Gut parasites could hold the key to increasingly common conditions such as eczema, asthma and hay fever, according to scientists at The University of Nottingham.
Gut parasites, such as hookworm, have evolved together with their human hosts for millions of years. Over time, these parasites have developed ways of surviving in the human gut by 'turning down' the immune response directed against them, prolonging their survival inside the host.
This reduction in immune response may also have the effect of reducing allergic tissue reactions that characterise asthma and other allergic conditions.
The latest study in this area of research is led by Dr Carsten Flohr, a clinical scientist from The University of Nottingham and Dr Luc Nguyen Tuyen, from the Khanh Hoa Provincial Health Service in central Vietnam. This work was supported through research grants from Asthma UK, the Bastow Award from the Special Trustees for Nottingham University Hospitals and a Fellowship from University College, University of Oxford.
Dr Flohr has examined the links between worms and allergic diseases in Vietnamese children and found that those with the highest level of hookworm infestation were the least likely to have an allergic response to house dust mites.
These findings support the hypothesis that gastrointestinal infection with either hookworms or other micro-organisms protects against allergy and add further weight to the so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis'.
Dr Lyn Smurthwaite, Research Development Manager for Asthma UK said: "The ‘hygiene hypothesis' suggests that high rates of allergies and asthma in developed countries are a result of our immune systems becoming unbalanced due to improved sanitation and hygienic lifestyles that no longer expose us to the same array of bacteria, viruses or parasites. We look forward to future results in this area."
The study involved 1,600 children aged six to 18, in four neighbouring rural communities in Khanh Hoa province, central Vietnam. Their lifestyles were studied, along with their sensitivity to common allergens and their level of infestation with hookworm and other parasites.