Parasite Immunology最新文献

{"title":"Correction to \"Generation and Characterisation of Peptide-Based IgY Antibodies Against SRS29B Protein of Toxoplasma gondii\".","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/pim.70084","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70084","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 5","pages":"e70084"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147942423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tegumentary Leishmaniasis Associated With Immune Reconstitution in an HIV Patient-A Case Report.","authors":"Marilia Brasil Xavier, Claudia Maria de Castro Gomes, Rita Catarina Medeiros Sousa, Edna Aoba Yassui Ishikawa, Elza Baía de Brito, Silvia Ferreira Rodrigues Müller, Lucas Dos Santos Fontes, João Augusto Gomes de Souza Monteiro de Brito, Larissa Dos Santos Alcantara, Carlos Eduardo Pereira Corbett","doi":"10.1111/pim.70082","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>HIV-associated Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) may significantly alter the immunopathological presentation of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL), occasionally causing paradoxical clinical exacerbations. We report the long-term follow-up of a 39-year-old female coinfected with HIV and disseminated mucocutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) sp., who experienced severe lesion exacerbation four months after initiating High-Activity Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). Despite successful viral suppression and CD4+ T-cell recovery, she developed aggressive mucocutaneous plaques with nasal septum destruction. Immunohistochemical analysis of a skin biopsy revealed a profile distinct from HIV-negative ATL controls: classic pro-inflammatory markers (CD68, iNOS, IL-6, and IL-17) were markedly suppressed, while CD163, IL-10, TGF-β and IL-18 were elevated, signalling M2 macrophage activation and paradoxical Th2 polarisation. CD8+ T cells were the most preserved lymphocyte subset, which is consistent with their reported cytotoxic, tissue-damaging role in mucosal leishmaniasis caused by L. (Viannia) braziliensis. Standard pentavalent antimonial combined with sustained HAART led to complete resolution without recurrence over 16 years. This case illustrates how IRIS may be associated with atypical Th2-polarised pathology and CD8-mediated tissue injury in ATL, highlighting the need for awareness of this presentation in coinfected patients from endemic areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 5","pages":"e70082"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13159054/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147869333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infection-Driven Autoimmune Amplification Versus Molecule-Specific Immune Modulation: The Dual Role of Toxocara canis in Autoimmunity.","authors":"Iman F Abou-El-Naga","doi":"10.1111/pim.70085","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Loss of immune tolerance and sustained inflammatory signalling are central features in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Although helminth infections are often associated with immunoregulatory protection, accumulating evidence suggests that Toxocara canis may represent an important exception. This review highlights the dual and context-dependent effects of Toxocara canis on autoimmune pathways, where live infection can amplify autoreactivity while parasite-derived molecules exert selective immunomodulatory effects. During acute infection, larval migration induces strong Th1/Th17-skewed inflammation accompanied by tissue injury, autoantigen release, and enhanced antigen presentation, lowering immune tolerance thresholds. Molecular mimicry, polyclonal B-cell activation, and persistent antigenic stimulation may further promote autoantibody production and chronic immune dysregulation. Neuroinvasion and inflammation sustain cytokine networks implicated in disorders such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune-associated epilepsy. Experimental models of autoimmune encephalomyelitis show that live T. canis infection exacerbates disease severity through amplification of pathogenic Th17 responses. In contrast, parasite excretory/secretory molecules including mucins, C-type lectins, cystatins, serpins and extracellular vesicle cargo, modulate pattern recognition receptor signalling and downstream PI3K/Akt, MAPK and NF-κB pathways. These effects promote regulatory T-cell expansion, alternatively activated macrophage polarization, and anti-inflammatory cytokine production, highlighting parasite-derived molecules as potential templates for targeted immunomodulatory therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 5","pages":"e70085"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147949169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Role of the MAPK Signalling Pathway in Dog Immunity: From Cancer to Parasitic Diseases.","authors":"Francini Neves Ribeiro, Fernanda Nazaré Morgado, Renato Porrozzi","doi":"10.1111/pim.70083","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are intracellular signalling proteins that modulate several cellular processes, such as proliferation, cytokine production and survival. Like humans, dogs may exhibit changes in MAPK signalling under pathological conditions. Alterations in this pathway have been observed in several types of cancers in dogs and have been widely studied in veterinary oncology. In humans, several studies have focused on the MAPK pathway in cancer, inflammatory diseases and parasitic diseases; however, the role of the MAPK pathway in