Immune receptors on liver macrophages in patients with hepatic schistosomiasis: relationship to plasma fibronectin and circulating immunne complexes

ABSTRACT

Liver macrophages carry receptor sites for immunoglobulin [Fc], complement [C] and fibronectin receptors, which can mediate the immnune-phagocytic function.As the function of hepatic macrophages could be impaired in many liver diseases, this work aimed at studying Fc and C receptors on isolated liver macrophages in cases of hepatic schistosomiasis and to correlate these with plasma fibronectin [FN] and circulating immune compIexes [CIC]. The study included 55 schistosaomal patients divided into 4 groups, group1 15 patients with early hepatic schistosomiasis, group2 15 patients with late hepatic schistosomiasis, group3 15 schistosomal patients with HCV infection and group4 10 schistosomal patients with HBV infection. In addition, 10 normal controls were included, liver biopsies were taken from all patients either during an elective surgery or by Tru-cut needle to isolate liver macrophages by Dabes method. Total nucleated cells and liver macrophages were counted for each patient. Fc and C receptors were studied by using sheep erythrocytes coated with immunoglobulin and complement respectively. Moreover, plasma FN and CIC were estimated in all patients and controls. Our results concluded that liver biopsies obtained from cases with early hepatic schistosomiasis yielded higher macrophage numbers and more Fc and C receptors than those obtained from late hepatic affection. When schistosomiasis was associated with viral hepatitis C or B, the cell counts and their receptors decreased further. There was a significant positive correlation between immune receptors and PFN level,while a significant negative correlation was found between these receptors and CIC. Thus, immune receptors could be an indirect index for the immunophagocytic function of liver macrophages