Helminth-associated systemic immune activation and HIV co-receptor expression: response to albendazole/praziquantel treatment.

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that helminth infections increase HIV susceptibility by enhancing systemic immune activation and hence contribute to elevated HIV-1 transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: To study systemic immune activation and HIV-1 co-receptor expression in relation to different helminth infections and in response to helminth treatment. METHODS: HIV-negative adults with (n = 189) or without (n = 57) different helminth infections, as diagnosed by Kato-Katz, were enrolled in Mbeya, Tanzania. Blinded to helminth infection status, T cell differentiation (CD45RO, CD27), activation (HLA-DR, CD38) and CCR5 expression was determined at baseline and 3 months after Albendazole/Praziquantel treatment. Plasma cytokine levels were compared using a cytometric bead array. RESULTS: Trichuris and Ascaris infections were linked to increased frequencies of "activated" CD4 and/or CD8 T cells (p