting. This review will discuss the use of ecological and environmental mouse models to study helminth infections and how this could be used in combination with host genetic variation to explore the relative contribution of these factors in influencing immune response to helminth infections. Improved understanding of interactions between genetics and the environment to helminth immune responses would be important for efforts to identify and develop new prophylactic and therapeutic options for the management of helminth infections and their pathogenesis.
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Murdaca G, Greco M, Borro M, Gangemi S. Hygiene hypothesis and autoimmune diseases: A narrative review of clinical evidences and mechanisms. Autoimmun Rev 2021; 20:102845. [PMID: 33971339 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since the start of the "modern era", characterized by the increase in urbanization, a progressive attention to hygiene and autoimmune conditions has considerably grown. Although these diseases are often multifactorial, it was demonstrated that environment factors such as pollution, diet and lifestyles may play a crucial role together with genetic signature. Our research, based on the newest and most significant literature of this topic, highlights that the progressive depletion of microbes and parasites due to increased socioeconomic improvement, may lead to a derangement of immunoregulatory mechanisms. Moreover, special attention was given to the complex interplay between microbial agents, as gut microbiome, diet and vitamin D supplementation with the aim of identifying promising future therapeutic options. In conclusion, autoimmunity cannot be limited to hygiene-hypothesis, but from the point of view of precision medicine, this theory represents a fundamental element together with the study of genomics, the microbiome and proteomics, in order to understand the complex functioning of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Murdaca
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa and IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Monica Greco
- Internal Medicine Department, San Paolo Hospital, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Matteo Borro
- Internal Medicine Department, San Paolo Hospital, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Gangemi
- School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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Rosa BA, Snowden C, Martin J, Fischer K, Kupritz J, Beshah E, Supali T, Gankpala L, Fischer PU, Urban JF, Mitreva M. Whipworm-Associated Intestinal Microbiome Members Consistent Across Both Human and Mouse Hosts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:637570. [PMID: 33777847 PMCID: PMC7991909 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.637570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The human whipworm Trichuris trichiura infects 289 million people worldwide, resulting in substantial morbidity. Whipworm infections are difficult to treat due to low cure rates and high reinfection rates. Interactions between whipworm and its host's intestinal microbiome present a potential novel target for infection control or prevention but are very complicated and are identified using inconsistent methodology and sample types across the literature, limiting their potential usefulness. Here, we used a combined 16S rRNA gene OTU analysis approach (QIIME2) for samples from humans and mice infected with whipworm (T. trichiura and T. muris, respectively) to identify for the first time, bacterial taxa that were consistently associated with whipworm infection spanning host species and infection status using four independent comparisons (baseline infected vs uninfected and before vs after deworming for both humans and mice). Using these four comparisons, we identified significant positive associations for seven taxa including Escherichia, which has been identified to induce whipworm egg hatching, and Bacteroides, which has previously been identified as a major component of the whipworm internal microbiome. We additionally identified significant negative associations for five taxa including four members of the order Clostridiales, two from the family Lachnospiraceae, including Blautia which was previously identified as positively associated with whipworm in independent human and mouse studies. Using this approach, bacterial taxa of interest for future association and mechanistic studies were identified, and several were validated by RT-qPCR. We demonstrate the applicability of a mouse animal model for comparison to human whipworm infections with respect to whipworm-induced intestinal microbiome disruption and subsequent restoration following deworming. Overall, the novel cross-species analysis approach utilized here provides a valuable research tool for studies of the interaction between whipworm infection and the host intestinal microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A. Rosa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Caroline Snowden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - John Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jonah Kupritz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ethiopia Beshah
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Taniawati Supali
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Lincoln Gankpala
- Public Health and Medical Research, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Charlesville, Liberia
| | - Peter U. Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Joseph F. Urban
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Carneiro VL, da Silva HBF, Queiroz GDA, Veiga RV, Oliveira PRS, Carneiro NVQ, Pires ADO, da Silva RR, Sena F, Belitardo E, Nascimento R, Silva M, Marques CR, Costa RDS, Alcantra-Neves NM, Barreto ML, Cooper PJ, Figueiredo CA. WSB1 and IL21R Genetic Variants Are Involved in Th2 Immune Responses to Ascaris lumbricoides. Front Immunol 2021; 12:622051. [PMID: 33692795 PMCID: PMC7937724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.622051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and epigenetic factors are considered to be critical for host-parasite interactions. There are limited data on the role of such factors during human infections with Ascaris lumbricoides. Here, we describe the potential role of genetic factors as determinants of the Th2 immune response to A. lumbricoides in Brazilian children. Stool samples were collected from the children to detect A. lumbricoides by microscopy and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were cultured in whole blood cultures for detection of cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13) in vitro. Levels of anti-A. lumbricoides IgE and IgG4 were measured in plasma. DNA was extracted from PBLs and genotyped using Illumina 2.5 Human Omni Beadchip. Candidate genes associated with A. lumbricoides responses were identified and SNVs in these selected genes associated with the Th2 immune response to A. lumbricoides. Haplotype, gene expression, and epigenetic analyses were done to identify potential associations with Th2 immune responses. GWAS on samples from 1,189 children identified WSB1 as a candidate gene, and IL-21R was selected as a biologically relevant linked gene for further analysis. Variants in WSB1 and IL21R were associated with markers of Th2 immune responses: increased A. lumbricoides-specific IgE and IL-5/IL-13 by PBLs from infected compared to uninfected individuals. In infected children, WSB1 but not IL21R gene expression was suppressed and increased methylation was observed in the WSB1 promoter region. This is the first study to show an association between genetic variants in WSB1 and IL21R and Th2 immune responses during A. lumbricoides infections in children. WSB1/IL21R pathways could provide a potential target for the treatment of Th2-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Pablo Rafael Silveira Oliveira
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Flavia Sena
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Emilia Belitardo
