Data from epidemiological studies suggest a protective role of IgE antibodies in infections with certain parasites in humans, as the levels of parasite-specific IgE and resistance to infection correlate positively [24-26].
Protective immunity in some infections is due to a combination of humoral and cellular immunity; in this circumstance parasites are coated with antibody which makes them susceptible to direct cytotoxicity by macrophages, eosinophils, and neutrophils. Antibody alone is protective against some other infections.
Both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been raised against purified parasites and used in immunofluorescent staining. MAbs are generally preferable because of reduced cross-reactivity with non-target organisms and the formation of more predictable and stable antibody–parasite complexes.
Many parasitic infections stimulate antibody responses in their mammalian hosts. The ability of these antibodies to protect against disease varies markedly. Research has revealed that functional properties of antibodies determine their role in protection against parasites.
Background: Although IgE antibody is clearly involved in allergic reactions to environmental allergens, this immunoglobulin is an important component of host-protective immune responses against the helminthic parasites that are endemic in the majority of the world population.
The most common known parasites to be associated with increased serum IgE levels include visceral larva migrans (Toxocara canis), intestinal capillariasis (Capillaria philippinensis), schistosomiasis, ancylostomiasis, and echinococcosis.
Anti-parasite IgE has been associated with immunity against a range of helminth infections and many believe that IgE and its receptors evolved to help counter metazoan parasites.
Eosinophils as anti-parasite effector cells.
The white blood cell that is responsible for killing parasitic worms are the eosinophils.
White blood cells are the key players in your immune system. They are made in your bone marrow and are part of the lymphatic system. White blood cells move through blood and tissue throughout your body, looking for foreign invaders (microbes) such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.
SerologyThis test is used to look for antibodies or for parasite antigens produced when the body is infected with a parasite and the immune system is trying to fight off the invader. This test is done by your health care provider taking a blood sample and sending it to a lab.
In the journal Parasite Immunology, Kamal et al. explains that parasitic worms often weaken the immune system's ability to effectively respond to a vaccine because such worms induce a Th2-based immune response that is less responsive than normal to antigens.
Anti-parasite immunity is concomitant, rather than sterile, meaning that ongoing exposure to the pathogen is required to maintain immunity, and that interruption of exposure even for relatively short periods leads to loss of immune status.
Eos is an abbreviation for eosinophil. This white blood cell is primarily involved in fighting allergies or parasites. High eosinophil counts indicate an allergy or parasite causing illness.
Albendazole and mebendazole are most frequently prescribed for treatment of intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, hookworm infections, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and enterobiasis) and can also be used for intestinal tapeworm infections (taeniases and hymenolepiasis).
In some cases, parasites clear up on their own, especially in a person with a healthy immune system. If the parasite causes concerning symptoms or may cause complications, doctors will likely order an antiparasitic medication that kills the parasite. Some people choose natural methods to clear their body of a parasite.
Diseases which cause the elevation of serum IgE levels include atopic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria), parasitic diseases, cutaneous diseases, neoplastic diseases, and immune deficiencies [3].
In the 1970s, eosinophils were shown to be capable of killing helminth larvae in vitro when combined with specific antibodies or complement [12, 37, 38], a form of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a process where immune effector cells kill target cells coated by specific antibodies.
Eosinophils make up about 1 to 4% of the leukocytes on average. They are involved in chronic inflammation, allergic reactions, and host deference against parasitic infections.
IgE, an immunoglobulin produced primarily by B-cells and plasma cells, is an important mediator of allergic disease. Elevated IgE is commonly seen in patients with atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and asthma [1].
The first reports of a presence of IgE autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune diseases have been published a long time ago, and it is now recognized that self-reactive IgE can mediate inflammatory response in bullous pemhigoid, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic urticaria, and atopic dermatitis.
Different people, different worm burdens
This recurrence of similar worm burden is called predisposition. It is often described as the 20/80 rule, where 20% of the population has 80% of the worm burden. Heavy worm burden is associated with more severe symptoms, making aggregation an important phenomenon to study.
The parasite itself could be the cause of tissue destruction, thus releasing high amounts of self antigens which might stimulate the autoreactivity.