Immunohistologic localization of laminin in chronicity of murine hepatic schistosomiasis mansoni

The distribution of the high molecular weight glycoprotein laminin in the liver of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni has been studied by indirect immunofluorescence using type specific antibodies. The deposition of laminin was evaluated semi quantitatively between the 3rd and 20th weeks of infection. Laminin was found to increase at 8th week after infection. It was located in the walls of the central veins, hepatic sinusoids and subendothelial basement membrane of hepatic artery and portal veins. In contrast to types I and III collagen and the same like types IV and V collagen, laminin was absent from the Schistosoma periovular granuloma. Only few new blood vessels located at the edge of the granuloma showed positive fluorescence with laminin

Distribution of collagen types I and III in murine hepatic schistosomiasis

The distribution of collagn types I and III in the liver of mice infected with schistosoma mansoni, has been studied by indirect immunofluorescent technique using type specific antibodies. The deposition of collagen types was evaluated semiquantitatively between 3 and 20 weeks after infection. Type III collagen started to appear in the granulomas at the 6th week after infection, while type I collagen was first detected at the 8th week after infection. Deposits of types I and III collagen increased gradually and attained highest levels by 20 weeks of infection. Predominance of type III collagen was noted between the 8th-16th week after infection. With progress of the disease, deposits of type I collagen became prominent and both collagen types were detected in almost equal proportions between the 16th and 20th week after infection. Thus, immunohistochemical demonstration of the relative distribution of types I and III collagen in hepatic murine schistosomiasis can be a marker of chronicity