Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) in multiple sclerosis patients withTrichuris suisova therapy

Berit Rosche,Lutz Harms,Heidi Danker-Hopfe,Friderike Joëlle Benzel,Rainer Hellweg,Jonas Werner

doi:10.1051/parasite/2013056

Abstract

We previously analysed clinical and immunological parameters under Trichuris suis ova (TSO) therapy in four patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. The serum Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels of these four patients were assessed before, during and after therapy with TSO and showed significant decrease of BDNF during TSO therapy (p < 0.05).

Highlights

IntroductionCorreale and Farez could demonstrate beneficial immunomodulation by helminths in humans in an observational study of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with community-acquired gastrointestinal infections [3]
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin protein family, is an important modulator of neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity [11, 16] and has been hypothesized to play a role in the neuroprotective mechanisms of some MS therapies [1, 8, 13].Correale and Farez could demonstrate beneficial immunomodulation by helminths in humans in an observational study of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with community-acquired gastrointestinal infections [3]
BDNF serum levels were within the range of previously published data on healthy controls [7]

Summary

Introduction

Correale and Farez could demonstrate beneficial immunomodulation by helminths in humans in an observational study of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with community-acquired gastrointestinal infections [3]. They demonstrated that B cells isolated from these helminth-infected MS patients produced greater amounts of BDNF in vitro compared to those of normal subjects [4]. Fleming and colleagues reported favourable MRI and immunological results in MS patients after probiotic treatment with Trichuris suis ova (TSO) [5]. In the small trial presented previously we analysed the effects of TSO therapy on disease course and different immuno-

Methods

Results

Conclusion