Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecules as A Marker of Infection Intensity and Disease Severity in Human Schistosomiasis.

1Zaghloul W, 2Rizk H, and. 3El-Shazly A.

1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 2Tropical Medicine Unit and Department of parasitology3, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University.

Granuloma formation in human infection with schistosoma mansoni is dependent on T lymphocytes and requires recruitment and accumulation of inflammatory cells at the site of egg deposition. Intercellular adhesion molecules participate in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Sera of schistosomiasis patients from various clinical groups (intestinal, hepatosplenic and ascitic) were assayed for the presence of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble E.selectin (sE-selectin). Comparison were made between groups with different infection intensities (as predicted by fecal egg count) as well as between groups with different degrees of severity (A, B and C grades, according to child classification). All groups had elevated levels of sICAM-1 compared with controls. In contrast, the levels of sE-selectin were not elevated. sICAM-1 levels showed significant elevation from Child A to C grades, while no significant difference between the 3 grades was present in case of sE-selectin. In addition, sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with heavy infection than mild infection. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between sICAM-1 and sE-selectin levels in the sera of hepatosplenic and ascitic groups.