title: Immune monitoring of Trichuris suis egg therapy in multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Initial clinical trials using Trichuris suis eggs (TSO) in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, revealed a striking suppressive effect on the autoimmune response. Here, we analysed the effect of TSO therapy on the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a Th1/Th17-associated autoimmune disease. Different immunological parameters in four patients with secondary progressive MS were surveyed during a 6-month therapy with TSO, focusing on the modulation of T-cell Th1-Th2 balance as well as on the innate immune response. We are able to show a slight downregulation of the Th1-associated cytokine pattern, especially relevant in interleukin (IL)-2 (P < 0.05 after 2 months of therapy), with a temporary increase of Th2-associated cytokines such as IL-4. Furthermore, mild eosinophily and changes in CD4+ and CD8+T cells and natural killer (NK) CD56 bright cell numbers were observed. The findings observed in this group of patients suggest that TSO therapy has a moderate immunomodulatory impact in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology & Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benzel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erdur
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frentsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.forename: K-P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Wandinger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014258:Trichuris / Q000276:immunology*