Publications by authors named "Saskia Groenhagen"
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the effects of a helminth (parasitic worm) infection in pigs, revealing that it significantly affects the immune response when combined with a bacterial infection, leading to higher bacterial loads.
- Experimental results show that coinfected pigs had depressed immune responses, including reduced interferon gamma and altered macrophage function, which negatively impacted their ability to control the bacterial infection.
- This demonstrates an important interaction between the helminth and bacterial infections, highlighting the consequences for both pig health and potential zoonotic implications for humans, particularly in regions with high rates of these infections.
Article Synopsis
- Helminth infections cause parasites to be unevenly distributed in hosts, prompting a study to see if early immune responses to Ascaris larvae lead to this pattern in susceptible vs. resistant mouse strains.
- Susceptible C57BL/6 mice showed a stronger immune response to the larvae compared to resistant CBA mice, which was linked to greater pathology, including higher levels of eosinophils in various tissues.
- Despite the increased immune response in susceptible mice, eosinophils were found to not be essential for controlling Ascaris larvae, indicating that a strong type 2 immune response can lead to more harm than good during early infection stages.
