Oxidative Stress in Protozoan Parasites: A Close Surveillance of Proteases and Endogenous Protease Inhibitors in Host-Parasite Interaction

Abstract

Oxidative stress is one of the physiological conditions where the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production overcomes the capacity of antioxidant defences and causes damage to key biomolecules. The major global parasites bare some key factors involved in the pathogenesis of parasitic diseases regarding oxidative stress. In this context, parasitic proteases play central roles in host-parasite interactions. Both parasitic proteases and host proteases are deeply implicated in the clinical manifestation of parasite survival and in the host immune modulation. Additionally, the involvement of endogenous parasitic protease inhibitors in the understanding of progression of infection under oxidative stress of host cannot be ignored as well. Therefore, the present review provides some insights into some important parasitic proteases with the contribution of the versatile roles of parasitic endogenous protease inhibitors in regulation of host proteases in oxidative stress in the context of host-parasite interaction.