Epidemiology of schistosomiasis in Gezira area Central Sudan and analysis of cytokine profiles

Objective:To determine and compare anti-schistosoma IgC,interleukin-10(IL-10) and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)levels in the serum of patients and endemic controls and to investigate the epidemiological situation of Al-Hebaika village in the northern part of Gezira Agricultural Irrigation Scheme in 2005.Methods:During 2005 survey,serum were collected from 118 villagers.Sixty eight were parasitological positive(patients),and 50 were negative(endemic controls).Indirect ELISA was used to measure and compare the levels of immunoglobulin C(IgC) against Schistsoma mansoni(5.mansoni) soluble worm antigen(SWA) in the patients and endemic control groups from the village and compared with 20 healthy non endemic controls.Sandwich ELJSA was also used to measure and compare IL-10 and IFN-γin the serum of the selected groups.Results:The overall prevalence of S.haematobium was 20.0%and 0.9%in the first and the second surveys respectively,while the intensity of infection was the same in the two surveys 1.38[geometric mean egg count(GMFC)].The overall prevalence of S.mansoni infection was 68.5% and 15.4%,while the intensity of infection was 2.75(GMEC) and 1.70(GMEC) in the two surveys respectively.IgC reactivity against SWA showed no significant difference between Schistosoma positive patients and endemic controls.However,there were high significant differences between each of these two groups and the non endemic control group(P= 0,000).Schistosoma patients and exposed controls had significantly higher IL-10 concentration compared with non endemic controls.While endemic controls showed significantly higher IFN-γconcentration than patients(P = 0.000).Also there was very significant difference between IFN-γlevels of each of patients endemic controls and that of the non endemic controls(P = 0.003).Conclusions:The study concluded that IFN-γhas a role in the natural resistant to schistosoma mansoni infection. The prevalence and intensity of 5.mansoni in the Gezira Irrigation Scheme was greatly reduced.S. haematobium has disappeared from the area.

Detection of schistosomiasis antibodies in urine patients as a promising diagnostic maker

Objective:To determine secreted antischistosoma antibodies in urine and to discern the epidemiological situation of schistosomiasis in the agricultural field labourers’camps city in the Gezira State-central Sudan.Methods:Total of 66 urine and 66 serum paired samples were collected from those who confirmed parasitologically positive and negative with schistosomiasis from the two camps.Samples were tested using ELBA technique to measure and compare the immunoglobulin G(IgG) levels in serum and urine samples of schistosomiasis patients.Results: The overall prevalence of S.mansoni and S.haematobium was 53.8%and 15.4%,while the intensity were(2.04 GMEC) and(0.9 GMEC) respectively.The relative percentage of positive IgG individulas in urine was 92.40%where as 96.97%in serum.Statistically no significant difference between the IgG levels in serum and urine samples was observed.Conclusions:This study shows that the detection of secreted IgG antibodies in urine can substitute serum for diagnosis of schistosomiasis.

Elevated Birth Rates in CD62L (L-Selectin)-Deficient BALB/c Mice: Potential Involvement of NK Cells

Background: L-selectin (CD62L) is a cell surface adhesion molecule recently shown to play a critical role in determining endometrial receptivity and implantation in humans. By contrast, the L-selectin ligand is missing from the rodent endometrium. Interestingly, CD62L (L-selectin)-deficient BALB/c mice delivered significantly higher numbers of viable offspring than wild type controls via mechanisms yet to be defined. Methods: Nulliparous CD62L-deficient (8-10-week-old, n = 25) or wild type (n = 18) females were mated with 43 age-matched males. Animals were sacrificed at gestational day (GD) 9.5. Tissue samples were analyzed by immunostaining and flow cytometry. Results: Mating wild type and CD62L-deficient BALB/c mice revealed that the increased birth rate was due to the CD62L deficiency in females. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated significant differences in the number of natural killer (NK) cells present in the uterus of pregnant CD62L- deficient mice compared to controls. Immunohistochemistry confirmed NK cell accumulation at the fetal-maternal interface. Discussion: Uterine NK cells have been shown to peak at GD 8-10 at the fetal-maternal interface. NK cells might regulate mouse fertility rates by facilitating development of the maternal spiral arteries, thereby stimulating the formation of larger vessels that facilitate intrauterine survival, however, their role is not obligate to spiral artery development. Conclusions: Diminished CD62L expression modified immune cell trafficking into the uterus of pregnant mice generating a microenvironment primarily dominated by NK cells resulting in improved embryonic survival rates.

Susceptibility to ulcerative colitis in Hungarian patients determined by gene-gene interactions

AIM:To study the inflammatory bowel disease-5 locus(IBD5)and interleukin-23 receptor(IL23R)gene variants in UC patients and test for gene-gene interaction.METHODS:The study population(n=625)was comprised of 320 unrelated ulcerative colitis(UC)patients with Caucasian origin and 316 age-and gendermatched,healthy controls.Five variants in the IBD5 locus(IGR2198a_1 rs11739135,IGR2096a_1 rs12521868,IGR2230a_1 rs17622208,SLC22A4 rs1050152 and SLC22A5 rs2631367)and two of the IL23R gene(rs1004819,rs2201841)were analysed.PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods were used for genotyping,the SLC22A4 rs1050152 genotypes were determined by direct sequencing.Interactions and specific genotype combinations of the seven variants were tested by binary logistic regression analysis.The IL23R genotypes were stratified by IBD5 genotypes for further interaction analyses.RESULTS:For the IL23R rs1004819 A allele we found significantly higher allele frequency(P=0.032)in UC patients compared to control subjects.The SNP rs1004819 showed significant association with UC risk for carriers(P=0.004,OR=1.606;95%CI:1.160-2.223)and the SNP rs2201841 for homozygotes(P=0.030,OR=1.983;95%CI:1.069-3.678).Individually none of the IBD5 markers conferred risk to UC development.There was no evidence for statistical interaction either between IBD5 loci and IL23R genes using logistic regression analysis.After genotype stratification,we could detect a positive association on the background of rs1004819 A allele for SLC22A4 T,SLC22A5 C,IGR2198a_1 C or IGR2096a_1 T allele,the highest OR was calculated in the presence of SLC22A4T allele(P=0.005,OR=2.015;95%CI:1.230-3.300).There was no association with UC for any combinations of rs1004819 and IGR2230a_1.The IL23R rs2201841homozygous genotype and IBD5 carrier status together did not confer susceptibility for UC.CONCLUSION:The present study has shown that UC susceptibility genes are likely to act in a complex interactive manner similar to CD.