Coincident helminth infection modulates systemic inflammation and immune activation in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Helminth-induced changes in the immune system are thought to influence the outcome of secondary infections. Approximately 50–100 million people are thought to have infection by worms known as Strongyloides stercoralis, while more than 2 billion people worldwide are infected with the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Interestingly, there is a great degree of overlap in the geographical spread of both infections. We and others have previously shown that helminth infections induce modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses in tuberculosis. In this study, we examined whether concomitant helminth infection has a secondary effect on systemic markers of disease severity/activity in pulmonary tuberculosis. We show that helminth infection have profound effect on lowering most of the circulating parameters associated with tuberculosis pathology. We therefore, conclude that helminth infections have both beneficial and detrimental effects on the progression of tuberculosis, with the beneficial effect manifest upon development of pathology.