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Regina Nascimento
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Milca Silva
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Mauricio L Barreto
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz, Salvador, Brazil.,Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Philip J Cooper
- School of Medicine, International University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.,St. George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Zakzuk J, Acevedo N, Harb H, Eick L, Renz H, Potaczek DP, Caraballo L. IgE Levels to Ascaris and House Dust Mite Allergens Are Associated With Increased Histone Acetylation at Key Type-2 Immune Genes. Front Immunol 2020; 11:756. [PMID: 32425942 PMCID: PMC7204827 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetic changes in response to allergen exposure are still not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate histone acetylation levels in peripheral blood leukocytes from humans naturally infected by intestinal parasites and perennially exposed to house dust mites (HDM). Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by gradient centrifugation from 20 infected and 21 non-infected individuals living in a rural/village in Colombia. Histone 3 acetylation (H3Ac) and histone 4 acetylation (H4Ac) levels were measured in six immune genes previously associated with helminth immunity by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-quantitative PCR. Then we analyzed the association between histone acetylation levels with total parasite egg burden and IgE levels. Results We found an inverse correlation between H4Ac levels in the IL13 gene and egg worm burden that remained significant after adjustment by age [−0.20 (−0.32 to −0.09), p < 0.0001]. Moreover, we found significant associations between H4Ac levels in IL4 [0.32 (0.05–0.60), p = 0.02] and CHI3L1 [0.29 (0.08–0.51), p = 0.008] with the IgE levels to Ascaris lumbricoides. In addition, the levels of specific IgE antibodies to HDM were associated with H4Ac levels in the gene TNFSF13B encoding the B cell activating factor (BAFF) [0.51 (0.26–0.76), p < 0.001]. All values are presented as beta (95% CI). Conclusion Histone acetylation levels at key type-2 immune genes in humans were modified by nematode infection and HDM allergens and are associated with the intensity of the IgE response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefina Zakzuk
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Nathalie Acevedo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Hani Harb
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Eick
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Harald Renz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel P Potaczek
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Luis Caraballo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
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7
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Acevedo N, Bornacelly A, Mercado D, Unneberg P, Mittermann I, Valenta R, Kennedy M, Scheynius A, Caraballo L. Genetic Variants in CHIA and CHI3L1 Are Associated with the IgE Response to the Ascaris Resistance Marker ABA-1 and the Birch Pollen Allergen Bet v 1. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167453. [PMID: 27977724 PMCID: PMC5157985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Helminth infections and allergic diseases are associated with IgE hyperresponsiveness but the genetics of this phenotype remain to be defined. Susceptibility to Ascaris lumbricoides infection and antibody levels to this helminth are associated with polymorphisms in locus 13q33-34. We aimed to explore this and other genomic regions to identify genetic variants associated with the IgE responsiveness in humans. Forty-eight subjects from Cartagena, Colombia, with extreme values of specific IgE to Ascaris and ABA-1, a resistance marker of this nematode, were selected for targeted resequencing. Burden analyses were done comparing extreme groups for IgE values. One-hundred one SNPs were genotyped in 1258 individuals of two well-characterized populations from Colombia and Sweden. Two low-frequency coding variants in the gene encoding the Acidic Mammalian Chitinase (CHIA rs79500525, rs139812869, tagged by rs10494133) were found enriched in high IgE responders to ABA-1 and confirmed by genetic association analyses. The SNP rs4950928 in the Chitinase 3 Like 1 gene (CHI3L1) was associated with high IgE to ABA-1 in Colombians and with high IgE to Bet v 1 in the Swedish population. CHIA rs10494133 and ABDH13 rs3783118 were associated with IgE responses to Ascaris. SNPs in the Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily Member 13b gene (TNFSF13B) encoding the cytokine B cell activating Factor were associated with high levels of total IgE in both populations. This is the first report on the association between low-frequency and common variants in the chitinases-related genes CHIA and CHI3L1 with the intensity of specific IgE to ABA-1 in a population naturally exposed to Ascaris and with Bet v 1 in a Swedish population. Our results add new information about the genetic influences of human IgE responsiveness; since the genes encode for enzymes involved in the immune response to parasitic infections, they could be helpful for understanding helminth immunity and allergic responses. We also confirmed that TNFSF13B has an important and conserved role in the regulation of total IgE levels, which supports potential evolutionary links between helminth immunity and allergic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Acevedo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, and Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adriana Bornacelly
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Dilia Mercado
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Per Unneberg
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Irene Mittermann
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Malcolm Kennedy
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Annika Scheynius
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, and Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luis Caraballo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
- * E-mail:
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8
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Therapeutic potential of the immunomodulatory proteins Wuchereria bancrofti L2 and Brugia malayi abundant larval transcript 2 against streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes in mice. J Helminthol 2016; 91:539-548. [DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x1600064x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEpidemiological and experimental evidence has supported the concept of using helminths as alternative bio-therapeutic agents in the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D). In the current study, two filarial proteins, recombinant Wuchereria bancrofti L2 (rWbL2) and Brugia malayi abundant larval transcript 2 (rBmALT-2) have been investigated, individually and in combination, for their therapeutic potential in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T1D. The rWbL2 and rBmALT-2 proteins, when administered individually or in combination, have resulted in lowering of the blood glucose levels and reducing the incidence of T1D in mice. In addition, these proteins have led to reduced lymphocytic infiltration and decreased islet damage and inflammation. The curative effect was found to be associated with the suppression of release of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and increased production of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-10 cytokines by the splenocytes of the diabetic mice. Insulin-specific IgG1 and antigen-specific IgE antibodies were found to be elevated in the sera of mice treated with rWbL2 and rBmALT-2 proteins. From the findings in this study, it can be envisaged that both of these filarial immunomodulatory proteins have the potential to ameliorate T1D by altering the regulatory immune responses.
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Caraballo L, Zakzuk J, Lee BW, Acevedo N, Soh JY, Sánchez-Borges M, Hossny E, García E, Rosario N, Ansotegui I, Puerta L, Sánchez J, Cardona V. Particularities of allergy in the Tropics. World Allergy Organ J 2016; 9:20. [PMID: 27386040 PMCID: PMC4924335 DOI: 10.1186/s40413-016-0110-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Allergic diseases are distributed worldwide and their risk factors and triggers vary according to geographical and socioeconomic conditions. Allergies are frequent in the Tropics but aspects of their prevalence, natural history, risk factors, sensitizers and triggers are not well defined and some are expected to be different from those in temperate zone countries. The aim of this review is to investigate if allergic diseases in the Tropics have particularities that deserve special attention for research and clinical practice. Such information will help to form a better understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of allergic diseases in the Tropics. As expected, we found particularities in the Tropics that merit further study because they strongly affect the natural history of common allergic diseases; most of them related to climate conditions that favor permanent exposure to mite allergens, helminth infections and stinging insects. In addition, we detected several unmet needs in important areas which should be investigated and solved by collaborative efforts led by the emergent research groups on allergy from tropical countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Caraballo
- />Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Josefina Zakzuk
- />Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Bee Wah Lee
- />Khoo Teck Puat- National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- />Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nathalie Acevedo
- />Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Translational Immunology Unit, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jian Yi Soh
- />Khoo Teck Puat- National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- />Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mario Sánchez-Borges
- />Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Centro Médico- Docente La Trinidad and Clínica El Avila, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Elham Hossny
- />Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Elizabeth García
- />Allergy Section, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nelson Rosario
- />Federal University of Parana, Rua General Carneiro, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ignacio Ansotegui
- />Department of Allergy and Immunology, Hospital Quirón Bizkaia, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Leonardo Puerta
- />Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cra. 5 # 7-77, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Jorge Sánchez
- />Department of Pediatrics, Graduate Program on Allergology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Victoria Cardona
- />Allergy Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
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Russell SB, Smith JC, Huang M, Trupin JS, Williams SM. Pleiotropic Effects of Immune Responses Explain Variation in the Prevalence of Fibroproliferative Diseases. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005568. [PMID: 26540410 PMCID: PMC4634921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many diseases are differentially distributed among human populations. Differential selection on genetic variants in ancestral environments that coincidentally predispose to disease can be an underlying cause of these unequal prevalence patterns. Selected genes may be pleiotropic, affecting multiple phenotypes and resulting in more than one disease or trait. Patterns of pleiotropy may be helpful in understanding the underlying causes of an array of conditions in a population. For example, several fibroproliferative diseases are more prevalent and severe in populations of sub-Saharan ancestry. We propose that this disparity is due to selection for an enhanced Th2 response that confers resistance to helminthic infections, and concurrently increases susceptibility to fibrosis due to the profibrotic action of Th2 cytokines. Many studies on selection of Th2-related genes for host resistance to helminths have been reported, but the pleiotropic impact of this selection on the distribution of fibrotic disorders has not been explicitly investigated. We discuss the disproportionate occurrence of fibroproliferative diseases in individuals of African ancestry and provide evidence that adaptation of the immune system has shaped the genetic structure of these human populations in ways that alter the distribution of multiple fibroproliferative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley B. Russell
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SBR); , (SMW)
| | - Joan C. Smith
- Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Minjun Huang
- Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Joel S. Trupin
- Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Scott M. Williams
- Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SBR); , (SMW)
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11
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Human Ascariasis Increases the Allergic Response and Allergic Symptoms. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-015-0058-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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12
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Hygiene and other early childhood influences on the subsequent function of the immune system. Brain Res 2015; 1617:47-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Nampijja M, Webb EL, Kaweesa J, Kizindo R, Namutebi M, Nakazibwe E, Oduru G, Kabuubi P, Kabagenyi J, Kizito D, Muhangi L, Akello M, Verweij JJ, Nerima B, Tukahebwa E, Elliott AM. The Lake Victoria Island Intervention Study on Worms and Allergy-related diseases (LaVIISWA): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2015; 16:187. [PMID: 25902705 PMCID: PMC4413531 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0702-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Hygiene Hypothesis proposes that infection exposure protects against inflammatory conditions. Helminths possess allergen-like molecules and may specifically modulate allergy-related immunological pathways to inhibit responses which protect against them. Mass drug administration is recommended for helminth-endemic communities to control helminth-induced pathology, but may also result in increased rates of inflammation-mediated diseases in resource-poor settings. Immunological studies integrated with implementation of helminth control measures may elucidate how helminth elimination contributes to ongoing epidemics of inflammatory diseases. We present the design of the Lake Victoria Island Intervention Study on Worms and Allergy-related diseases (LaVIISWA), a cluster-randomised trial evaluating the risks and benefits of intensive versus standard anthelminthic treatment for allergy-related diseases and other health outcomes. Methods/Design The setting is comprised of island fishing communities in Mukono