parasitic diseases has not been extensively explored in canine models. Some parasites use these proteins as strategic targets for modulating the immune response to ensure their survival and persistence in host cells. Although they have distinct pathogeneses, some mechanisms of immune system evasion are shared between parasites and cancer cells. The aim of this review is to discuss the MAPK pathway involvement in the immune system and in inflammatory and parasitic disease in dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 5","pages":"e70083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181708/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147964427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Scoping Review of the Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter pylori Infection and Gastric Pathologies.","authors":"Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead","doi":"10.1111/pim.70080","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional citation searching. Blinded screening and extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. We found 410 unique citations, of which 86 (21.0%) were included. A total of 24 articles (27.9%) associated ascariasis with H. pylori infection, 68 (79.1%) associated ascariasis with gastric abnormalities, and 6 (7.0%) associated ascariasis with both H. pylori infection and gastric abnormalities. Although predominantly comprised of case reports and observational studies, these data supported significant co-endemicity of ascariasis and H. pylori infection, co-infections with both pathogens, and concurrency of ascariasis with gastric pathologies in human and non-human host organisms. The available literature thus supports associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infections, and gastric pathology, warranting further epidemiologic and mechanistic studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 5","pages":"e70080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13159057/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147869169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Show Minimal Role for ST2 on MCPT5-Expressing Mast Cells in Primary Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri Infection.","authors":"Nicole W P Ong, Suzanne H Hodge, Christa P Baker, Danielle J Smyth, Tania Frangova, Henry J McSorley","doi":"10.1111/pim.70076","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The IL-33/ST2 pathway is important as part of the type 2 immune response against helminth infections. Mast cells express the highest levels of the IL-33 receptor subunit ST2 of any immune cell, and mast cells can mediate type 2 immune inflammation; however, the role of IL-33-driven mast cell responses in helminth infection is poorly understood. We sought to determine the role of mast cell ST2 expression during Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb) infection by generating mast cell conditional ST2 knockout (MCPT5^Cre × ST2^f/f, cKO) mice. These mice have normal frequencies of mast cells at steady state but show specific and strong (albeit incomplete) knockdown of ST2 expression on mast cells. On Hpb infection, faecal egg and adult worm burden were similar between cKO and littermate controls, as were mast cell degranulation markers, serum IgE and goblet cell hyperplasia. Therefore, we conclude that mast cell ST2 does not play a dominant role in Hpb infection. To further investigate the immune response to infection in cKO and littermate controls, transcriptomic and proteomic changes were assessed in duodenal tissues in infected versus naïve mice in cKO and control mice. Minimal transcriptomic and proteomic changes were seen between genotypes, whereas substantial changes were seen between naïve and infected mice, regardless of genotype. Hpb infection induced local increases at the transcript and protein level for mast cell proteases (MCPT1 and MCPT2), resistin-like molecules (RELMα and RELMβ) and markers such as the phospholipase PLA2G4C and the pore-forming protein gasdermin C. Bulk proteomic analysis was also searched against the Hpb genome to identify Hpb proteins present in the duodenal tissues. A list of 60 Hpb proteins of interest was identified in infected duodenal samples, of which 18 contain a signal peptide and are present in the excretory/secretory products of Hpb (HES) (likely secretory products including immunomodulatory proteins); 28 proteins are present in HES but do not contain a signal peptide (likely excretory products); and 14 proteins are not present in HES (likely proteins present in the remnants of Hpb within the duodenum). This work thus provides datasets for changes in the mouse intestine due to Hpb infection, at both the transcript and protein level, as well as a dataset of Hpb proteins detectable in the mouse duodenum at day 14 of infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 4","pages":"e70076"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13034402/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147575139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Regulatory Effect of Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) 1 and 2 on iNOS, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 Expression in Canine Macrophages Infected With Leishmania infantum.","authors":"Gabriela Lovizutto Venturin, Lucas Takeshi Siqueira Ito, Gisele Mitsue Umino, Gabriela Torres Rebech, Flávia Lombardi Lopes, Valéria Marçal Felix de Lima","doi":"10.1111/pim.70078","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. Dogs are considered the most critical urban reservoirs of L. (L.) infantum due to their high infection rate and direct transmission to humans. The parasite has developed mechanisms to evade the host's defence system by inhibiting macrophage activation, thereby allowing it to replicate and survive. Pathogens such as viruses and bacteria can modify the host's epigenome, thereby facilitating their survival. Cellular reprogramming leads to epigenetic alterations that modulate chromatin, modify histones and DNA methylation, disrupt normal progression and compromise the continuity of cell differentiation. