Helminthic therapy and systemic vasculitis
Systemic vasculitis is a group of rare autoimmune disorders characterised by inflammation of blood vessels. It can damage blood vessels and keep them from carrying blood to body parts that need it.
There are many types of systemic vasculitis, which can affect many different parts of the body. It can range from mild to severe, or even life-threatening. Some examples include: Takayasu arteritis, Giant cell arteritis, Polyarteritis nodosa, Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Microscopic angiitis, Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Henoch-Schönlein pupura, Behçet’s disease
Vasculitis can also occur in people with another disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. [1]
The scientific evidence[edit | edit source]
The following papers all concern aspects of the effects on vasculitis of helminths and their products.
- 2026 Mar 16 A DNASE1–NET–Eosinophil Axis Linking Helminth Exposure to Protection against Autoimmune Disease
- 2019 Mar Helminth-Related Tuftsin-Phosphorylcholine Compound and its Interplay with Autoimmune Diseases -- PDF
See also
- 2014 Oct 23 Etude de la réponse immunitaire T au cours de l'artérite à cellules géantes (Maladie de Horton) -- PDF (Thesis, French)
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the T-cell immune response in the course of giant-cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) (...) We firstly demonstrated the implication of Th17 and CD4+CD161+ T cells in the pathogenesis of these two diseases, thus extending the knowledge in the plasticity mechanisms arising between Th1 and Th17 cell-immune responses in GCA and PMR. Furthermore, we investigated the regulatory T cell immune response in these two affections, demonstrating that although being functional, the percentage of circulating Treg was decreased in GCA and PMR patients. (Helminths downregulate Th17 and stimulate Treg.)
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV)[edit | edit source]
If a patient has ANCA-associated vasculitis, he or she may have one of three different vasculitis conditions: 1. granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, 2. Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and 3. eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), previously known as Churg-Strauss syndrome
Behçet’s disease[edit | edit source]
See also
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA)[edit | edit source]
alias Churg–Strauss syndrome.
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as allergic granulomatosis, is an extremely rare autoimmune condition that causes inflammation of small and medium-sized blood vessels (vasculitis) in persons with a history of airway allergic hypersensitivity (atopy).
Giant cell arteritis (GCA)[edit | edit source]
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, Horton's disease or Cranial arteritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of large blood vessels.
The disorder may co-exist (in about half of cases) with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)[edit | edit source]
alias Wegener’s granulomatosis
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare, long-term, systemic disorder that involves the formation of granulomas and inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis). It is an autoimmune disease and a form of vasculitis that affects small- and medium-sized vessels in many organs, but most commonly affects the upper respiratory tract, lungs, and kidneys.
Henoch-Schönlein purpura[edit | edit source]
See also
Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)[edit | edit source]
Microscopic polyangiitis is an autoimmune disease characterized by a systemic, pauci-immune, necrotizing, small-vessel vasculitis without clinical or pathological evidence of granulomatous inflammation.