Aspectos fisiopatológicos e imunológicos da confecção experimental por Ascaris suum e Plasmodium berghei NK65

Abstract

Ascaridosis and malaria are parasitic diseases prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, and frequently sharing overlapping endemic areas, which contributes to high rates of morbidity and mortality in areas with poor sanitary conditions. Despite several studies suggesting possible influence of helminth infections on the morbidity of malaria, mostly results are still contradictory and inconclusive. The immune response in ascaridosis is characterized by the involvement of IL-5, IL-4 and IL-13 cytokines, and the IL-10 and TGF-β regulatory factors in addition to circulating levels of total IgE. On the other hand, the protective immune response against malaria is mediated by the production of cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. Therefore, helminth coinfection might has a strong potential to influence the progress of protozoan infections. The present work aimed to describe the pathophysiological and immunobiological features of the experimental coinfection of Ascaris suum and Plasmodium berghei NK65. Our results demonstrate that coinfection promote significant changes in the kinetic larval migration, resulting in a higher helminthic parasite burden. Furthermore, it was evidenced a presence of hepatic and pulmonary lesions, which led to the impairment of the physiological function. Finally, the coinfection elicited in downregulation of Th1, Th17, Th2 and Treg responses, which reflected on morbidity and mortality of animals.