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Infection and Immunity, December 2008, p. 5802-5809, Vol. 76, No. 12
0019-9567/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00827-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Chronic Intestinal Nematode Infection Exacerbates Experimental Schistosoma mansoni Infection{triangledown}

Quentin D. Bickle, Julie Solum,{dagger} and Helena Helmby*

Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom

Received 3 July 2008/ Returned for modification 7 August 2008/ Accepted 24 September 2008

Mixed-parasite infections are common in many parts of the world, but little is known of the effects of concomitant parasite infections on the immune response or on disease progression. We have investigated the in vivo effects of a chronic gastrointestinal nematode infection on the infectivity and development of the immune response against the common trematode helminth Schistosoma mansoni. The data show that mice carrying an established chronic Trichuris muris infection and coinfected with S. mansoni, had significantly higher S. mansoni worm burdens than mice without coinfection. The increase in S. mansoni worm burden was accompanied by a higher egg burden in the liver. Kinetic analysis of S. mansoni establishment indicate reduced trapping of S. mansoni larvae during skin-to-lung migration, with T. muris-induced alterations in lung cytokine expression and inflammatory foci surrounding lung-stage schistosomula, suggesting that the immunomodulatory effects of chronic T. muris infection elicited at the gut mucosal surface extend to other organs and perhaps specifically to other mucosal surfaces. The data show that a preexisting chronic gastrointestinal nematode infection facilitates the survival and migration of S. mansoni schistosomula to the portal system, and as a result, increases the egg burden and associated pathology of S. mansoni infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-20-7927 2424. Fax: 44-20-7323 5687. E-mail: helena.helmby{at}lshtm.ac.uk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 29 September 2008.

Editor: J. F. Urban, Jr.

{dagger} Present address: Institute of Health Sciences, PO Box 985, Gaborone, Botswana.

Infection and Immunity, December 2008, p. 5802-5809, Vol. 76, No. 12
0019-9567/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00827-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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