Host Immune Responses and Their Role in the Pathogenesis of Podoconiosis

Abstract

Podoconiosis is a form of non-filarial lymphoedema that causes bilateral swelling of the lower legs, resulting from exposure of bare feet to volcanic clay soils. It is a neglected tropical disease that affects impoverished communities in several low income countries mainly located in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a convincing association between genetic variation in class II Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes and the development of podoconiosis, raising the hypothesis that podoconiosis is caused by an inflammatory immune response to a currently unknown soil component. This thesis describes my research exploring this hypothesis using a range of approaches to study peripheral blood immune responses in people with podoconiosis and endemic healthy controls.