title: Helminth-associated systemic immune activation and HIV co-receptor expression: response to albendazole/praziquantel treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been hypothesized that helminth infections increase HIV susceptibility by enhancing systemic immune activation and hence contribute to elevated HIV-1 transmission in sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study systemic immune activation and HIV-1 co-receptor expression in relation to different helminth infections and in response to helminth treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV-negative adults with (n = 189) or without (n = 57) different helminth infections, as diagnosed by Kato-Katz, were enrolled in Mbeya, Tanzania. Blinded to helminth infection status, T cell differentiation (CD45RO, CD27), activation (HLA-DR, CD38) and CCR5 expression was determined at baseline and 3 months after Albendazole/Praziquantel treatment. Plasma cytokine levels were compared using a cytometric bead array.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trichuris and Ascaris infections were linked to increased frequencies of "activated" CD4 and/or CD8 T cells (p<0.05), whereas Hookworm infection was associated with a trend towards decreased HLA-DR+ CD8 T cell frequencies (p = 0.222). In Trichuris infected subjects, there was a linear correlation between HLA-DR+ CD4 T cell frequencies and the cytokines IL-1β and IL-10 (p<0.05). Helminth treatment with Albendazole and Praziquantel significantly decreased eosinophilia for S. mansoni and Hookworm infections (p<0.005) but not for Trichuris infection and only moderately modulated T cell activation. CCR5 surface density on memory CD4 T cells was increased by 1.2-fold during Trichuris infection (p-value: 0.053) and reduced after treatment (p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased expression of T cell activation markers was associated with Trichuris and Ascaris infections with relatively little effect of helminth treatment.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Mkunde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chachage
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Lilli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Podola
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clowes
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nsojo
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Asli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Onesmo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mgaya
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Dickens
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kowour
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Froeschl
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maboko
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoelscher
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saathoff
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geldmacher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006376:Helminths / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000032:analysis; D015728:Receptors, HIV / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015703:Antigens, CD; C584933:CCR5 protein, human; D016207:Cytokines; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D019713:Receptors, CCR5; D015728:Receptors, HIV; D011223:Praziquantel; D015766:Albendazole