Immune response in bilharzial farmers [uncomplicated and complicated cases]

This study was done in the Outpatient Clinic of Zagazig University Hospital and in the Bacteriology Department of Zagazig University during the year 1991. The aim was to evaluate the immune response [humoral and cellular] of bilharzial patients in various stages of infection through quantitation of specific antibodies using indirect hemagglutination test [IHAT] and quantitation of sensitized T- lymphocytes and their subpopulations using indirect immunofluorescent technique. The study included 25 normal healthy individuals, 25 simple urinary bilharziasis, 25 simple intestinal bilharziasis, and 25 hepatosplenic patients. There was a marked increase in the mean titer of IHAT of bilharzial groups compared with normal controls, but there was no significant statistical difference among the bilharzial groups. The study revealed a decrease in the means of total leucocytic count [TLC], absolute lymphocytic count [ALC], T3+ count, T4+ count and T4+/T8+ ratio of bilharzial groups. Comparable with the normal cases, T8+ counts of bilharzial groups were within normal. There were highly statistically significant lower mean values of total leucocytic count [TLC], T4+ counts, and T4+/T8+ ratio of complicated intestinal [hepatosplenic] group comparable with simple bilharzial groups