Download eating worms may inhibit Allergies, Asthma and

Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Eating Worms May Inhibit Allergies,
Asthma and Autoimmune Disease
Amy Elizabeth Terlisner, NMD
A
s NDs, we have all become familiar
with the hygiene hypothesis. According to this theory, our children are being
kept inside houses and schools sterilized
by antibacterial cleaners; consequently,
their immune systems have not gained the
competency, or full range of exposures,
needed to fully develop. Immunizations
and frequent rounds of antibiotics also
have left our children with immature immune systems. As a result, allergic disease
and asthma have skyrocketed in industrialized nations.
This hypothesis inherently makes
sense to naturopathic minds, but on reading about researcher Koichiro Fujita, I
came across another explanation for our
current rise in allergic diseases. Fujita, a
professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental
University, adds another factor to our
increased risk of atopy in industrialized
nations: lack of parasitic infection. According to his research, people in developing
countries have little to no allergic disease
because most of them are infected with
parasites, particularly intestinal worms.
When cured of their worms, they develop
allergies. To prove his point, Dr. Fujita
personally ate tapeworm eggs in hope
of clearing his own allergies. He claims
his tapeworm infection cured him of his
severe hay fever, as well as lowered his
cholesterol levels (Kobayashi, 2002).
Cause of Allergy
According to current theories, allergy is
caused by an overactive Th-2 response and
an underdeveloped Th-1 response. Remember that T helper cells play a central role in
T suppressor cells). Th-1 subclasses stimulate inflammation, activate macrophages
and promote differentiation of cytotoxic T
cells. The Th-2 subclass, however, promotes
the migration of eosinophils, activates B
cells and promotes antibody formation.
Before the advent of modern-day
sanitation, newborns were subjected to
multiple infections (viral and bacterial) that
According to research, people in developing countries
have little to no allergic disease because most of
them are infected with parasites … when cured,
they develop allergies
adaptive immunity. Once they have been
activated by an antigen-presenting cell’s
display of a pathogen, they are responsible
for activating macrophages, B cells and T
cells, and inducing B and T cell proliferation. In fact, without them there is no adaptive immune response.
Three classes of T helper cells exist: Th-1,
Th-2 and T regulatory cells (formerly called
would stimulate proliferation of Th-1 cells
and shift the balance away from Th-2 as
their immune systems matured. Those children that survived grew up with a “well
rounded” immune system. Going back
to the hygiene hypothesis, our modern,
“hyperclean” children are not exposed to
the large numbers of pathogens and toxins
that their predecessors were, so they retain
an immune system with a strong Th-2
response and weak Th-1 response. As Th-2
cells remain overactive, their propensity
to induce B cells to secrete excessive IgE
amounts increases. This results in higher
histamine release from mast cells, and the
result is allergy. An overdeveloped Th-2
response is also one hypothesis for our current prevalence of autoimmune disease, as
overall antibody production is increased in
a Th-2 response as well.
Parasitic Infection and the
Immune System
A quick tour on PubMed presents paper
after paper stating that parasitic infection promotes a stronger Th-2 response
(Shea-Donohue and Urban Jr., 2004). But
wouldn’t we expect to see more allergy in
individuals with intestinal parasites (i.e.,
in those who live in non-industrialized
countries)? Why is it that empiric evidence proves the opposite? It turns out
that worms actively suppress the immune
system as well as cause the release of
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming
growth factor-β (TGF-β) (Shea-Donohue
and Urban Jr., 2004). IL-10 has an overall suppressing function on the immune
system, turning down both cellular and
innate responses and inhibiting macrophages and dendritic cells. TGF-β has
actions similar to IL-10.
If intestinal worms cause the release of
IL-10 and a subsequent overall suppression
of our immune system, could they not only
provide relief from allergies, but also from
autoimmune disease? Investigators are
just now starting to research the link. In a
2007 study published in Annals of Neurology, researchers followed multiple sclerosis
patients for 4.6 years who had intestinal
parasitic infections vs. those that didn’t.
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APRIL 2008
They found that those infected showed
a significantly lower number of exacerbations, minimal variation in disability
scores, as well as fewer magnetic resonance
imaging changes when compared with
uninfected MS patients. These researchers
found higher amounts of IL-10 and TGF-β
in the blood of those with parasitic infections and drew the conclusion that parasitic
infections may induce T-regulator cells
(suppressor cells) through these cytokines
(Correale and Farez, 2007).
In a review by Maizels, the author
discusses two ways that multicellular
parasitic infections interact with mammalian immune systems. First, helminthes are known to encourage regulator
T cell activity. Increased regulator T cell
activity has an overall dampening effect
on the immune system, which would also
dampen the allergic response in individuals. Helminthes do this by producing
homologues to mammalian cytokines.
Second, it seems that some individuals
carry genes that offer heightened resistance to helminthes. These genes may
explain the link between more aggressive
Type II responses in both allergies and
infections (Maizels, 2007).
Researchers are now looking at ways
to purify the stimulatory proteins found
in these parasites in order to suppress our
immune systems from allergies, asthma
and autoimmune disease. Perhaps we
need to expand our thinking as NDs in
thinking that all parasitic infections are
bad for the body. Should we discontinue
rounds of Artemisia annua and other
antiparasitic protocols? We lived for
tens of thousands of years in a symbiotic
relationship with these organisms, and
perhaps something beneficial came out of
that relationship. As research continues,
I think we will begin to see a difference
in pathology regarding different kinds of
parasitic infections (malaria vs. tapeworms vs. Echinococcus). We also clearly
need to rethink our obsession with cleanliness in order to provide better health for
future generations. As far as recommending that my allergy-ridden patients ingest
parasitic worms, however … I’m not sure
I can stomach the idea yet.
Amy Elizabeth Terlisner, NMD
attended Bastyr University. She has an
extensive teaching background, which
she believes is an important element
in naturopathic medicine. She currently teaches pharmacognosy to doctoral students at Emperor’s College of
Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa
Monica, Calif. Her specialties include
women’s health, cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, preventive/anti-aging medicine and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Her practice information can be found at www.aletriscenter.com.
References
Kobayashi T: Excessive cleanliness makes you sick (review
of Fujita, K: Kiseichu-ha-tsurai-yo “It’s Hard for a Parasitic
Worm”), Japan Today Apr14, 2002. Web site: www.japantoday.com/jp/book/111
Shea-Donohue T, Urban JF Jr: Gastrointestinal parasite and
host interactions, Curr Opin Gastroenterol Jan; 20(1):3-9,
2004.
Correale J, Farez M: Association between parasite infection
and immune responses in multiple sclerosis, Ann Neurol Feb;
61(2):97-108, 2007.
Smith P et al: Infection with a helminth parasite prevents
experimental colitis via a macrophage-mediated mechanism,
J Immunol Apr 1; 178(7):4557-66, 2007.
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