Killing filarial nematode parasites: Role of treatment options and host immune response
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: There is compelling evidence that not only do anti-filarials significantly reduce larval forms, but that host immune responses also contribute to the clearance of filarial parasites; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. MAIN TEXT: Filarial infections caused by Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia species (lymphatic filariasis) and Onchocerca volvulus (onchocerciasis) affect almost 200 million individuals worldwide and pose major public health challenges in endemic regions. Indeed, the collective disability-adjusted life years for both infections is 3.3 million. Infections with these thread-like nematodes are chronic and, although most individuals develop a regulated state, a portion develop severe forms of pathology. Mass drug administration (MDA) programmes on endemic populations focus on reducing prevalence of people with microfilariae, the worm's offspring in the blood, to less than 1 %. Although this has been successful in some areas, studies show that MDA will be required for longer than initially conceived. CONCLUSION: This paper highlights the mode of action of the various antifilarial treatment strategies and role of host immune response.
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T helper cells differentiate into Th1 and Th2 phenotypes associated with type-2 cytokines and impairment of type-1 cytokine production.
“T helper cells constitute common T lymphocyte activation followed by differentiation into Th1 and Th2 phenotypes associated with the progress of type-2 cytokines and the impairment of type-1 cytokine production [55].”
From Emergent and Neglected Equine Filariosis in Egypt: Species Diversity and Host Immune Response (2022) · cites this paper as [55]
The Introduction section, “The host immune intelligence,” says activated CD4+ helper T cells differentiate into Th1 and Th2 subsets, among others, and identifies IL-4 and IL-13 as Th2 cytokines. It reports diminished IFN-γ and IL-2 production specifically in microfilaria-positive individuals with lymphatic filariasis; it does not establish impaired type-1 cytokine production as a general consequence of Th1/Th2 differentiation. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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“common T lymphocyte activation followed by differentiation into Th1 and Th2 phenotypes associated with the progress of type-2 cytokines and the impairment of type-1 cytokine production [55].”
Background
- Authors
- Kwarteng, A., Ahuno, S. T., & Akoto, F. O.
- Affiliations
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (GH)
- Corresponding author
- Kwarteng, Alexander
- Venue
- Infectious Diseases of Poverty
- Published
- 2016-10-03
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 86-86
- ISSN
- 2049-9957 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5047298
- OpenAlex
- W2516768815
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 0.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Infectious Diseases of Poverty (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- German Academic Exchange Service (A/10/98525)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasites and Host Interactions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Keywords
- filarial nematodes, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia, Onchocerca volvulus, host immune response, antifilarial treatment, mass drug administration, microfilariae clearance
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Filariasis, Filaricides, Filarioidea, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Microfilariae
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