Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis

The immune system protects the organism from foreign invaders and foreign substances and is involved in physiological functions that range from tissue repair to neurocognition. However, an excessive or dysregulated immune response can cause immunopathology and disease. A 39-year-old man was affected...

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Main Authors: Oswald Moling, Alfonsina Di Summa, Loredana Capone, Josef Stuefer, Andrea Piccin, Alessandra Porzia, Antonella Capozzi, Maurizio Sorice, Raffaella Binazzi, Lathá Gandini, Giovanni Rimenti, Peter Mian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/804761
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author Oswald Moling
Alfonsina Di Summa
Loredana Capone
Josef Stuefer
Andrea Piccin
Alessandra Porzia
Antonella Capozzi
Maurizio Sorice
Raffaella Binazzi
Lathá Gandini
Giovanni Rimenti
Peter Mian
author_facet Oswald Moling
Alfonsina Di Summa
Loredana Capone
Josef Stuefer
Andrea Piccin
Alessandra Porzia
Antonella Capozzi
Maurizio Sorice
Raffaella Binazzi
Lathá Gandini
Giovanni Rimenti
Peter Mian
author_sort Oswald Moling
collection DOAJ
description The immune system protects the organism from foreign invaders and foreign substances and is involved in physiological functions that range from tissue repair to neurocognition. However, an excessive or dysregulated immune response can cause immunopathology and disease. A 39-year-old man was affected by severe hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni and by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One question that arose was, whether there was a relation between the parasitic and the neurodegenerative disease. IL-17, a proinflammatory cytokine, is produced mainly by T helper-17 CD4 cells, a recently discovered new lineage of effector CD4 T cells. Experimental mouse models of schistosomiasis have shown that IL-17 is a key player in the immunopathology of schistosomiasis. There are also reports that suggest that IL-17 might have an important role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is hypothesized that the factors that might have led to increased IL-17 in the hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni might also have contributed to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the described patient. A multitude of environmental factors, including infections, xenobiotic substances, intestinal microbiota, and vitamin D deficiency, that are able to induce a proinflammatory immune response polarization, might favor the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in predisposed individuals.
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spelling doaj-art-47d097295a654c47b10ec8b23cb604cf2025-08-20T02:37:54ZengWileyCase Reports in Immunology2090-66092090-66172014-01-01201410.1155/2014/804761804761Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A HypothesisOswald Moling0Alfonsina Di Summa1Loredana Capone2Josef Stuefer3Andrea Piccin4Alessandra Porzia5Antonella Capozzi6Maurizio Sorice7Raffaella Binazzi8Lathá Gandini9Giovanni Rimenti10Peter Mian11Division of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Neurology, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Neurology, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyRadiology, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Hematology, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, ItalyDivision of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDivision of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale Generale, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyThe immune system protects the organism from foreign invaders and foreign substances and is involved in physiological functions that range from tissue repair to neurocognition. However, an excessive or dysregulated immune response can cause immunopathology and disease. A 39-year-old man was affected by severe hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni and by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One question that arose was, whether there was a relation between the parasitic and the neurodegenerative disease. IL-17, a proinflammatory cytokine, is produced mainly by T helper-17 CD4 cells, a recently discovered new lineage of effector CD4 T cells. Experimental mouse models of schistosomiasis have shown that IL-17 is a key player in the immunopathology of schistosomiasis. There are also reports that suggest that IL-17 might have an important role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is hypothesized that the factors that might have led to increased IL-17 in the hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni might also have contributed to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the described patient. A multitude of environmental factors, including infections, xenobiotic substances, intestinal microbiota, and vitamin D deficiency, that are able to induce a proinflammatory immune response polarization, might favor the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in predisposed individuals.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/804761
spellingShingle Oswald Moling
Alfonsina Di Summa
Loredana Capone
Josef Stuefer
Andrea Piccin
Alessandra Porzia
Antonella Capozzi
Maurizio Sorice
Raffaella Binazzi
Lathá Gandini
Giovanni Rimenti
Peter Mian
Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
Case Reports in Immunology
title Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
title_full Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
title_fullStr Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
title_full_unstemmed Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
title_short Increased IL-17, a Pathogenic Link between Hepatosplenic Schistosomiasis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Hypothesis
title_sort increased il 17 a pathogenic link between hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a hypothesis
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/804761
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