Circulating immune complexes in schistosomiasis

ABSTRACT

Fifty patients with schistosomiasis selected from the outpatient clinic of Medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals as well as twenty controls were the subject of this study. Estimation of serum complement components C3 and C4 by radial immunodiffusion and measurement of circulating immune complexes [CIC] by ELISA technique showed a significant increase in C3 and CIC in patients than controls. The differences between C3, C4 and CIC levels of patients with and without proteinuria were not significant. The presense of CIC could be regarded as a cause of schistosomal nephropathy