Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26248316›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2015

Asymptomatic Helminth Infection in Active Tuberculosis Is Associated with Increased Regulatory and Th-2 Responses and a Lower Sputum Smear Positivity.

Ebba Abate, Meseret Belayneh, Jonna Idh, Ermias Diro, Daniel Elias, Sven Britton, Abraham Aseffa, Olle Stendahl, Thomas Schön

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 73 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  9. Article
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  13. Intestinal Parasitic Infections May Be Overlooked Drivers of the Tuberculosis Pandemic.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024
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  17. Article
  18. Cytokine Responses duringMicroorganisms · 2023
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  20. Prevalence and Clinical Relevance ofOpen journal of epidemiology · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.

Ebba AbateDepartment of Immunology and Molecular Biology, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; Department of Medical Microbiology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Meseret BelaynehDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Jonna IdhDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Västervik Hospital, Västervik, Sweden.
Ermias DiroDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Daniel EliasDepartment of cancer and inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Sven BrittonDepartment of Infectious diseases, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abraham AseffaArmauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Olle StendahlDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Thomas SchönDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Kalmar County Hospital, Kalmar, Sweden.
Linköping University · SEUniversity of Gondar · ETAddis Ababa University · ETArmauer Hansen Research Institute · ETKarolinska University Hospital · SEOrnsköldsvik Hospital · SEUniversity of Southern Denmark · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe impact of intestinal helminth infection on the clinical presentation and immune response during active tuberculosis (TB) infection is not well characterized. Our aim was to investigate whether asymptomatic intestinal helminth infection alters the clinical signs and symptoms as well as the cell mediated immune responses in patients with active TB. METHODOLOGY: Consecutive, newly diagnosed TB patients and healthy community controls (CCs) were recruited in North-west Ethiopia. TB-score, body mass index and stool samples were analyzed. Cells from HIV-negative TB patients (HIV-/TB) and from CCs were analyzed for regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and cytokine responses using flow cytometry and ELISPOT, respectively.

resultsA significantly higher ratio of helminth co-infection was observed in TB patients without HIV (Helm+/HIV-/TB) compared to HIV negative CCs, (40% (121/306) versus 28% (85/306), p = 0.003). Helm+/HIV-/TB patients showed significantly increased IL-5 secreting cells compared to Helm-/HIV-/TB (37 SFU (IQR:13-103) versus 2 SFU (1-50); p = 0.02, n = 30). Likewise, levels of absolute Tregs (9.4 (3.2-16.7) cells/μl versus 2.4 (1.1-4.0) cells/μl; p = 0.041) and IL-10 secreting cells (65 SFU (7-196) versus 1 SFU (0-31); p = 0.014) were significantly higher in Helm+/HIV-/TB patients compared to Helm-/HIV-/TB patients. In a multivariate analysis, a lower rate of sputum smear positivity for acid fast bacilli, lower body temperature, and eosinophilia were independently associated with helminth infection in TB patients.

conclusionsAsymptomatic helminth infection is associated with increased regulatory T-cell and Th2-type responses and a lower rate of sputum smear positivity. Further studies are warranted to investigate the clinical and immunological impact of helminth infection in TB patients.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCoinfectionFecesFemaleHelminthiasisHumansIntestinal Diseases, ParasiticMaleMiddle AgedSputumTh2 CellsT-Lymphocytes, RegulatoryTuberculosis, PulmonaryYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID26248316
PMCPMC4527760
OpenAlexW2109134657

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.