寄生虫和过敏性疾病：谜团的另一部份

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Key words: Parasites, allergens, molecular mimicry

Immunity to parasitic infections principally involves innate and adaptive T_H2 responses and is accompanied by the development of IgE antibodies to parasite antigens. Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that helminth infections can modulate allergic disease,¹ but cross-reactivity between helminth antigens and allergens that induce human allergic disease has been described. Tropomyosin from filarial parasites can induce IgE antibodies that cross-react with house dust mite allergens,² and similarly, IgE responses to tropomyosins from Ascaris species cross-react with cockroach allergens.³

In the curren