The significant positive correlation of Treg numbers with parasitaemia, as well as the correlation between FOXP3 mRNA and IFN-γ mRNA levels in acute samples, further supports the notion that the initial infection induces a proportional increase in Tregs, attempting to balance the effector T cell response, and is in line with the recently proposed concept that antigenic challenge will give rise to an antigen specific Treg response, proportional in size to the inflammatory response [58]. Here, FOXP3 is linked to infection.