Depressed cellular immunity in chronic schistosoma haematobium infection may lead to malignancy

ABSTRACT

The human immune system is actively involved in the host response to schistosome infection as it is exposed to multiple antigens [ova, worms, cercariae] of the parasite. These changes were thoroughly studied in Schistosoma mansoni, but hematobium infection was not equally investigated, since the finding of pure hematobium infection is difficult. The solitary hematobium infection is found only in certain areas of Upper Egypt. The humoral and cellular immune response was thus studied in 65 cases with pure Schistosoma hematobium cases in different clinical stages Early active and late chronic complicated cases. The study revealed that humoral response was stimulated by Schistosoma hematobium infestation. but was not specific to any of the mentioned complications. Results are given in detail