Gottstein B, Piarroux R
Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Parasite. 2008 Sep;15(3):291-8. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2008153291.
Some helminths have by their evolution learnt to systemically invade a host organism, and to select specific organs or host cell types as predilection site to reside, maturate or even proliferate. These parasites needed to develop complex and unique strategies to escape host immune reactions. The present work sheds some light into the strategy developed by three different helminths (Echinococcus multilocularis, Trichinella spiralis and Toxocara conis) to survive in the host organ or host cell, respectively. The crucial role of periparasitic host reactions that may help the host to control the parasite, but which may also be responsible for immunopathological events harmful to the host himself, are elucidated as well. Finally, for these three parasites selected, the murine host appears an acceptable model for carrying out experimental studies, as for these parasites, rodents as well as humans become infected in the parasites natural life cycle. Therefore, conclusions drawn from murine experiments may provide much more reliable data in view of their relevance for the human infection, a fact that frequently lacks when using mice as experimental model for other helminths.
一些蠕虫在进化过程中学会了系统性地侵入宿主生物体，并选择特定的器官或宿主细胞类型作为其偏好的驻留、成熟甚至增殖位点。这些寄生虫需要制定复杂而独特的策略来逃避宿主的免疫反应。目前的研究揭示了三种不同蠕虫（多房棘球绦虫、旋毛虫和犬弓首蛔虫）分别在宿主器官或宿主细胞中生存所采用的策略。同时也阐明了寄生虫周围宿主反应的关键作用，这种反应可能有助于宿主控制寄生虫，但也可能导致对宿主自身有害的免疫病理事件。最后，对于所选的这三种寄生虫而言，小鼠宿主似乎是进行实验研究的合适模型，因为在这些寄生虫的自然生命周期中，啮齿动物和人类都会被感染。因此，鉴于小鼠实验所得结论与人类感染的相关性，从这些实验得出的结论可能会提供更可靠的数据，而在将小鼠用作其他蠕虫的实验模型时，常常缺乏这一事实。
