Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28340138›Full record

ReviewTransactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene2017

A life without worms.

Richard E Sanya, Gyaviira Nkurunungi, Irene Andia Biraro, Harriet Mpairwe, Alison M Elliott

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 21% 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

15 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Pre-vaccinationFrontiers in immunology · 2024
    Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Protective effects ofFrontiers in immunology · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Immunological Considerations forFrontiers in immunology · 2021
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
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

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Richard E SanyaMRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit, Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
Gyaviira NkurunungiMRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit, Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
Irene Andia BiraroCollege of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Harriet MpairweMRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit, Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
Alison M ElliottMRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit, Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBUganda Virus Research Institute · UGMakerere University · UG

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 095778Wellcome Trust 102512Wellcome Trust 107743
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Worms have co-evolved with humans over millions of years. To survive, they manipulate host systems by modulating immune responses so that they cause (in the majority of hosts) relatively subtle harm. Anthelminthic treatment has been promoted as a measure for averting worm specific pathology and to mitigate subtle morbidities which may include effects on anaemia, growth, cognitive function and economic activity. With our changing environment marked by rapid population growth, urbanisation, better hygiene practices and anthelminthic treatment, there has been a decline in worm infections and other infectious diseases and a rise in non-communicable diseases such as allergy, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This review reflects upon our age-old interaction with worms, and the broader ramifications of life without worms for vaccine responses and susceptibility to other infections, and for allergy-related and metabolic disease. We touch upon the controversy around the benefits of mass drug administration for the more-subtle morbidities that have been associated with worm infections and then focus our attention on broader, additional aspects of life without worms, which may be either beneficial or detrimental.

Indexed as

Communicable DiseasesHelminthiasisHelminthsHypersensitivityMetabolic DiseasesVaccinesAnimalsAnthelminticsCardiovascular DiseasesHost-Parasite InteractionsHumansAnthelminticsVaccinesAllergyAnthelminthicHelminthsInfectious diseasesMetabolic diseaseVaccines

Identifiers

PMID28340138
PMCPMC5412073
OpenAlexW2595581354

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.