Helminthic therapy and the liver

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Autoimmune liver diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis, were found to be modulated by active helminth infections in a case-controlled study involving 4,117 patients admitted to hospitals in Okinawa, Japan, between 1988 and 2006.[[1]

The authors hypothesized that immunomodulation by helminths may lower the incidence of autoimmune liver disease.

The scientific evidence

See

• Helminthic therapy and autoimmune diseases: Autoimmune hepatitis
• Helminthic therapy and cardiometabolic conditions / Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Helminthic therapy and cancer / Liver cancer
• Helminthic therapy and infectious diseases / Helminths and hepatitis virus

See also

• 2025 Dec 1 Regulatory Role and Biomarker Potential of Gut Microbiota Metabolites in the Progression of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease to Hepatocellular Carcinoma -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Dec Advances in the acting mechanism and treatment of gut microbiota in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Sep Gut microbiome in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and associated hepatocellular carcinoma
• 2025 Sep The current findings on the gut-liver axis and the molecular basis of NAFLD/NASH associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis
• 2025 Aug 31 Insights Into Intestinal Flora in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease -- Full text
• 2025 Jul 15 Gut-Liver Axis: The Role of Intestinal Microbiota and Their Metabolites in the Progression of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Jul 1 Gut microbiota in patients with metabolic, dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
• 2024 Jun 20 Recombinant Schistosoma japonicum cystatin alleviates acute liver injury in mice by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation and hepatocyte apoptosis (Chinese)
• 2025 Jun 1 Dietary Strategies to Modulate Gut Microbiota in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Apr 1 Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and the gut microbiome: pathogenic insights and therapeutic innovations -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Mar 22 The Microbiome and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease -- Full text | PDF
• 2025 Feb Microbiome-centered therapies for the management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease -- Full text | PDF
• 2024 Jul 27 Nutritional Interventions, Probiotics, Synbiotics and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Steatotic Liver Disease : Pediatric Fatty Liver and Probiotics (Book chapter of Probiotics and Child Gastrointestinal Health)
• 2019 Jan Pathogens and autoimmune hepatitis

The anecdotal evidence

• Helminthic therapy and autoimmune diseases: Autoimmune hepatitis
• Helminthic therapy and autoimmune diseases: Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Liver fibrosis

• 2025 Dec Immunomodulatory and anti-fibrotic effects of Toxocara canis infection in a murine model of thioacetamide-induced chronic hepatic fibrosis
• 2024 Jun ATF3 is involved in rSjP40-mediated inhibition of HSCs activation in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice

Liver disease

Also see

• This thread in the Helminthic Therapy Support group.

• How a high fat ketogenic diet saved my life from primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Liver enzymes

NA can lower high liver enzymes

After 15 years of elevated liver enzymes, I started on NA and a few months later the liver tests were mid-range normal. [2]

It’s also possible for NA to raise liver enzymes

Raised liver enzymes are most likely to be seen in the early stages of helminth colonisation.

I’ve been treating with NA for 3 months and my last blood work also showed raised ASAT and ALAT… I’ve never had elevated liver enzymes before, I barely drink alcohol nor am I taking any meds. [3]

Liver enzymes can test high for a variety of reasons

Liver enzymes can be raised by infections such as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and by other viruses, [4] and can also become elevated as a result of taking an immunosuppressant or certain supplements, or working out.

I was taking entyvio while on NA and my liver enzymes went crazy. They are still elevated 6 months later but coming down even though the entyvio has stopped. Unlikely it is the NA. [5]

I just crossed the 2 year mark for NA. All my inflammation is under control as well, and not too long ago my liver enzymes were elevated. I also still take a very low dose of 6mp (a different immunosuppressant than Humira), and they turned out to only be spontaneously elevated while my liver was adjusting to me working out more regularly and taking some supplements like NAC. They were back to normal the next test. I would venture to say that it’s unlikely NA caused the elevation, and more likely Humira or changes in activity levels… [6]

The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

Microorganisms that are believed to provide health benefits when consumed.

The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

the human hookworm, Necator americanus