Buruli ulcer and schistosomiasis: no association found.
Helminth infections elicit an immune response potentially enhancing susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases. Schistosomiasis and infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans show a remarkable similarity in epidemiologic characteristics in Ghana. In 2000, a case-control study was conducted in three districts in Ghana endemic for M. ulcerans. One hundred six patients with confirmed M. ulcerans disease and 106 matched community controls were included. Schistosome infection of these patients and controls was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that detected circulating anodic antigen in serum. Fifty percent of the participants tested positive for schistosomiasis. There was no difference in detection rates among patients and matched controls. Similarly, there were no differences in worm burden between patients and controls. These results do not support the hypothesis that susceptibility to M. ulcerans disease is driven by a co-infection with schistosomes.
Stienstra
Ymkje
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. y.stienstra@int.azg.nl
van der Werf
Tjip S
TS
van der Graaf
Winette T A
WT
Secor
W Evan
WE
Kihlstrom
Stacey L
SL
Dobos
Karen M
KM
Asamoa
Kwame
K
Quarshi
Eric
E
Etuaful
Samual N
SN
Klutse
Erasmus Y
EY
King
C Harold
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans / Q000276:immunology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; C090907:circulating anodic antigen, Schistosoma mansoni