title: Platelets as an innate defence mechanism against Schistosoma mansoni infections in mice.
abstract: The interaction between Schistosoma mansoni and platelets of non-immune mice has been studied in vivo and in vitro. A moderate thrombocytopaenia was observed in mice 2 days after they had been infected percutaneously with 200 cercariae. A rabbit anti-mouse platelet antiserum, 25 microL of which injected subcutaneously induced a nearly 900% reduction in blood platelet count 24 h later, was used to investigate the effects of severe thrombocytopaenia on S. mansoni infections. In replicate experiments worm burdens were significantly increased in mice that were thrombocytopaenic at the time of infection when compared with untreated mice. Induction of thrombocytopaenia on day 4 after infection had no effect on worm count. Platelets isolated from non-immune mice were shown to adhere to the surfaces of and kill mechanically transformed schistosomula in vitro. Platelets may thus be an innate mechanism of defence against schistosome infection, and the thrombocytopaenia that occurs during patent schistosome infections may be a strategy that helps secondarily incoming parasites evade this type of host defensiveness.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK.
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Justinian R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ngaiza
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wambayi
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Doenhoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010976:Platelet Count; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology