Global issues in allergy and immunology: Parasitic infections and allergy
Allergic diseases are on the increase globally in parallel with a decrease in parasitic infection. The inverse association between parasitic infections and allergy at an ecological level suggests a causal association. Studies in human subjects have generated a large knowledge base on the complexity of the interrelationship between parasitic infection and allergy. There is evidence for causal links, but the data from animal models are the most compelling: despite the strong type 2 immune responses they induce, helminth infections can suppress allergy through regulatory pathways.
Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Alvaro A. Cruz, Philip J. Cooper, Camila A. Figueiredo, Neuza M. Alcantara-Neves, Laura C. Rodrigues, Mauricio L. Barreto Tags: Reviews and feature article Source Type: research