Cysticercosis and co-incidence with COVID-19 :Rujittika Mungmunpuntipantip, Viroj Wiwanitkit, Tropical Parasitology

LETTERS TO EDITOR
Year : 2022 | Volume : 12 | Issue : 2 | Page : 130-

Cysticercosis and co-incidence with COVID-19

Rujittika Mungmunpuntipantip¹, Viroj Wiwanitkit²,
¹ Private Academic Consultant, Bangkok, Thailand
² Department of Community Medicine, Dr. DY Patil University, Pune, Maharashtra, India; Parasitic Disease Research Center, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Correspondence Address:
Rujittika Mungmunpuntipantip
Private Academic Consultant, Bangkok-103330
Thailand

How to cite this article:
Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Cysticercosis and co-incidence with COVID-19.Trop Parasitol 2022;12:130-130

How to cite this URL:
Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Cysticercosis and co-incidence with COVID-19. Trop Parasitol [serial online] 2022 [cited 2023 Mar 22 ];12:130-130
Available from: https://www.tropicalparasitology.org/text.asp?2022/12/2/130/361959

Full Text

Sir,

An interrelationship between parasitic infestation and COVID-19 is interesting. Some reports mention for possible counteracting action to COVID-19 in parasitic infestation.[1] In a recent report, Wolday et al. noted that “Parasite co-infection is associated with a reduced risk of severe COVID-19 in African patients.[1]” Despite COVID-19's extensive distribution, no endemic parasitic infection has yet been identified as co-infecting with COVID-19. A good example is opisthorchiasis.[2] Regarding opisthorchiasis and COVID-19, the possible specific counteracting biological process is proposed.[2]

Here, the authors would like to draw attention to another important parasitic infection that has never been reported for association with COVID-19. Based on our setting in Indochina, where cysticercosis is very common, the authors reappraise local data on COVID-19 case. The setting has been affected by COVID-19 since January 2020. Until present, there are more than 1.5 million COVID-19 infected cases. According to local protocol for management, routine chest X-ray investigation is done. Of interest, there has never observation on coincidence between cysticercosis and OVID-19. In this setting, the cysticercosis is prevalent. The prevalence of detection of cysticercosis in routine chest X-ray investigation is 0.1%.[3] Based on the data on the epidemiology of cysticercosis in this setting, it is likely that there should be a coincidence of COVID-19 and cysticercosis detected from chest X-ray, however, there is no observation on coincidence.

This leads to an interesting question whether cysticercosis has a pathophysiological process that can protect against COVID-19. A possible mechanism might be associated with CD4 + Foxp3+. Excretory secretory antigens from cysticercus can increase the CD4 + Foxp3 + and CD8 + Foxp3 + T-cell frequencies.[4] Stimulation of CD4 + Foxp3 + is proposed as a possible process for the treatment of COVID-19.[5]

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

1	Wolday D, Gebrecherkos T, Arefaine ZG, Kiros YK, Gebreegzabher A, Tasew G, et al. Effect of co-infection with intestinal parasites on COVID-19 severity: A prospective observational cohort study. EClinicalMedicine 2021;39:101054.
2	Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Relationship between prevalence of opisthorchiasis and incidence of COVID-19: An observation. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2021;45:230.
3	Wiwanitkit V. Subcutaneous cysticercosis identified in chest radiography. Indian J Med Res 2012;136:678.
4	Fan X, Zhang Y, Ouyang R, Luo B, Li L, He W, et al. Cysticercus cellulosae regulates T-cell responses and interacts with the host immune system by excreting and secreting antigens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021;11:728222.
5	Wang Y, Zheng J, Islam MS, Yang Y, Hu Y, Chen X. The role of CD4⁺FoxP3⁺regulatory T cells in the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19: Implications for treatment. Int J Biol Sci 2021;17:1507-20.