Abstract
Filarial infections in humans are chronic infections that cause significant morbidity. The chronic nature of these infections with continuous antigen release is associated with a parasite-specific T cell hypo-responsiveness that may over time also affect the immune responses to bystander antigens. Previous studies have shown the filarial parasite antigen-specific T cells hypo-responsiveness is mediated by regulatory cytokines – IL-10 and TGF-β in particular. Recent studies have suggested that the modulated/regulated T cell responses associated with patent filarial infection may reflect an expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) that include both Tregs induced in peripheral circulation or pTregs and the thymus-derived Tregs or tTregs. Although much is known about the phenotype of these regulatory populations, the mechanisms underlying their expansion and their mode of action in filarial and other infections remain unclear. Nevertheless there are data to suggest that while many of these regulatory cells are activated in an antigen-specific manner the ensuing effectors of this activation are relatively non-specific and may affect a broad range of immune cells. This review will focus on the subsets and function of regulatory T cells in filarial infection.
Highlights
Regulatory T cell subsets in filarial infection and their functionHelminth Immunology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Among the eight filarial humans, four – Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, Onchocerca volvulus, and Loa loa – are considered to be the most pathogenic
There have been a significant number of studies examining the immunological aspects of L. loa, O. volvulus, W. bancrofti, and B. malayi infections in humans, very few have investigated the subsets and the function of regulatory T cells in these infections
Summary
Helminth Immunology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. The chronic nature of these infections with continuous antigen release is associated with a parasite-specific T cell hypo-responsiveness that may over time affect the immune responses to bystander antigens. Previous studies have shown the filarial parasite antigenspecific T cells hypo-responsiveness is mediated by regulatory cytokines – IL-10 and TGF-β in particular. Recent studies have suggested that the modulated/regulated T cell responses associated with patent filarial infection may reflect an expansion of regulatoryT cells (Tregs) that include both Tregs induced in peripheral circulation or pTregs and the thymus-derived Tregs or tTregs. There are data to suggest that while many of these regulatory cells are activated in an antigen-specific manner the ensuing effectors of this activation are relatively non-specific and may affect a broad range of immune cells. This review will focus on the subsets and function of regulatory T cells in filarial infection
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