%0 Journal Article
%T Impact of early life exposures to geohelminth infections on the development of vaccine immunity, allergic sensitization, and allergic inflammatory diseases in children living in tropical Ecuador: the ECUAVIDA birth cohort study
%A Philip J Cooper
%A Martha E Chico
%A Irene Guadalupe
%A Carlos A Sandoval
%A Edward Mitre
%A Thomas AE Platts-Mills
%A Mauricio L Barreto
%A Laura C Rodrigues
%A David P Strachan
%A George E Griffin
%J BMC Infectious Diseases
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2334-11-184
%X A cohort of 2,403 neonates followed up to 8 years of age. Primary exposures are infections with geohelminth parasites during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first 2 years of life. Primary study outcomes are the development of protective immunity to common childhood vaccines (i.e. rotavirus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, Hepatitis B, tetanus toxoid, and oral poliovirus type 3) during the first 5 years of life, the development of eczema by 3 years of age, the development of allergen skin test reactivity at 5 years of age, and the development of asthma at 5 and 8 years of age. Potential immunological mechanisms by which geohelminth infections may affect the study outcomes will be investigated also.The study will provide information on the potential effects of early exposures to geohelminths (during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life) on the development of vaccine immunity and allergy. The data will inform an ongoing debate of potential effects of geohelminths on child health and will contribute to policy decisions on new interventions designed to improve vaccine immunogenicity and protect against the development of allergic diseases.Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41239086.The geohelminth (also known as intestinal or soil-transmitted helminth infections) parasites, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, hookworm, and Stronglyoides stercoralis, are common infectious diseases of childhood in tropical regions and are estimated to infect over 2 billion humans worldwide [1]. Geohelminth infections are considered to cause significant morbidity in endemic areas through affects on nutrition, growth, and cognition affecting school performance [2].Geohelminth infections induce an immune responses in humans characterized by elevated IgE levels, eosinophilia, and increased production of Th2 cytokines from peripheral blood leukocytes in response to stimulation by parasite antigen [3]. While initial exposures to these parasites may be associated with enhanced aller
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/11/184