district, Uganda. Twenty-six communities have been randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard or intensive anthelminthic intervention for a three-year period. Baseline characteristics were collected immediately prior to intervention rollout, commenced in February 2013. Primary outcomes are reported wheeze in the past 12 months and atopy (skin prick test response and allergen-specific immunoglobulin (asIg) E concentration). Secondary outcomes are visible flexural dermatitis, helminth infections, haemoglobin, growth parameters, hepatosplenomegaly, and responses to vaccine antigens. The trial provides a platform for in-depth analysis of clinical and immunological consequences of the contrasting interventions. Discussion The baseline survey has been completed successfully in a challenging environment. Baseline characteristics were balanced between trial arms. Prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni, hookworm, Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichuris trichiura was 52%, 23%, 13%, and 12%, respectively; 31% of Schistosoma mansoni infections were heavy (>400 eggs/gram). The prevalence of reported wheeze and positive skin prick test to any allergen was 5% and 20%, respectively. Respectively, 77% and 87% of participants had Dermatophagoides- and German cockroach-specific IgE above 0.35 kUA/L. These characteristics suggest that the LaVIISWA study will provide an excellent framework for investigating beneficial and detrimental effects of worms and their treatment, and the mechanisms of such effects. Trial registration This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials (identifier: ISRCTN47196031) on 7 September 2012. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0702-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily L Webb
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - James Kaweesa
- Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health, PO Box 1661, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Robert Kizindo
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Milly Namutebi
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | | | - Gloria Oduru
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Prossy Kabuubi
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Joyce Kabagenyi
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Dennison Kizito
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Lawrence Muhangi
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Mirriam Akello
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Jaco J Verweij
- Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Elisabeth Hospital, Postbus 90151, 5000 LC, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
| | - Barbara Nerima
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
| | - Edridah Tukahebwa
- Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health, PO Box 1661, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Alison M Elliott
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda. .,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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Afifi MA, Jiman-Fatani AA, El Saadany S, Fouad MA. Parasites-allergy paradox: Disease mediators or therapeutic modulators. J Microsc Ultrastruct 2015; 3:53-61. [PMID: 30023182 PMCID: PMC6014186 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmau.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The noticeable phenomenon of an increased frequency of immune-inflammatory disorders, in the industrialized world, has led to the implication of parasitic infections in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Most of the studies investigated the infection connection to allergy have centered on helminthes. Parasitic helminthes are a group of metazoans that are evolutionary diverse, yet converge to evolve common modes of immunomodulation. Helminth immunoregulation is mainly mediated by a regulatory response including Treg and Breg cells with alternatively-activated macrophages. There is increasing evidence for a causal relationship between helminth infection and allergic hyporesponsiveness, however, conflicting data are still generating. The helminth immunoregulation seems to be species-specific and phase-specific. It depends on the stage of the clinical disease which correlates with a corresponding parasitic stage (egg, larva or mature adult). Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms utilized by helminthes to manipulate the immune system and the consequent bystander immunomodulatory responses toward environmental allergens. We especially focus on parasitic species and molecules involved in the modulation of allergic disorders and summarize the experimental and clinical trials using them as therapeutic agents. We also discuss the potentials and obstacles, for helminthes and/or their derived molecules, to emerge as novel therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A. Afifi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding author at: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80205, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 569722590. E-mail address: (M.A. Afifi)
| | - Asif A. Jiman-Fatani
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sherif El Saadany
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmoud A. Fouad
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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15
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El-Tantawy NL. Helminthes and insects: maladies or therapies. Parasitol Res 2014; 114:359-77. [PMID: 25547076 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-4260-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
By definition, parasites cause harm to their hosts. But, considerable evidence from ancient traditional medicine has supported the theory of using parasites and their products in treating many diseases. Maggots have been used successfully to treat chronic, long-standing, infected wounds which failed to respond to conventional treatment by many beneficial effects on the wound including debridement, disinfection, and healing enhancement. Maggots are also applied in forensic medicine to estimate time between the death and discovery of a corpse and in entomotoxicology involving the potential use of insects as alternative samples for detecting drugs and toxins in death investigations. Leeches are segmented invertebrates, famous by their blood-feeding habits and used in phlebotomy to treat various ailments since ancient times. Leech therapy is experiencing resurgence nowadays in health care principally in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Earthworms provide a source of medicinally useful products with potential antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Lumbrokinases are a group of fibrinolytic enzymes isolated and purified from earthworms capable of degrading plasminogen-rich and plasminogen-free fibrin and so can be used to treat various conditions associated with thrombotic diseases. Helminth infection has been proved to have therapeutic effects in both animal and human clinical trials with promising evidence in treating many allergic diseases and can block the induction of or reduce the severity of some autoimmune disorders as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. What is more, venomous arthropods such as scorpions, bees, wasps, spiders, ants, centipedes, snail, beetles, and caterpillars. The venoms and toxins from these arthropods provide a promising source of natural bioactive compounds which can be employed in the development of new drugs to treat diseases as cancer. The possibility of using these active molecules in biotechnological processes can make these venoms and toxins a valuable and promising source of natural bioactive compounds. The therapeutic use of helminthes and insects will be of great value in biomedicine and further studies on insect toxins will contribute extensively to the development of Biomedical Sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora L El-Tantawy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, 2 El-Gomhouria Street, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt,
