Cytogenetics of acute and chronic Schistosoma mansoni

ABSTRACT

Patients with acute and chronic Schistosomiasis mansoni were examined for genetic damage using the conventional cytogenetic method to assess the frequency of chromosomal aberration [CA] in the cultured blood cells. A nonsignificant difference was noticed in the frequency of CA between patients [acute and chronic] and controls [n=15], but on the treatment of blood cultures with bleomycin [a radiomimetic agent with a DNA alkylating effect], the percentage of induced breakage and fragmentation increased significantly 2 and 3 folds in acute and chronic patients, respectively, indicating an increased chromosomal fragility. The incidence of rearrangement in the form of translocation was significantly increased as compared with the control blood cultures treated with bleomycin. The study revealed the antimitotic effect of schistosomiasis as evidenced from a significant inhibition of mitotic index