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.