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Abstract
Parasites still impose a high death and disability burden on human populations, and are therefore likely to act as selective factors for genetic adaptations. Genetic epidemiological investigation of parasitic diseases is aimed at disentangling the mechanisms underlying immunity and pathogenesis by looking for associations or linkages between loci and susceptibility phenotypes. Until recently, most studies used a candidate gene approach and were relatively underpowered, with few attempts at replicating findings in different populations. However, in the last 5 years, genome-wide and/or multicentre studies have been conducted for severe malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, and cardiac Chagas disease, providing some novel important insights. Furthermore, studies of helminth infections have repeatedly shown the involvement of common loci in regulating susceptibility to distinct diseases such as schistosomiasis, ascariasis, trichuriasis, and onchocherciasis. As more studies are conducted, evidence is increasing that at least some of the identified susceptibility loci are shared not only among parasitic diseases but also with immunological disorders such as allergy or autoimmune disease, suggesting that parasites may have played a role in driving the evolution of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- V D Mangano
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy; Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy
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Rook GAW, Raison CL, Lowry CA. Microbiota, immunoregulatory old friends and psychiatric disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 817:319-56. [PMID: 24997041 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0897-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of the immune system is an important function of the gut microbiota. Increasing evidence suggests that modern living conditions cause the gut microbiota to deviate from the form it took during human evolution. Contributing factors include loss of helminth infections, encountering less microbial biodiversity, and modulation of the microbiota composition by diet and antibiotic use. Thus the gut microbiota is a major mediator of the hygiene hypothesis (or as we prefer, "Old Friends" mechanism), which describes the role of organisms with which we co-evolved, and that needed to be tolerated, as crucial inducers of immunoregulation. At least partly as a consequence of reduced exposure to immunoregulatory Old Friends, many but not all of which resided in the gut, high-income countries are undergoing large increases in a wide range of chronic inflammatory disorders including allergies, autoimmunity and inflammatory bowel diseases. Depression, anxiety and reduced stress resilience are comorbid with these conditions, or can occur in individuals with persistently raised circulating levels of biomarkers of inflammation in the absence of clinically apparent peripheral inflammatory disease. Moreover poorly regulated inflammation during pregnancy might contribute to brain developmental abnormalities that underlie some cases of autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. In this chapter we explain how the gut microbiota drives immunoregulation, how faulty immunoregulation and inflammation predispose to psychiatric disease, and how psychological stress drives further inflammation via pathways that involve the gut and microbiota. We also outline how this two-way relationship between the brain and inflammation implicates the microbiota, Old Friends and immunoregulation in the control of stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A W Rook
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology, UCL (University College London), Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK,
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Qian X, Gao Y, Ye X, Lu M. Association of STAT6 variants with asthma risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Immunol 2014; 75:847-53. [PMID: 24952213 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A large number of studies have reported that the genetic variants in STAT6 gene may be implicated in susceptibility to asthma, but with inconsistent results. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the likelihood of developing asthma for the individuals with different STAT6 variants. The database including Pubmed, Embase and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched to find the relevant papers. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and the odds radios (ORs) were pooled with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using random effect or fixed effect models as appropriate, to indicate the risk of asthma for different STAT6 variants. The heterogeneity and bias were tested for each pooled result. Data from 19 studies were pooled that reported associations of rs324015, rs71802646 and rs324011 in STAT6 gene with asthma risk. The results demonstrated that 13GT and short GT in rs71802646 were both associated with increased risk of asthma in overall analysis (OR = 1.26 for 13GT and 1.30 for short GT). Further, subgroup analysis showed an increased risk of asthma in Asian population with 13GT (OR = 1.21), 14GT (OR = 1.97) and short GT (OR = 1.27). Besides, 13GT, 14GT and short GT all contributed to higher risk of atopic asthma, with OR 1.50, 2.21 and 1.65 respectively. However, rs324015 (G>A) appeared to be associated with decreased risk for atopic asthma (with OR = 0.83, 0.68 and 0.79 for A, AA and AA+AG respectively). Both overall and subgroup analyses indicated no effect of rs324011 on asthma risk. In conclusion, our meta-analyses suggest that short GT repeats of rs71802646 in STAT6 contribute to higher risk for asthma, while rs324015 may have a protective effect on atopic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xubo Qian
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiguan Community Health-care Center, Jinhua 321017, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Pediatrics, Jinhua Central Hospital, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Ye
- Department of General Practice, Xiguan Community Health-care Center, Jinhua 321017, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Meiping Lu
- Department of Rheumatology Immunology & Allergy, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, PR China.
