Pulmonary inflammation promoted by type-2 dendritic cells is a feature of human and murine schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting over 200 million people in multiple organs, including the lungs. Despite this, there is little understanding of pulmonary immune responses during schistosomiasis. Here, we show type-2 dominated lung immune responses in both patent (egg producing) and pre-patent (larval lung migration) murine Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection. Human pre-patent S. mansoni infection pulmonary (sputum) samples revealed a mixed type-1/type-2 inflammatory cytokine profile, whilst a case-control study showed no significant pulmonary cytokine changes in endemic patent infection. However, schistosomiasis induced expansion of pulmonary type-2 conventional dendritic cells (cDC2s) in human and murine hosts, at both infection stages. Further, cDC2s were required for type-2 pulmonary inflammation in murine pre-patent or patent infection. These data elevate our fundamental understanding of pulmonary immune responses during schistosomiasis, which may be important for future vaccine design, as well as for understanding links between schistosomiasis and other lung diseases.

Pregnancy and helminth infections.

It has been proposed that helminth infection may be particularly detrimental during pregnancy, through adverse effects on maternal anaemia and on birth outcomes, and that anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy will therefore be particularly beneficial. However, the few treatment trials that have been conducted have given, but little support to this notion and further trials in settings of nutritional stress are needed. It has also been proposed that prenatal exposure to helminth infection has an important effect on the development of the foetal immune response. There is evidence that this may impact, long-term, upon responses to helminth and nonhelminth antigens, and to allergens. Exposure to helminths in utero may also have nonspecific effects that may modify the offspring's susceptibility to diseases mediated by inflammation, including metabolic disorders. The mechanisms of such effects are not known, but they deserve to be explored as current epidemiological findings suggest the possibility of primary prevention for inflammatory conditions such as allergy, through intervention during pregnancy.

Lack of effectiveness of syndromic management in targeting vaginal infections in pregnancy in Entebbe, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) during pregnancy in Entebbe, Uganda, and to evaluate the current syndromic diagnosis and management approach in effectively targeting infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and trichomoniasis, that are associated with low birth weight and prematurity among newborns. METHODS: We enrolled 250 antenatal clinic attenders. Vaginal swabs and diagnostic tests were performed for BV, Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), candida, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and for HIV-1 and active (TPHA+/RPR+) syphilis infection. Same day treatment was offered for symptoms according to syndromic management guidelines. The treatment actually provided by healthcare workers was documented. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were used to assess the effectiveness of syndromic management guidelines and practice. RESULTS: The prevalence of infections were: BV 47.7%, TV 17.3%, candida 60.6%, gonorrhoea 4.3%, chlamydia 5.9%, syphilis 1.6%, and HIV 13.1%. In total, 39.7% of women with BV and 30.2% of those with TV were asymptomatic. The sensitivity of syndromic management as applied by health workers in targeting BV and TV was 50.0% and 66.7%, respectively. This would have increased to 60.3% (BV) and 69.8% (TV) had the algorithm been followed exactly. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of BV and TV seen in this and other African populations is high. High rates of asymptomatic infection and a tendency of healthcare workers to deviate from management guidelines by following their own personal clinical judgment imply that many vaginal infections remain untreated. Alternative strategies, such as presumptive treatment of BV and TV in pregnancy, should be considered.