Once again about the benefits of parasites
Infection with parasitic worms eased allergy symptoms in a Briton
James Logan, an employee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, deliberately became infected with helminths in order to study their effect on the severity of allergic reactions.
Employees of one of the British TV channels captured all the stages of Logan's experiment. With the help of a special camera, the process of penetration of roundworms by hookworms through the skin into blood vessels was recorded. After that, the parasites with the blood flow got into the lungs, and then into Logan's digestive system.
The further development of hookworms in the intestine was studied using a miniature camera built into the capsule. The device that Logan swallowed kept a continuous record while passing through the scientist's gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the camera captured parasites attached to the intestinal mucosa (in the picture from the website cdc.gov – hookworms on the intestinal mucosa).
Two months after the helminth infection, the researcher decided to assess the severity of his allergy to bread. After eating bread and pizza, the usual symptoms of allergy for a Briton (diarrhea, abdominal pain) did not develop. At the end of the experiment, Logan took the anthelmintic drug albendazole and got rid of the parasites.
According to a laboratory study, due to hookworm in the scientist's blood, the content of eosinophilic leukocytes increased. These cells are able to absorb histamine and other mediators of allergic reactions, facilitating their course.
Previously, it was found that as a result of infection with certain types of helminths (including hookworms), the host's immune system is suppressed. In this regard, the risk of developing a number of autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis, is reduced.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru20.04.2012