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Al-Muhsen S, Vazquez-Tello A, Jamhawi A, Al-Jahdali H, Bahammam A, Al Saadi M, Iqbal SM, Alfrayh A, Afzal S, Al-Khamis N, Halwani R. Association of the STAT-6 rs324011 (C2892T) variant but not rs324015 (G2964A), with atopic asthma in a Saudi Arabian population. Hum Immunol 2014; 75:791-5. [PMID: 24912007 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2014.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) transduces signals in response to IL-4 and IL-13 cytokine stimulations, resulting in many cell-specific responses. Some common STAT6 SNPs were associated with asthma predisposition and/or IgE levels, although discrepancies have also been reported. OBJECTIVE To determine whether STAT6 rs324011 and rs324015 polymorphisms are associated with atopic asthma in Saudi Arabian patients. METHODS A total of 536 Saudi individuals aged 11-70years old (230 atopic asthmatics, 306 healthy subjects) were recruited. DNA was purified from peripheral blood and genotyping for rs324011 and rs324015 polymorphisms was performed by PCR amplification, followed by cycle sequencing of the purified PCR fragments using BigDye chain terminator and capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS By the contrast of alleles tests, no significant differences between asthma and healthy groups were detected for both variants (rs324011: X(2)=0.25, Pearson's P-value=0.617; rs324015: X(2)=0.068, Pearson's P=0.814).When testing for genotypes, rs324011 homozygous T/T genotype was significantly associated with asthma, when the Recessive model is considered (T/T vs. C/C+C/T) (adjusted, OR=2.49, 95% CI=1.18-5.25, Pearson's P=0.014(∗), Yates' P=0.022(∗)). In contrast, rs324015 variant was not significantly associated with asthma. CONCLUSIONS Rs324011 homozygous T/T genotype was significantly associated with asthma risk whereas rs324015 genotypes were not in the Saudi population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Prince Naif Center for Immunology Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alejandro Vazquez-Tello
- Prince Naif Center for Immunology Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer Jamhawi
- Prince Naif Center for Immunology Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ahmed Bahammam
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muslim Al Saadi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shaikh Mohammed Iqbal
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman Alfrayh
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sibtain Afzal
- Prince Naif Center for Immunology Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nouf Al-Khamis
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Prince Naif Center for Immunology Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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20
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Gusareva ES, Kurey I, Grekov I, Lipoldová M. Genetic regulation of immunoglobulin E level in different pathological states: integration of mouse and human genetics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2013; 89:375-405. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2012] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena S. Gusareva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague 4 Czech Republic
| | - Iryna Kurey
- Institute of Molecular Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague 4 Czech Republic
| | - Igor Grekov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague 4 Czech Republic
| | - Marie Lipoldová
- Institute of Molecular Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague 4 Czech Republic
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21
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Robinson MW, Dalton JP, O’Brien BA, Donnelly S. Fasciola hepatica: The therapeutic potential of a worm secretome. Int J Parasitol 2013; 43:283-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
Helminth parasites infect almost one-third of the world's population, primarily in tropical regions. However, regions where helminth parasites are endemic record much lower prevalences of allergies and autoimmune diseases, suggesting that parasites may protect against immunopathological syndromes. Most helminth diseases are spectral in nature, with a large proportion of relatively asymptomatic cases and a subset of patients who develop severe pathologies. The maintenance of the asymptomatic state is now recognized as reflecting an immunoregulatory environment, which may be promoted by parasites, and involves multiple levels of host regulatory cells and cytokines; a breakdown of this regulation is observed in pathological disease. Currently, there is much interest in whether helminth-associated immune regulation may ameliorate allergy and autoimmunity, with investigations in both laboratory models and human trials. Understanding and exploiting the interactions between these parasites and the host regulatory network are therefore likely to highlight new strategies to control both infectious and immunological diseases.
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Abstract
Throughout the twentieth century, there were striking increases in the incidences of many chronic inflammatory disorders in the rich developed countries. These included autoimmune disorders such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Although genetics and specific triggering mechanisms such as molecular mimicry and viruses are likely to be involved, the increases have been so rapid that any explanation that omits environmental change is incomplete. This chapter suggests that a series of environmental factors, most of them microbial, have led to a decrease in the efficiency of our immunoregulatory mechanisms because we are in a state of evolved dependence on organisms with which we co-evolved (and that had to be tolerated) as inducers of immunoregulatory circuits. These organisms ("Old Friends") are depleted from the modern urban environment. Rather than considering fetal programming by maternal microbial exposures, neonatal programming, the hygiene hypothesis, gut microbiota, and diet as separate and competing hypotheses, I attempt here to integrate these ideas under a single umbrella concept that can provide the missing immunoregulatory environmental factor that is needed to explain the recent increases in autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A W Rook
- Department of Infection, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
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24
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Personal and parental nativity as risk factors for food sensitization. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 129:169-75.e1-5. [PMID: 22075329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2011.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immigrants to developed countries have low rates of aeroallergen sensitization and asthma, but less is known about both food allergy and the role of parental immigration status. OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate the relationship between personal and parental nativity and the risk of food sensitization. METHODS Three thousand five hundred fifty subjects less than 21 years old from the Nation Health and Examination Survey 2005-2006 were included. Odds ratios (ORs) were generated by using logistic regression, which adjusted for race/ethnicity, sex, age, and household income and accounted for the complex survey design. Nativity was classified as US-born or foreign-born, and the age of immigration was estimated. Head-of-household nativity was used as a proxy for parental nativity. Food sensitization was defined as at least 1 specific IgE level of 0.35 kU/L or greater to milk, egg, or peanut. Aeroallergen-specific sensitizations and the presence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, or eczema were also assessed. RESULTS Compared with those born outside the United States (US), US-born children and adolescents had higher odds of sensitization to any food (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.49-2.83; P < .001). Among the foreign-born group, those who arrived before 2 years of age had higher odds of food sensitization than those who arrived later (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.19-6.08; P = .02). Within the US-born group, in contrast, children of immigrants were at the highest risk (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.05-2.24; P = .02). CONCLUSION Although foreign-born children and adolescents are at lower risk of food sensitization compared with those born in the US, among those born in the US, the children of immigrants are at the highest risk.
