Granulomas in parasitic diseases: the good and the bad

Parasitol Res. 2020 Oct;119(10):3165-3180. doi: 10.1007/s00436-020-06841-x. Epub 2020 Aug 13.

Abstract

Parasitic diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide, and most of them are chronic conditions in which the treatment and prevention are difficult. The appearance of granulomas, defined as organized and compact structures of macrophages and other immune cells, during various parasitic diseases is frequent, since these structures will only form when individual immune cells do not control the invading agent. Th2-typering various parasitic diseases are frequent, since these structures will only form when individual immune cells do not control the invading agent. The characterization of granulomas in different parasitic diseases, as well as recent findings in this field, is discussed in this review, in order to understand the significance of the granuloma and its modulation in the host-parasite interaction and in the immune, pathological, and parasitological aspects of this interaction. The parasitic granulomatous diseases granulomatous amebic encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, neurocysticercosis, and schistosomiasis mansoni are discussed as well as the mechanistic and dynamical aspects of the infectious granulomas.

Keywords: Granuloma; Granulomatous amebic encephalitis; Leishmaniasis; Neurocysticercosis; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Toxoplasmosis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Granuloma / immunology*
  • Granuloma / parasitology
  • Granuloma / pathology*
  • Host-Parasite Interactions / immunology
  • Humans
  • Macrophages / immunology*
  • Macrophages / pathology
  • Neurocysticercosis / immunology*
  • Neurocysticercosis / pathology
  • Schistosoma mansoni / immunology
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / immunology*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / pathology
  • Taenia solium / immunology
  • Toxoplasma / immunology
  • Toxoplasmosis / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis / pathology