EVALUATION OF IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECT OF FILARIAL ANTIGENS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TYPE I DIABETES

The rapid worldwide increase of this disease has challenged the researchers for explaining the rising trend in type 1 diabetes. Evidences are available in support of an inverse relationship between worm infection and T helper type 1/17 (Th1/17) - based inflammatory disorder such as Type 1 diabetes suggesting the immunomodulatory effect of helminth molecules in this condition. The objective of the study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of filarial antigens (Bm mf's/ Bmmf'ES'/ rBmCys) on the development of type 1 diabetes. The mice were either pre-treated with or without the said proteins using alum as adjuvant (25 ?g) followed by experimental induction of diabetes for 2 months. The blood glucose level and pancreatic histopathological changes were measured. There was significant reduction in the glucose level in diabetic group of mice pre-treated separately with filarial native proteins (Bm mf's and Bmmf'ES) compared to diabetic mice pre-treated with only Alum(p<0.002 andp<0.001). Almost 70% of the mice pre-treated with Bmmf'ES showed recovery from diabetes at the end of the experiment period. Although all mice had evidence of ongoing pancreatic islet cell inflammation by histology, mice pre-treated with filarial proteins had greater numbers of total intact islets and non-infiltrated islets than untreated group of mice. These findings suggest that filarial derived proteins play pivotal role in the amelioration of disease condition in mice and act as novel immunomodulators in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.