BACKGROUND: The association between allergen skin sensitization and helminth infection has been debated for years. Here, we sought to estimate the prevalence of atopic sensitization of residents living in area endemic for lymphatic filariasis and intestinal helminths and to investigate the association between these different species of helminths with allergen skin test reactivity to allergens. METHODS: Five hundred and eighty-three individuals living in an area endemic for Brugia malayi and for intestinal helminths were skin prick tested using 3 allergens. Microfilariae were enumerated by filtration of 1 ml nocturnally collected blood, and 442 stool samples were examined for the presence of intestinal helminth eggs. RESULTS: The prevalence of skin prick test positivity to any allergen was 23.5% (to cockroach 20.6%, to house dust mite 6.2% and to grass pollen 1.2%). Individuals with B. malayi infection had a significantly reduced risk for atopic reactivity to cockroach (adjusted odds ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.88). In the same population, no association was found between the presence of intestinal helminths and any skin test reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: In a general population, across all ages in a rural area of Indonesia, the prevalence of skin test reactivity to house dust mite is as low as in other non-affluent countries, and infection with B. malayi appears to reduce the risk of skin reactivity to cockroach. On the other hand, we found no association between infection with intestinal helminths and skin test reactivity to aeroallergens.
BACKGROUND: The association between allergen skin sensitization and helminth infection has been debated for years. Here, we sought to estimate the prevalence of atopic sensitization of residents living in area endemic for lymphatic filariasis and intestinal helminths and to investigate the association between these different species of helminths with allergen skin test reactivity to allergens. METHODS: Five hundred and eighty-three individuals living in an area endemic for Brugia malayi and for intestinal helminths were skin prick tested using 3 allergens. Microfilariae were enumerated by filtration of 1 ml nocturnally collected blood, and 442 stool samples were examined for the presence of intestinal helminth eggs. RESULTS: The prevalence of skin prick test positivity to any allergen was 23.5% (to cockroach 20.6%, to house dust mite 6.2% and to grass pollen 1.2%). Individuals with B. malayi infection had a significantly reduced risk for atopic reactivity to cockroach (adjusted odds ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.88). In the same population, no association was found between the presence of intestinal helminths and any skin test reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: In a general population, across all ages in a rural area of Indonesia, the prevalence of skin test reactivity to house dust mite is as low as in other non-affluent countries, and infection with B. malayi appears to reduce the risk of skin reactivity to cockroach. On the other hand, we found no association between infection with intestinal helminths and skin test reactivity to aeroallergens.
Authors: Firdaus Hamid; Aprilianto E Wiria; Linda J Wammes; Maria Mm Kaisar; Bertrand Lell; Iwan Ariawan; Hae Won Uh; Heri Wibowo; Yenny Djuardi; Sitti Wahyuni; Robert Schot; Jaco J Verweij; Ronald van Ree; Linda May; Erliyani Sartono; Maria Yazdanbakhsh; Taniawati Supali Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2011-04-01 Impact factor: 3.090
Authors: Neuza Maria Alcântara-Neves; Gabriela de S G Britto; Rafael Valente Veiga; Camila A Figueiredo; Rosimeire Leovigildo Fiaccone; Jackson S da Conceição; Álvaro Augusto Cruz; Laura Cunha Rodrigues; Philip John Cooper; Lain C Pontes-de-Carvalho; Maurício Lima Barreto Journal: BMC Res Notes Date: 2014-11-19
Authors: Gyaviira Nkurunungi; Lawrence Lubyayi; Serge A Versteeg; Richard E Sanya; Jacent Nassuuna; Joyce Kabagenyi; Prossy N Kabuubi; Josephine Tumusiime; Christopher Zziwa; Robert Kizindo; Emmanuel Niwagaba; Carol Nanyunja; Margaret Nampijja; Harriet Mpairwe; Maria Yazdanbakhsh; Ronald van Ree; Emily L Webb; Alison M Elliott Journal: Clin Exp Allergy Date: 2019-01-25 Impact factor: 5.018
Authors: Firdaus Hamid; Aprilianto E Wiria; Linda J Wammes; Maria M M Kaisar; Yenny Djuardi; Serge A Versteeg; Sitti Wahyuni; Ronald van Ree; Erliyani Sartono; Taniawati Supali; Maria Yazdanbakhsh Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-06-19 Impact factor: 3.240