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Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the colon, with an increasing incidence worldwide. Disease pathogenesis is multifactorial and involves genetic predisposition, epithelial barrier defects, dysregulated immune responses, and environmental factors [1, 2]. Longstanding UC leads to several complications such as megacolon, inflammation of the eye and joints, and/or colon cancer [3]. Eaden et al. revealed that 25-year chronic UC increases colorectal cancer risk by as much as 34%[4]. Their study further indicated that UC etiology is related to the environment, gene variation, intestinal microflora, and altered immune response, but precise mechanisms and pathogenesis remain unclear. Several drugs and surgical approaches are used to treat UC, but may present drug resistance issues or severe side effects [5]. Therefore, novel UC treatments are demanded. Based on Strachan’s hygiene hypothesis, the possible protective effects of parasites in autoimmune disease have been explored. It is generally accepted that early exposure to helminths promote Th2-type immune responses, which may prevent excessive Th1-type inflammatory reactions which cause autoimmune disease in genetically predisposed individuals [6]. Recent research has indicated that balancing Treg/Th17 status is a key factor in UC development [7]. Schistosoma japonicum, one of the five major schistosoma species, infects humans. The adult worm lives in the host’s liver-portal system and mesenteric vein. Studies have reported that S. japonicum elicits pathological damage in UC [1, 8]. In this study, we compared the prognosis and differential …