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  • Title: Interleukin-12 and the host response to parasitic helminths; the paradoxical effect on protective immunity and immunopathology.
    Author: Mountford AP, Pearlman E.
    Journal: Parasite Immunol; 1998 Nov; 20(11):509-17. PubMed ID: 9988307.
    Abstract:
    In general, helminth infections are associated with the development of dominant Th2-mediated immune responses which may be host protective but can also be the cause of immunopathology. Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is known to be a potent inhibitor of Th2 immune responses and as such it might be expected to have an important modulatory role in helminth-induced immune responses. In this review, we discuss the effect of IL-12 on susceptibility to infection, protective immunity and immunopathology, in the context of exposure to a range of helminths including intestinal nematodes, filariae and schistosomes. It is apparent that the effects of IL-12 are complex and can be beneficial as well as detrimental for the host. The precise role of IL-12 depends upon a number of factors including the type of helminth and the specific tissue involved in the inflammatory response.
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