蠕虫及虫源性分子对自身免疫性疾病的保护作用

机体接触包括蠕虫在内的病源微生物机会减少,尤其在幼年时期免疫系统失去病源微生物的塑造和协调,是导致西方发达国家自身免疫性疾病和过敏性疾病发病率迅速增高的主要原因之一。蠕虫感染能激发强烈的Th2 免疫应答,可以改善Th1 介导的自身免疫性疾病的临床症状和病理过程。日益增多的流行病学及实验研究证实了蠕虫对自身免疫性疾病及过敏性疾病的保护作用,显示了优异的临床应用价值。蠕虫感染能激发强烈的Th2 免疫应答,可以改善Th1 介导的自身免疫性疾病的临床症状和病理过程。目前,蠕虫感染诱导的宿主Th2 免疫偏移已成为感染免疫调节研究的重要模型,并显示了优异的临床应用价值,具有诱人的临床应用前景。然而其负向免疫调控的机制至今尚未明了。本文回顾近年来蠕虫及其分子调节自身免疫性疾病的国内外研究进展,着重探讨蠕虫感染及其分子发挥免疫抑制作用的可能机制。

Immune protection of helminth-infection and its products in autoimmune diseases

The Hygiene Hypothesis suggests that helminth and microbes have been important for shaping and tuning the evolution of the human immune system. The fact that helminth infections were no longer prevalent has led to the emergence of autoimmune inflammatory diseases in developed country. Chronic infections are characterized by a Th2-dominant response as well as an overall down-regulated immune system. This helminth-induced immune-suppression may spill over to unrelated anti- gens, down-regulate the response to other pathogens. Recent studies have suggested that helminth infection is protective in mu- fine models of autoimmune disorders and asthma. Helminth and its products have showed a prosperous clinical perspective. However, the precise mechanism of the downregulatory immune response remains to be clarified. In this review, we summarize the current progresses of immune regulatory effects of heminth infection and heminth-derived molecules on autoimmune disea- ses, focusing on the possible molecular mechanism of immune suppression especially.