Schistosome-induced pathology is exacerbated and Th2 polarization is enhanced during pregnancy.
THE AIM of this study was to investigate the immunopathological impact of pregnancy on an ongoing experimental schistosomiasis infection.


METHODS
Female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C) of 15 animals each. The mice in Groups A and B were infected with 40 S. mansoni cercariae, percutaneously. Six weeks post-infection, the mice in Groups B and C (schistosome-naive controls) were mated. Schistosome-induced morbidity and cytokine recall responses were subsequently evaluated at weeks 7 and 8 post-infection.


RESULTS
Hepatic and pulmonary lesions resulting from trapped schistosome eggs were more frequent and more severe in Group B mice than in Group A mice. Group C mice had suppressed mitogen-stimulated interleukin 4 (IL-4) but maintained high intereferon gamma (IFN-gamma) responses. In contrast, Group A mice had elevated mitogen- and parasite-specific IL-4 but muted IFN-gamma responses. Group B mice had an early (week 7) high IL-4 response, even higher than in group A mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Taken together the data suggest that pregnancy exacerbates schistosome-induced morbidity, probably through up-regulation of parasite-specific IL-4.
Farah
Idle O
IO
Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
Langoi
David
D
Nyaundi
Julia
J
Hau
Jann
J
D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009017:Morbidity; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology
D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma