http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3795349.stm

Parasite reaction link to asthma


Asthmatics were found to have high chitinase levels
A faulty immune reaction - where the body reacts to non-existent parasites -
could trigger asthma, a study suggests.
Yale University scientists found high levels of an enzyme called chitinase,
produced by the immune system, soar in mice with asthma-like disease.

The enzyme is linked to parasites because it breaks down chitin, found on the
surfaces of parasites and insects.

Writing in Science, the researchers say their findings may lead to new ways of
treating asthma.

 Exciting results such as these provide clues that will help us to begin to
unravel the complex processes involved in the inflammation of the airways

Matthew Hallsworth, Asthma UK  
In their study, the Yale team found that those mice not bred to have the
asthma-like disease had far less chitinase.

Lung tissue from humans with asthma also showed high levels of chitinase. The
enzyme was undetectable in tissue from people who did not have the disease.

Overproduction of the enzyme was found to depend on a protein in the immune
system called interleukin-13.

Extra IL-13, common in the lungs of asthmatics, is thought to help spark asthma
attacks.

Phantom parasites

In simple creatures, such as worms and flies, chitinase is thought to protect
against parasitic invasion.

Humans possess around half a dozen chitinase genes, but it was believed these
were simply evolutionary relics.

However, the Yale University research suggests they might be stirred into
action in asthmatics.

Their findings support a theory about the origins of asthma, which suggested t
it is sparked off by the body sensing parasites when none are there.

That, it is thought, sends the immune system into overdrive, producing
inflammation in the airways and asthma attacks.

The Yale researchers, led by Dr Jack Elias say human chitinase could be a
useful new target for anti-asthma drugs.

Matthew Hallsworth, research development manager at Asthma UK, said: "It has
long been suspected that there are many similarities between the body's
response to parasites and the development of allergic conditions such as
asthma.

"Exciting results such as these provide clues that will help us to begin to
unravel the complex processes involved in the inflammation of the airways."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------

Thought this might go right along with .. that ..

<<snip>>
the highest levels of plasma chitotriosidase were observed in patients with the
highest degree of iron overload, suggesting that this factor could trigger
chitotriosidase overproduction.
<<snip>>

PMID: 11282098 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://tinyurl.com/248cd

Who loves ya.
Tom