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) remove lysine acetyl groups from histones, resulting in chromatin alteration and gene silencing. Histone acetyltransferases regulate their function. In this study, we analysed the involvement of HDAC-1 in the defen mechanisms of DH82 macrophages infected with L. infantum. We observed that L. infantum infection increases HDAC1 levels and expression. Silencing HDAC1 with siRNA and the pharmacological inhibitor NaB decreased parasite load and increased iNOS expression, associated with increased histone acetylation at the iNOS promoter. The pharmacological inhibitor NaB also decreased IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α levels in the culture supernatant of DH82 macrophages infected with L. infantum. Together, these findings indicate that L. infantum-induced HDAC1 upregulation modulates the expression of key innate immune response genes, contributing to the establishment of infection in canine macrophages.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 4","pages":"e70078"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13051526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147623521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered Chemokine Receptor Expression in CD4⁺ T Cells: A Signature of Visceral Leishmaniasis.","authors":"Shreya Upadhyay, Shashi Kumar, Shashi Bhushan Chauhan, Ritirupa Roy, Aziza Neyaz, Siddharth Sankar Singh, Rahul Tiwari, Susanne Nylen, Christian Engwerda, Shyam Sundar, Rajiv Kumar","doi":"10.1111/pim.70077","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70077","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Robust T helper 1 (Th1) cell responses, which activate macrophages to kill intracellular parasites, are required to control Leishmania infection. Yet, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients do not control the infection despite the expansion of CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells and increased IFN-γ expression in the spleen. Chemokines and/or chemokine receptors are involved in cellular migration and are critical in the inflammatory response. In a recent study that defined a transcriptional signature for CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells from active VL patients, we found several differentially expressed chemokine receptor genes in CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells compared to healthy endemic controls (EC). Since CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells play crucial roles in parasite clearance, a better understanding of the role of altered chemokine receptor expression on CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells and their different subsets during VL could inform future treatment strategies. In this study, we examined the gene expression and surface protein expression of differentially expressed chemokine receptors found in human VL subjects, relative to endemic controls (EC) by real-time qPCR and multicolor flow cytometry, respectively. We measured chemokine levels in plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and performed transwell migration assays and flow cytometry to measure the migratory potential of CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cell subsets. We found elevated mRNA and surface protein expression of CCR5, while reduced CCR4 and CCR6 expression in CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells from VL patients compared to EC. The frequency of CCR5 expressing Th1 cells was increased in peripheral blood, indicating the expansion of CCR5&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; Th1 cells that may be responsible for Th1 cells trafficking towards infected tissues. Lower CCR4 expression was found on regulatory T (Treg) cells and central memory T (Tcm) cells, possibly explaining the reduced frequencies of these cells in peripheral blood during VL. The frequency of CCR6 expressing CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells was also found to be lower in VL patients. Our results show that VL patients possess unique chemokine receptor expression patterns on the cell surface of CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells, compared to EC. We also found increased levels of CCL3, CCL5 and CCL20 in VL plasma compared to EC. However, no changes were observed for CCL17 levels in VL plasma compared to EC, but their levels increased following treatment. We also observed reduced migration of VL CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells, relative to other lymphocytes and mononuclear cells, irrespective of exogenous CCL5 presence. However, the frequency of CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells migrating in response to CCL5 in EC individuals was similar. Additionally, we noted the frequency of CCR5&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; Th1 cells was increased in VL patients compared to EC. However, no enhancement was seen in the migratory capacity of CCR5&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; CD4&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; T cells in the presence