Trichuris suis

Overview

Trichuris suis is a typical whipworm, that primarily infects pigs and can be seen in wild boar. The predeliction site is the large intestine of the pig and is on pathogenic in heavy infections.

TRICHURIS SUIS

• A typical whipworm.
• Prefers warmer climates and therefore only rarely a problem in the UK.
• Disease mainly seen in pigs kept outdoors or in deep-litter systems.

Pathogenesis

• Can provoke severe diarrhoea or dysentery by providing a portal of entry for microbial organisms (particularly spirochaetes).

Use in Human Medicine

• In experimental models, Trichuris markedly increases T-regulatory activity, thereby suppressing some immune-mediated diseases (Th2 responses increased; Th1 responses decreased).
• There's a theory that some human immune-mediated diseases are largely restricted to affluent developed countries (like inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease) occur because the human immune system has evolved with T-regulating helminths constantly present, and therefore tends to go into overdrive in some individuals if this external regulatory influence is lacking.
• This had led to the hypothesis that strictly controlled exposure of selected human patients to T. suis might ameliorate the symptoms of chronic bowel disease.
• Large scale clinical trials (placebo-controlled cross-over studies) are currently in progress to test this hypothesis.