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Acevedo N, Caraballo L. IgE cross-reactivity between Ascaris lumbricoides and mite allergens: possible influences on allergic sensitization and asthma. Parasite Immunol 2011; 33:309-21. [PMID: 21388422 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01288.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nematode infections such as Ascariasis are important health problems in underdeveloped countries, most of them located in the tropics where environmental conditions also promote the perennial co-exposure to high concentrations of domestic mite allergens. Allergic diseases are common, and most of patients with asthma exhibit a predominant and strong IgE sensitization to mites. It is unknown whether co-exposure to Ascaris lumbricoides and the domestic mites Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus potentiates Th2 responses and IgE sensitization, thereby modifying the natural history of allergy. Recently, we obtained experimental evidence of a high cross-reactivity between the allergenic extracts of these invertebrates, involving well-known allergens such as tropomyosin and glutathione transferases. There is indirect evidence suggesting that the clinical impact of these findings may be important. In this review, we discuss the potential role of this cross-reactivity on several aspects of allergy in the tropics that have been a focus of a number of investigations, some of them with controversial results.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Acevedo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
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Abstract
A relationship between infections and allergic airway disease has long been recognized, and many reviews have been written on this topic. However, both clinical and basic science studies published in the last 3 years provide new insights into the relationship between infection and allergic conditions. In this review, we focus on these very recent studies, which address the role of infection in the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of asthma. Bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections have each been examined and provide a framework for these novel concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Sevin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2650, USA
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Smits HH, Everts B, Hartgers FC, Yazdanbakhsh M. Chronic helminth infections protect against allergic diseases by active regulatory processes. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2010; 10:3-12. [PMID: 20425508 PMCID: PMC2816799 DOI: 10.1007/s11882-009-0085-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Developed countries are suffering from an epidemic rise in immunologic disorders, such as allergy-related diseases and certain autoimmunities. Several studies have demonstrated a negative association between helminth infections and inflammatory diseases (eg, allergy), providing a strong case for the involvement of helminth infections in this respect. However, some studies point in the opposite direction. The discrepancy may be explained by differences in frequency, dose, time, and type of helminth. In this review, new studies are discussed that may support the concept that chronic helminth infections in particular—but not acute infections—are associated with the expression of regulatory networks necessary for downmodulating allergic immune responses to harmless antigens. Furthermore, different components of regulatory networks are highlighted, such as the role of regulatory T and B cells, modulation of dendritic cells, early innate signals from structural cells (eg, epithelial cells), and their individual contributions to protection against allergic diseases. It is of great interest to define and characterize specific helminth molecules that have profound immunomodulatory capacities as targets for therapeutic application in the treatment or prophylaxis of allergic manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermelijn H Smits
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Peebles RS. The intelectins: a new link between the immune response to parasitic infections and allergic inflammation? Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2010; 298:L288-9. [PMID: 20061438 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00441.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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29
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Current world literature. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2009; 9:79-85. [PMID: 19106700 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0b013e328323adb4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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30
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Abstract
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 or host genetic factors. Infections with Trichuris trichiura in early life are associated with a reduced prevalence of allergen skin test reactivity later in life and infants of helminth-infected mothers have been reported to have a reduced prevalence of eczema. Hookworm infection has been associated with a reduced prevalence of asthma in Ethiopia. Several studies have reported that anti-Ascaris IgE is an important risk factor for asthma, but this could be explained by an enhanced ability of atopics to produce IgE. Toxocara infections may be associated with an increased risk of wheeze in some populations that may be caused by the host response to the parasite or by parasite-enhanced Th2 responses to aeroallergens. SUMMARY Although helminth infections can modulate the host inflammatory response directed against the parasite, a causal association between helminths and atopic diseases remains uncertain.
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Acevedo N, Mercado D, Vergara C, Sánchez J, Kennedy MW, Jiménez S, Fernández AM, Gutiérrez M, Puerta L, Caraballo L. Association between total immunoglobulin E and antibody responses to naturally acquired Ascaris lumbricoides infection and polymorphisms of immune system-related LIG4, TNFSF13B and IRS2 genes. Clin Exp Immunol 2009; 157:282-90. [PMID: 19604268 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2009.03948.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The 13q33-34 region harbours a susceptibility locus to Ascaris lumbricoides, although the underlying genes are unknown. Immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG confer protective immunity and here we sought to investigate in an endemic population whether LIG4, TNFSF13B and IRS2 genes influence IgE and IgG levels against Ascaris and the ABA-1 allergen as a putative resistance marker. Mite-allergic asthmatic patients were analysed for potential relationships between Ascaris predisposition and allergy. One thousand and sixty-four subjects from Cartagena, Colombia, were included. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using TaqMan assays. Antibody levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Linear and logistic regressions were used to model effects of genotypes on antibody levels. The GG genotype of LIG4 (rs1805388) was associated with higher IgE levels to Ascaris compared with other genotypes. TNFSF13B (rs10508198) was associated positively with IgG levels against Ascaris extract and IgE levels against ABA-1. In asthmatics, IRS2 (rs2289046) was associated with high total IgE levels. Associations held up after correction by population stratification using a set of 52 ancestry markers, age, sex and disease status. There was no association with asthma or mite sensitization. In a tropical population, LIG4 and TNFSF13B polymorphisms are associated with specific IgE and IgG to Ascaris, supporting previous linkage studies implicating the 13q33 region. Our results suggest that genes protecting against parasite infections can be different to those predisposing to asthma and atopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Acevedo
- Institute for Immunological Research, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia
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Abstract
Parasites are accomplished evaders of host immunity. Their evasion strategies have shaped every facet of the immune system, driving diversity within gene families and immune gene polymorphisms within populations. New studies published recently in BMC Biology and Journal of Experimental Medicine document parasite-associated immunosuppression in natural populations and suggest that host genetic variants favoring resistance to parasites may be detrimental in the absence of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick M Maizels
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK.
