title: Immune responses following experimental human hookworm infection.
abstract: To characterize the immune response following primary human hookworm infection, an adult volunteer was infected with 50 L3 larvae of Necator americanus, reinfected 27 months later and followed for a further 6 months. Clinical signs, blood picture, ex-vivo peripheral blood cytokine production (IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-13, IL-10 to mitogen and hookworm antigen), acute phase proteins (APP) (C-reactive protein, CRP and alpha1-antitrypsin, alpha1-AT) and antibody levels were determined. Dermatitis, oedema, mild nausea and abdominal discomfort followed the primary infection. Eosinophil counts peaked early during both infections but remained elevated ( approximately 18%) throughout. Transient production of IL-5, IL-13 and APP also followed infection but there were negligible levels of IFN-gamma or IL-10. The onset of nausea, oedema and the initial rise in CRP, alpha1-AT, eosinophilia and IL-5 coincided (days 13-27) with the late larval migration and early establishment of the preadult worms in the intestine. Apart from the eosinophilia these responses declined to baseline levels within 4 months and were less pronounced on re-infection.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bickle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000276:immunology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017221:Necator americanus / Q000276:immunology*; D009332:Necatoriasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C043392:SERPINA1 protein, human; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002097:C-Reactive Protein