of recombinant CCL5. This suggests that the CCR5 receptor signalling pa","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 4","pages":"e70077"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147628325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serological Detection of Canine Toxocarosis Using Recombinant and Native Toxocara canis Excretory-Secretory Antigens: A Comparative ELISA Study.","authors":"Kaveri Theerthagiri Kavitha, Chirukandoth Sreekumar, Manickam Asokkumar, Manivasagam Aravind, Angappan Mangala Gowri","doi":"10.1111/pim.70079","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Toxocara canis is the most prevalent intestinal roundworm of dogs and other canids, with significant zoonotic potential for humans. In the present study, two recombinant antigens, rTc-CTL-1 and rTES-120, were developed from the larvae of T. canis excretory-secretory (TES) antigens by amplifying, cloning and expressing the respective genes in Escherichia coli. The native TES antigen was prepared from in vitro cultivation of larvae. A total of 170 serum samples were collected from dogs above 6 months of age (n = 90) and below 6 months of age (n = 80) in the Chennai region, Tamil Nadu. The serodiagnostic potential of the recombinant rTc-CTL-1 and rTES-120 antigens was compared with that of the native TES antigen using ELISA for the detection of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies. The rTc-CTL-1 antigen-based ELISA showed that 40% of dogs above 6 months and 28.8% of dogs below 6 months were positive, whereas the rTES-120 antigen detected 35.6% and 22.5% positivity in the respective age groups. In comparison, the native TES antigen-based ELISA detected 58.9% positivity in dogs above 6 months and 38.8% in dogs below 6 months of age. Among the three antigens, the highest percentage of seropositivity as well as the highest antibody titre was detected with the native TES antigen, followed by the recombinant rTc-CTL-1 antigen and the lowest with the TES-120 antigen. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant difference in seropositivity between the recombinant and native TES antigens (χ² = 15.52, p < 0.01), while no significant difference was observed between the recombinant antigens (χ² = 1.09, p > 0.05). However, a highly significant difference was observed between the age groups of dogs when using the native TES antigen (χ² = 6.87, p < 0.01). Detection of T. canis eggs in faecal samples revealed that only 12.2% of adult dogs were positive, whereas 60% of pups were positive. In contrast, the IgG ELISA test detected more positive cases in adult dogs compared to faecal examination. It was concluded that the IgG-based ELISA using either recombinant or native TES antigens is a reliable tool for detecting migratory larval infection in adult dogs, with a fairly high degree of sensitivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 4","pages":"e70079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147628331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison Between Phenotypic Profile and Functional Aspects of IL-9-Producing Lymphocytes, Th17 and Tfh of Individuals From Endemic and Non-Endemic Areas for Hookworm Infection.","authors":"Yvanna Louise Di Christine Oliveira, Marcelo Eduardo Cardozo, Luisa Mourão Dias Magalhães, Carlos Thailan de Jesus Santos, Ramayana Morais de Medeiros Brito, Luciana Maria de Oliveira, Ana Carolina Amado Gomes, Vinícius Torres Castro Campos, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara, Silvio Santana Dolabella, Lilian Lacerda Bueno","doi":"10.1111/pim.70070","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pim.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hookworm infections remain a major public health concern in endemic areas, modulating both the adaptive and innate immune systems. While the type 2 response is well-characterised, the roles of T follicular helper (Tfh), Th17, and IL-9-producing lymphocytes remain poorly defined. Here, we characterised these T cell subsets in individuals naturally infected with hookworms. From 1500 faecal samples screened, 60 were positive for hookworms, and peripheral blood was collected from 10 uninfected controls from endemic (NEG END) and non-endemic (NEG NE) areas, as well as from 7 infected individuals before (HKW BT) and after (HKW PT) treatment. Infected individuals displayed haematological alterations, including anaemia (n = 2), eosinophilia (n = 1), monocytosis (n = 4), and lymphocytosis (n = 3), along with an expansion of PBMCs, particularly Tfh cells, during infection. Expression of IL-9 and IL-10 by Tfh cells was markedly elevated after treatment. In contrast, individuals from non-endemic areas displayed a distinct baseline profile with higher Tfh activation (CD69) expression, suggesting immune adaptation in endemic settings. While IL-10-producing Tfh expanded during infection, IL-9-producing cells and Th17 cells expanded mainly after treatment. These findings suggest that individuals living in endemic areas, regardless of infection status, exhibit signs of persistent antigenic stimulation that promote a more tolerogenic and regulated immune profile. Moreover, hookworm infection and subsequent treatment reshape the immune landscape, highlighting the contribution of Tfh- and Th17-associated pathways, as well as IL-9 and IL-10 production, in modulating host-parasite interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19931,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Immunology","volume":"48 3","pages":"e70070"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12983440/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}