Sera of some urinary schistosomiasis subjects affect migration and intracellular killing by leucocytes

Abstract

Leucocyte migration- and bactericidal- indices were determined to establish the effect of sera from urinary schistosomiasis subjects on host defense mechanism. Both leucocyte migration and bacterial activity were diminished by sera from 66% of children with untreated urinary schistosomiasis subjects (uUSS), 25% of praziquantel treated urinary schistosomiasis subjects (TUSS) and 13% of the controls.


The serum substance was observed to be a high molecular weight (76-108 KD) glycoprotein which migrates with alpha 2a and gamma –globulins. It is possible that the serum substance which affects leucocyte phagocytosis is one of the regulatory mechanisms adopted by Schistosoma Haematobium parasite to evade host immunity.


Key Words: Serum substance, Leucocyte migration, Urinary Schistosomiasis


Journal of Biomedical Investigation Vol.1 2003: 33-39