The classical reaction of the host to helminth infections is the induction of Th2 immune responses with a regulatory component. DC, as central players in the induction and maintenance of immune responses, play a prominent role in both these processes, and in recent years considerable progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms behind the interplay between DC and helminths. It is becoming increasingly clear that helminths modulate DC function not only via direct interactions but also indirectly via host-derived cues. Furthermore, while studies have until recently focused on receptor signalingmediated DC modulation by helminths, evidence is emerging that DC may also respond to helminth infections by sensing stress signals or tissue damage inflicted by the worms or their products. Here, we will discuss these new insights and will link them to the origin and importance of Th2 and regulatory immune responses with respect to the survival of both parasite and host.Key words: DC . Helminth . Th cell polarization . Tissue damage
IntroductionThe classical reaction of the host to helminth infections is the induction of Th2 responses. The induction of Th2 immunity has been shown to be important for resistance to helminth infections in various model systems; however, despite induction of a Th2 response, total clearance of the parasites rarely occurs in man (reviewed in [1,2]). This implies that helminths have evolved strategies, such as evasion or suppression of the host immune response that prevent their expulsion and permit their long-term survival. The immune modulatory effects are thought to arise from the helminth's capacity to exploit the host's own system of immune regulation, which is normally crucial for the maintenance of immune homeostasis and self tolerance. In this respect, the induction of Treg has been shown to be one of the most common mechanisms that restrains immune responses against the parasite while also preventing excessive inflammation and tissue damage inflicted by the worms (reviewed in [2,3]). Therefore, it is not surprising that among the variety of mechanisms developed by helminths to influence host immune responses, modulation of DC as pivotal players in the initiation and polarization of adaptive immune responses, including Treg modulation, may have a particularly important role (reviewed in [2,4,5] ) carbohydrate epitope found in schistosoma soluble egg antigens (SEA), has been implicated in TLR4-dependent priming of Th2 responses via DC [9]. However, SEA is also known to be capable of modulating DC for Th2 priming in the absence of TLR signaling [10]. Furthermore, phosphatidylserine (PS) lipids derived from schistosomes and ascaris worms, which carry TLR2-activating molecules, have been shown to promote Th2 responses via DC, but this is not TLR2 dependent [11], whereas monoacetylated PS lipids from schistosomes were found to specifically instruct DC to preferentially induce IL-10-producing Treg in a TLR2-dependent fashion [12]. Although TLR2 does not seem to be essential for Th2 polar...