ABSTRACT
Schistosomiasis is a serious global helminthic disease, in which the main immunopathology consists of a granulomatous and fibrosing reaction tissue - trapped parasite eggs. In schistosomiasis mansoni, the pathogenesis of hepatosplenic disease has been shown to be due to immune mechanisms. The present study was designed to examine the relationship between the susceptibility versus resistance in schistosomiasis mansoni and the HLA antigens. Two groups were examined: susceptible group to reinfection [83 patients] and resistant group [27 subjects]. The present results showed that the susceptibility was positively associated with the presence of the HLA-B5 and negatively associated with HLA-B39 and HLA-DR14. These findings represent a step toward elucidating the factors controlling the pathogenic mechanisms in human schistosomiasis mansoni