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The immune response to tuberculosis infection in the setting of Helicobacter pylori and helminth infections. Epidemiology and infection Perry, S., Chang, A. H., Sanchez, L., Yang, S., Haggerty, T. D., Parsonnet, J. 2013; 141 (6): 1232-1243

Abstract

We screened 176 healthy, adult (aged 18-55 years) US refugees from tuberculosis (TB)-endemic countries to evaluate whether cytokine responses to latent TB infection (LTBI) are modified in the setting of concurrent H. pylori and helminth infection. As measured by the Quantiferon-TB GOLD interferon-? release assay, a total 38 (22%) subjects had LTBI, of which 28 (74%) also were H. pylori seropositive and/or helminth infected. Relative to ten subjects with LTBI only, 16 subjects with concurrent H. pylori infection had significantly elevated levels of IFN-?, and nine subjects with both H. pylori and helminth infection had significantly elevated levels of IFN-?, IL-2, IL-13, and IL-5. H. pylori is associated with enhanced IFN-? responses to TB, even in the setting of concurrent helminth infection. Efficacy of TB vaccines may vary with the co-existence of these three infections in the developing world.

View details for DOI 10.1017/S0950268812001823

View details for PubMedID 22954328

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3785541