Transient Ascaris suum Larval Migration Induces Intractable Chronic Pulmonary Disease and Anemia in Mice

Authors

Yifan Wu
Evan Li
Morgan Knight
Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola
Li-Zhen Song
Alan R Burns
Ana Clara Gazzinelli-Guimaraes
Ricardo Fujiwara
Maria Elena Bottazzi
Jill E Weatherhead

Publication Date

12-1-2021

Journal

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

DOI

10.1371/journal.pntd.0010050

PMID

34914687

PMCID

PMC8717995

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

12-16-2021

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Anemia, Animals, Ascariasis, Ascaris suum, Chronic Disease, Cytokines, Female, Humans, Larva, Lung, Lung Diseases, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C

Abstract

Ascariasis is one of the most common infections in the world and associated with significant global morbidity. Ascaris larval migration through the host's lungs is essential for larval development but leads to an exaggerated type-2 host immune response manifesting clinically as acute allergic airway disease. However, whether Ascaris larval migration can subsequently lead to chronic lung diseases remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a single episode of Ascaris larval migration through the host lungs induces a chronic pulmonary syndrome of type-2 inflammatory pathology and emphysema accompanied by pulmonary hemorrhage and chronic anemia in a mouse model. Our results reveal that a single episode of Ascaris larval migration through the host lungs leads to permanent lung damage with systemic effects. Remote episodes of ascariasis may drive non-communicable lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic anemia in parasite endemic regions.

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