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- Title
Hookworm Treatment for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Trial.
- Authors
Tanasescu, Radu; Tench, Christopher R.; Constantinescu, Cris S.; Telford, Gary; Singh, Sonika; Frakich, Nanci; Onion, David; Auer, Dorothee P.; Gran, Bruno; Evangelou, Nikos; Falah, Yasser; Ranshaw, Colin; Cantacessi, Cinzia; Jenkins, Timothy P.; Pritchard, David I.
- Abstract
Key Points: Question: What are the effects of hookworm treatment compared with placebo on relapsing multiple sclerosis? Findings: In this randomized clinical trial that included 71 patients, the median cumulative numbers of new magnetic resonance imaging lesions were not significantly different between the groups, but approximately half of participants treated with hookworm vs approximately a quarter of those receiving placebo had no detectable magnetic resonance activity. Hookworm significantly increased T regulatory cell counts in peripheral blood. Meaning: The data from this study suggest a possible, albeit mild, therapeutic effect of hookworm infection in relapsing multiple sclerosis that warrants further study. Importance: Studies suggest gut worms induce immune responses that can protect against multiple sclerosis (MS). To our knowledge, there are no controlled treatment trials with helminth in MS. Objective: To determine whether hookworm treatment has effects on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity and T regulatory cells in relapsing MS. Design, Setting, and Participants: This 9-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between September 2012 and March 2016 in a modified intention-to-treat population (the data were analyzed June 2018) at the University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, a single tertiary referral center. Patients aged 18 to 61 years with relapsing MS without disease-modifying treatment were recruited from the MS clinic. Seventy-three patients were screened; of these, 71 were recruited (2 ineligible/declined). Interventions: Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive either 25 Necator americanus larvae transcutaneously or placebo. The MRI scans were performed monthly during months 3 to 9 and 3 months posttreatment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the cumulative number of new/enlarging T2/new enhancing T1 lesions at month 9. The secondary end point was the percentage of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+CD25highCD127negT regulatory cells in peripheral blood. Results: Patients (mean [SD] age, 45 [9.5] years; 50 women [71%]) were randomized to receive hookworm (35 [49.3%]) or placebo (36 [50.7%]). Sixty-six patients (93.0%) completed the trial. The median cumulative numbers of new/enlarging/enhancing lesions were not significantly different between the groups by preplanned Mann-Whitney U tests, which lose power with tied data (high number of zeroactivity MRIs in the hookworm group, 18/35 [51.4%] vs 10/36 [27.8%] in the placebo group). The percentage of CD4+CD25highCD127negT cells increased at month 9 in the hookworm group (hookworm, 32 [4.4%]; placebo, 34 [3.9%]; P =.01). No patients withdrew because of adverse effects. There were no differences in adverse events between groups except more application-site skin discomfort in the hookworm group (82% vs 28%). There were 5 relapses (14.3%) in the hookworm group vs 11 (30.6%) receiving placebo. Conclusions and Relevance: Treatment with hookworm was safe and well tolerated. The primary outcome did not reach significance, likely because of a low level of disease activity. Hookworm infection increased T regulatory cells, suggesting an immunobiological effect of hookworm. It appears that a living organism can precipitate immunoregulatory changes that may affect MS disease activity. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01470521 This randomized clinical trial assesses the effect of hookworm treatment on magnetic resonance imaging activity and T regulatory cells in British patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.
- Publication
JAMA Neurology, 2020, Vol 77, Issue 9, p1089
- ISSN
2168-6149
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1118