Subversion of immunity by schistosomes

Chronic parasitic disease affects millions of people worldwide. Helminth infections are seldom fatal but cause chronic disease that may range from asymptomatic to debilitating. One of the hallmarks of the immune response to parasitic infections is the tendency to suppress inflammation and control tissue damage. The overall effect of this is not only to reduce or inactivate the activities of the parasite, but even to skew immune responses to other infectious agents. This article discusses the state of our understanding of the complex regulationandcontrol ofimmuneresponses inducedby schistosomes.