Background and Objective: Asthma is defined as a chronic inflam-matory
disease of the airways linked with reversible airway blockage, bronchial
hypersensitivity, and different levels of symptoms. Asthma is the common noteable
allergic disease in most developed countries. The recurrent of asthma is much less
in developing countries, especially in rural areas, where the prevalence of
helminth infections is high. This may be as result of immunological activity of
helminth infections in asthmatic patients .Therefore, the study is aimed at
evaluating helminths immunological activities in asthmatic patient in Jos.
Plateau State, Nigeria for more database thereby ascertaining better options in
the managemant and treatment of asthmatic patients in Plateau State, Nigeria.
Materials and Method: This case study was conducted on 100 asth-matic
patients infected with Helminth parasites in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria between
January and September 2019. Ethical approval and patient’s consent statements
were obtained and the study was performed in Medical Laboratory Department of
DEE medical centre and Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State,
Nigeria.
Stool samples collected were used to identify the parasites using con-centration
method and wet preparations. 3mls of individual blood was put into EDTA bottle
and were used for CD4 count using cyflow and Eosinophil count using both
automated method and peripheral blood film methods. The data obtained were
analyzed by SPSS software version 22.
Results: Multiple comparisons of Eosinophil and CD4 in asthmatic patients
with helminth infections every 6 weekly for the period of 9 months is significant
(p< 0.001) establishing high immunogical activities of helminths infection in
asthmatic patients.
Conclusion: Our finding shows that significant change in immune system takes
places every six weeks. We also discover that helminth infections improve the
immunological system thereby diminishing the effect of asthma. Therefore,
helminth parasites can be used as immunotherapy for treatment of asthma,
inflammatory diseases and immunological disorders. Further research could
harvest the immunological active substance of these helminth organisms for the
management of inflammatory diseases and immunological disorders.