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Hopkin J. Immune and genetic aspects of asthma, allergy and parasitic worm infections: evolutionary links. Parasite Immunol 2009; 31:267-73. [PMID: 19388947 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2009.01104.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There are important parallels in the immunobiology of allergy and asthma, and of the human host's response to parasitic worms. Th-2 immune actions with 'weep and sweep' mucosal biology are common to both - pathological in the first and protective in the second. Common up-regulating genetic variants of Th-2 immunity, notably in IL13 and STAT6, predict increased risk of asthma and allergy, but diminished intensity of infection by Ascaris and Schistosoma. Endemic exposures of humans to parasitic worms may have been one evolutionary force selecting for genetic variants that promote asthma and allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hopkin
- Institute of Life Science, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
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Heidenfelder BL, Reif DM, Harkema JR, Cohen Hubal EA, Hudgens EE, Bramble LA, Wagner JG, Morishita M, Keeler GJ, Edwards SW, Gallagher JE. Comparative microarray analysis and pulmonary changes in Brown Norway rats exposed to ovalbumin and concentrated air particulates. Toxicol Sci 2009; 108:207-21. [PMID: 19176365 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfp005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between air particulates and genetic susceptibility has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. The overall objective of this study was to determine the effects of inhalation exposure to environmentally relevant concentrated air particulates (CAPs) on the lungs of ovalbumin (ova) sensitized and challenged Brown Norway rats. Changes in gene expression were compared with lung tissue histopathology, morphometry, and biochemical and cellular parameters in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Ova challenge was responsible for the preponderance of gene expression changes, related largely to inflammation. CAPs exposure alone resulted in no significant gene expression changes, but CAPs and ova-exposed rodents exhibited an enhanced effect relative to ova alone with differentially expressed genes primarily related to inflammation and airway remodeling. Gene expression data was consistent with the biochemical and cellular analyses of the BALF, the pulmonary pathology, and morphometric changes when comparing the CAPs-ova group to the air-saline or CAPs-saline group. However, the gene expression data were more sensitive than the BALF cell type and number for assessing the effects of CAPs and ova versus the ova challenge alone. In addition, the gene expression results provided some additional insight into the TGF-beta-mediated molecular processes underlying these changes. The broad-based histopathology and functional genomic analyses demonstrate that exposure to CAPs exacerbates rodents with allergic inflammation induced by an allergen and suggests that asthmatics may be at increased risk for air pollution effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L Heidenfelder
- Human Studies Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA
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Bibliography. Current world literature. Genetics and epidemiology. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2008; 8:489-93. [PMID: 18769207 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0b013e32830f1c83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is wide variation in the global epidemiology of allergic diseases, and the prevalence rates of asthma and allergy differ significantly among different Asian populations. The diversity of environment and ethnic background in Asia provide excellent opportunities for research into the environmental and genetic determinants of asthma and allergies. This review summarizes important lessons learnt from research findings from Asia on asthma and allergy. RECENT FINDINGS Recent epidemiologic studies revealed wide variation and increasing prevalence of asthma and allergy in many Asian countries. Comparative studies of population of the same ethnic background living in different environments revealed important environmental risk factors for asthma. Ambient air pollution plays an important role in the morbidity of patients with asthma but does not seem to affect the prevalence of asthma. There were many genetic association studies for allergic diseases from Asia. These studies identified novel gene targets, such as CD40, DCNP1 and PTGS2, for asthma and allergen sensitization whereas many others replicated the genetic associations on known candidate genes for asthma and atopic dermatitis. SUMMARY Epidemiologic and genetic researches in Asia advance our knowledge on the disease prevalence, healthcare burden and pathogenesis of asthma and allergy.
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Out of Africa: what can be learned from the studies of allergic disorders in Africa and Africans? Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2008; 8:391-7. [PMID: 18769190 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0b013e32830ebb70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Allergic diseases have only recently gained serious attention in Africa. This review discusses recent studies that have focused on allergy among Africans and people of African ancestry. RECENT FINDINGS Time trend studies of the prevalence of allergies in Africa show a consistent increase over a period of 7-10 years. Recent studies have reported that the link between IgE, skin reactivity to allergens and allergic symptoms increases with increasing gross national income of the country. Association between helminth infections, and allergies seem contradictory, which may be attributed to differences in the length of infection and species studied. Importantly, researchers have identified an 'urban diet' component, which is associated with increased skin reactivity to allergens. Finally, whereas Africans in rural Africa seem to suffer less from allergies, people of African ancestry in affluent countries have higher prevalence and greater severity of allergic symptoms than natives of these host countries, raising important issues on genetic control of allergic diseases. SUMMARY Mechanisms underlying the development of allergy are a complex interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures. Identification of specific environmental factors, mechanistic pathways and genetic risk factors in sufficiently powered studies will be necessary to better understand and control the allergic march in Africa and elsewhere.
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Scott ME. Ascaris lumbricoides: A Review of Its Epidemiology and Relationship to Other Infections. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1159/000113305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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