title: Parasite excretory-secretory products and their effects on metabolic syndrome.
abstract: Obesity, one of the main causes of metabolic syndrome (MetS), is an increasingly common health and economic problem worldwide, and one of the major risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is associated with MetS and obesity. A dominant type 2/anti-inflammatory response is required for metabolic homoeostasis within adipose tissue: during obesity, this response is replaced by infiltrating, inflammatory macrophages and T cells. Helminths and certain protozoan parasites are able to manipulate the host immune response towards a TH2 immune phenotype that is beneficial for their survival, and there is emerging data that there is an inverse correlation between the incidence of MetS and helminth infections, suggesting that, as with autoimmune and allergic diseases, helminths may play a protective role against MetS disease. Within this review, we will focus primarily on the excretory-secretory products that the parasites produce to modulate the immune system and discuss their potential use as therapeutics against MetS and its associated pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.affiliation: Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lumb
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Harnett
authors.affiliation: Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: W
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9545-9401
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harnett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology; D006376:Helminths / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010271:Parasites / Q000276:immunology; D061147:Therapy with Helminths
keywords: inflammation; metabolic syndrome; parasite excretory-secretory products