Fallon Padraic G, Mangan Niamh E
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin Centre for Health Sciences, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Nat Rev Immunol. 2007 Mar;7(3):220-30. doi: 10.1038/nri2039.
There is no immunological mechanism to adequately explain the sudden epidemic in allergies noted in the last 30 years in developed countries. The reduction in the development of allergic disorders observed in individuals infected with parasitic helminths, however, supports a possible role for worms in suppressing allergies. Helminths regulate the immunity of the host to ensure a mutually beneficial environment for the survival of both the parasite and the host. This interplay between helminths and allergic responses raises fundamental questions in immunobiology. Harnessing current mechanistic studies for translational research into helminth infections and atopy might have potential for the identification of novel biomarkers, and even therapeutics, in allergic diseases.
目前还没有免疫机制能够充分解释发达国家在过去30年中出现的过敏症突然流行的现象。然而，在感染寄生虫的个体中观察到过敏性疾病的发病率降低，这支持了蠕虫在抑制过敏方面可能发挥的作用。蠕虫调节宿主的免疫力，以确保寄生虫和宿主都能在互利的环境中生存。蠕虫与过敏反应之间的这种相互作用在免疫生物学中提出了一些基本问题。利用当前的机制研究进行关于蠕虫感染和特应性的转化研究，可能有助于识别过敏性疾病中的新型生物标志物，甚至开发出治疗方法。
