title: 'Coinfection-helminthes and tuberculosis'.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a significant problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world despite decades of intensive efforts to combat the disease. The poverty in these endemic areas is associated with an increased incidence of tropical helminthic infections. The purpose of this review is to bring to the fore, the urgent need to unravel the potential consequences of helminth coinfection to tuberculosis disease pathogenesis and transmission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is now strong experimental evidence that helminth-induced T helper (Th)2 and T regulatory (Treg) responses impinge on host resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Several studies show that Th1 response is reduced in helminth coinfected hosts. Emerging studies also indicate that helminth-induced alternatively activated macrophages contribute to enhanced susceptibility to TB. Despite studies showing an association between helminthes and diminished Th1 immunity, maternal antihelminthic treatment had no effect on an infant's response to bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whether helminthes affect tuberculosis (TB) disease is still an open question and clinical trials are warranted to determine at the population level whether helminthes enhance TB incidence and transmission and diminish the protective immune response to vaccines. Consequently, mass deworming of infected individuals could contribute toward overall improvement of global public health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Centre for Emerging Pathogens, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Wasiulla
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rafi
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-Rodrigues
authors.forename: Jerrold J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ellner
authors.forename: Padmini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salgame
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology