title: Killing filarial nematode parasites: role of treatment options and host immune response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is compelling evidence that not only do anti-filarials significantly reduce larval forms, but that host immune responses also contribute to the clearance of filarial parasites; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Filarial infections caused by Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia species (lymphatic filariasis) and Onchocerca volvulus (onchocerciasis) affect almost 200 million individuals worldwide and pose major public health challenges in endemic regions. Indeed, the collective disability-adjusted life years for both infections is 3.3 million. Infections with these thread-like nematodes are chronic and, although most individuals develop a regulated state, a portion develop severe forms of pathology. Mass drug administration (MDA) programmes on endemic populations focus on reducing prevalence of people with microfilariae, the worm's offspring in the blood, to less than 1 %. Although this has been successful in some areas, studies show that MDA will be required for longer than initially conceived.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper highlights the mode of action of the various antifilarial treatment strategies and role of host immune response.
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), PMB, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana. senkwarteng@yahoo.co.uk.|Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology, PMB, Kumasi, Ghana. senkwarteng@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwarteng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology, PMB, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Samuel Terkper
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ahuno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology, PMB, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Freda Osei
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Akoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005368:Filariasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005369:Filaricides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005369:Filaricides
keywords: Immune response; Ivermectin; Lymphatic filariasis; Onchocerciasis