title: Cytokine regulation of periportal fibrosis in humans infected with Schistosoma mansoni: IFN-gamma is associated with protection against fibrosis and TNF-alpha with aggravation of disease.
abstract: Hepatic periportal fibrosis, which affects 5-10% of subjects infected by Schistosoma mansoni, is caused by the T cell-dependent granuloma that develop around schistosome eggs. Experimental models of infection have shown that granuloma and fibrosis are tightly regulated by cytokines. However, it is unknown why advanced periportal fibrosis occurs only in certain subjects. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the cytokine response of S. mansoni-infected subjects with advanced liver disease in an attempt to relate susceptibility to periportal fibrosis with an abnormal production of cytokines that regulate granuloma and fibrosis. Fibrosis was evaluated by ultrasound on 795 inhabitants of a Sudanese village in which S. mansoni is endemic: advanced periportal fibrosis was observed in 12% of the population; 35% of the affected subjects exhibited signs of portal hypertension. Age (odds ratio (OR), 11.5), gender (OR, 4.2), and infection levels (OR, 2.2) were significantly (p < or = 0.01) associated with hepatic fibrosis. Cytokines produced by egg-stimulated blood mononuclear cells from 99 subjects were measured (75 with no or mild fibrosis; 24 subjects with advanced fibrosis). Multivariate analysis of cytokine levels showed that high IFN-gamma levels were associated with a marked reduction of the risk of fibrosis (p = 0.01; OR, 0.1); in contrast, high TNF-alpha levels were associated with an increased risk (p = 0.05; OR, 4.6) of periportal fibrosis. Moreover, infection levels were negatively associated with IFN-gamma production. These results with observations in experimental models strongly suggest that IFN-gamma plays a key role in the protection of S. mansoni-infected patients against periportal fibrosis, whereas TNF-alpha may aggravate the disease.
authors.affiliation: Immunologie et Génétique des Maladies Parasitaires, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 399, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henri
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevillard
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mergani
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaudart
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camilla
authors.forename: Hélia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dessein
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: Nasr-Eldin M A
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Elwali
authors.forename: Osman K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: Mubarak
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magzoub
authors.forename: Alain J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dessein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011168:Portal System; D012307:Risk Factors; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha