Negative association between ascaris lumbricoides seropositivity and Covid-19 severity: insights from a study in Benin
Negative association between ascaris lumbricoides seropositivity and Covid-19 severity: insights from a study in Benin
Blog Article
IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects worldwide, but the trajectory of the pandemic has been milder in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), including those in Africa.Co-infection with helminths, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, has been suggested as a possible factor contributing to the reduced severity observed in these regions.MethodsThe present study investigated the association between Ascaris-specific antibody levels and COVID-19 severity in 276 SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals in Benin.
Participants were categorized into asymptomatic (n=100), mild (n=150), and severe (n=26) groups based on clinical disease severity.Sera were collected and analyzed using ELISA to measure Ascaris and SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, while Luminex was used to assess cytokines and SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody expression.Results and discussionThe results demonstrated that asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals expressed, on average, 1.
7 and 2.2-times higher levels of Frameless Glass Shower Door Parts Ascaris antibodies compared to individuals with mild and severe COVID-19, respectively.This finding suggests an inverse correlation between Ascaris antibody levels and COVID-19 severity.
Notably, logistic regression analysis showed that Ascaris seropositivity was significantly associated with a reduced risk of severe COVID-19 (OR = 0.277, p = 0.021).
Interestingly, COVID-19 patients with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure showed lower expression of Ascaris antibodies.Strikingly, no correlation was observed between Ascaris antibody levels and SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies.On the other hand, individuals seronegative for Ascaris displayed significantly higher levels of systemic pro-inflammatory markers compared to seropositive individuals.
These findings suggest that higher expression Jodhpurs of Ascaris antibodies is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and may contribute to the reduction of the risk to develop severe COVID-19.The beneficial effect of Ascaris seropositivity on COVID-19 outcomes in Benin may be attributed to a decrease in comorbidities and pro-inflammatory markers.These observations provide valuable insights into the milder COVID-19 trajectory observed in Africa and may have implications for future therapeutic strategies.