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Trichinella spiralis and Heligmosomoides polygyrus are examples of two nematode species, which induce Th2 related immune response with different biological effects. T. spiralis induces a protective inflammatory response, but H. polygyrus downregulates the immune response and survives for several weeks in the intestine. The mucosal immune response induced by the intestinal stages of T. spiralis was evaluated for controlling the local IgA response mounted during subsequent H. polygyrus infection. A slight effect of a previous T. spiralis infection on subsequent infection with H. polygyrus was related to cross-reactive mucosal IgA in the histotropic phase of infection and there was some protective cross-reactivity between these two nematode species. Later, H. polygyrus depressed the infiltration of eosinophils and mast cells into the lamina propria and the amount of IL-5 and IgA in the mucosa. Using Western blot analysis regulation of IgA responsiveness to somatic parasite antigens was found to control the chronic phase of infection.