Influence of Helminth Infections on the Clinical Course of and Immune Response to Leishmania braziliensis Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2007-01, Vol.195 (1), p.142-148
• Main Authors: O’Neal, Seth E., Guimarães, Luiz Henrique, Machado, Paulo R., Alcântara, Leda, Morgan, Daniel J., Passos, Sara, Glesby, Marshall J., Carvalho, Edgar M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antigens; Antimony; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort Studies; Coinfection; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Helminthiasis - immunology; Humans; Immune response; Immunity, Cellular; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leishmania braziliensis; Leishmania braziliensis - immunology; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - epidemiology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - immunology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology; Lesions; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Prospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Ulcers
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/509808

BackgroundHelminth infections influence the clinical outcome of and immune response to certain immune-mediated diseases MethodsWe conducted a cohort study of 120 patients to examine the role that intestinal helminth infection plays in the clinical course of and immune response to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) treated with pentavalent antimony ResultsPatients coinfected with Leishmania braziliensis and helminths took longer to heal (relative hazard for healing, 0.47 [95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.85]; P=.01) than patients with CL without helminths, with 70% of coinfected patients being cured at 90 days, compared with 92% of helminth-free patients. Coinfected patients had an immune response shifted toward the T helper 2 type, with increased total immunoglobulin E levels (P