Abstract
A WELL recognized feature of the immune response to parasitic helminth infections, including schistosomiasis, is the production of large amounts of specific and nonspecific IgE1,2. Immunological pathways involving IgE can lead to damage to the developing schistosomulum3–9 and it has been suggested that responses involving IgE could have evolved as protection against helminth infections10,11. There has been no epidemiological evidence to support this idea and the only significant IgE responses known in man are those involved in the pathogenesis of allergic disease12. Here we measure serological response during reinfection with S. haematobium and demonstrate that IgE antibodies in man can be beneficial. Our results support the hypothesis that the slow build-up of IgE to high levels and the early production of IgG4 antibodies, which may block IgE pathways13,14, are responsible for delaying the development of protective immunity to S. haematobium.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ogilvie, B. M. Nature 204, 91–92 (1964).
Dessaint, J. P., Capron, M., Bout, D. & Capron, A. Clin. exp. Immun. 20, 427–436 (1975).
Dean, D. A., Wistar, R. & Murrell, K. D. Am J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 23, 420–428 (1974).
Butterworth, A. E., Sturrock, R. F., Houba, V. & Rees, P. H. Nature 252, 503–505 (1974).
Capron, M. & Capron, A. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 74 (suppl.), 44–50 (1980).
Capron, A., Dessaint, J-P., Capron, M. & Bazin, H. Nature 253, 474–475 (1975).
Capron, A. et al. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 26, 39–47 (1977).
Capron, A., Dessaint, J-P., Capron, M., Joseph, M. & Pestel, J. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 29, 849–857 (1980).
James, S. L., Ladzins, J. K., Meltzer, M. S. & Sher, A. Cell. Immun. 67, 255–265 (1982).
Capron, A. & Dessaint, J.-P. Path. Biol. 25, 287–290 (1977).
Capron, A., Dessaint, J-P., Haque, A. & Capron, M. Prog. Allergy 31, 234–267 (1982).
Turner, K. J. CIBA Fdn Symp. 147, 205–222 (1989).
Iskander, R., Das, P. K. & Aalberse, R. C. Int. Arch. All. appl. Immun. 66, 200–207 (1981).
Stanworth, D. R. & Smith, A. K. Clin. Allergy 3, 37–41 (1973).
Wilkins, H. A. in Biology of Schistosomes (Academic, London, 1988).
Wilkins, H. A., Blumenthal, U. J., Hagan, P., Hayes, R. J. & Tulloch, S. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 81, 29–35 (1987).
Bundy, D. A. P. & Blumenthal, U. J. in Parasitism and Host Behaviour (Taylor and Francis, London, 1990).
Capron, A., Capron, M., Grangette, C. & Dessaint, J-P. CIBA Fdn Symp. 147, 153–160 (1989).
Ottesen, E. A., Skvaril, F. O., Tripathy, S. P., Poindexter, R. W. & Hussain, R. J. Immun. 134, 2707–2712 (1984).
Hussain, R. & Ottesen, E. A. J. Immun. 136, 1859–1863 (1986).
Auriault, C. et al. J. clin. Microbiol. 28, 1918–1924 (1990).
Pene, J. et al. J. Immun. 141, 1218–1224 (1988a).
Pene, J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 6880–6884 (1988b).
Ishizaka, A. et al. Clin. exp. Immun. 79, 392–396 (1990).
Sturrock, R. F. et al. Trans R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 77, 363–371 (1983).
Hagan, P., Wilkins, H. A., Blumenthal, U. J., Hayes, R. J. & Greenwood, B. M. Parasite Immun. 7, 625–632 (1985).
Hagan, P. et al. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 81, 938–946 (1987).
Dunne, D. W. et al. Eur. J. Immun. 18, 123–131 (1988).
Chretien, I. et al. J. Immun. 9, 3128–3134 (1988).
Khalife, J. et al. J. exp. Med. 164, 1626–1640 (1986).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hagan, P., Blumenthal, U., Dunn, D. et al. Human IgE, IgG4 and resistance to reinfection with Schistosoma haematobium. Nature 349, 243–245 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/349243a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/349243a0
This article is cited by
-
Safety and anti-tumour activity of the IgE antibody MOv18 in patients with advanced solid tumours expressing folate receptor-alpha: a phase I trial
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Comparison of immune responses to Loa loa stage-specific antigen extracts in Loa loa-exposed BALB/c mice upon clearance of infection
Parasites & Vectors (2020)
-
Benefits of annual chemotherapeutic control of schistosomiasis on the development of protective immunity
BMC Infectious Diseases (2019)
-
Placental gene expression and antibody levels of mother-neonate pairs reveal an enhanced risk for inflammation in a helminth endemic country
Scientific Reports (2019)
-
Antibody responses to α-Gal in African children vary with age and site and are associated with malaria protection
Scientific Reports (2018)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
