Circulating enzyme activities of collagen turnover and undulin in patients with various degrees of schistosomiasis and alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

In contrast to alcoholic liver disease, schistosomiasis leads to presinusoidal hepatic fibrosis, which determines the prognosis of the disease. Since conventional liver function tests and liver biopsy provide little information about the dynamics of the fibrotic process, we measured the activities of two circulating enzymes of collagen turnover, namely serum galactosylhydroxylysyl-glucosyl-transferase and plasma prolidase activity, together with undulin, a novel extracellular matrix glycoprotein. The study encompassed 15 healthy control subjects. 69 patients with various stages of Schistosoma mansoni/hematobium infection [28 with early active infection and no organ involvement, 27 with hepatosplenic involvement, and 14 with complications of portal hypertension] and 16 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Liver biopsies were obtained from 30 schistosomal patients for histopathological grading. Serum galactosylhydroxylysyl-glucosyl-transferase was significantly increased in all clinical stages of schistosomiasis (p < 0.05), but normal in alcoholic cirrhosis. In contrast, plasma prolidase activity showed a significant increase only in early schistosomiasis (p < 0.01), but dropped to subnormal levels in advanced stages (p < 0.001). Undulin was highly elevated both in alcoholic patients and in all schistosomal groups (p < 0.001), and was capable of distinguishing between early and advanced schistosomal stages. We conclude that serum undulin may be a valuable non-invasive parameter for monitoring the course of schistosomal and alcoholic liver disease.

Serum procollagen peptides and collagen type VI for the assessment of activity and degree of hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis and alcoholic liver disease.

Schistosomiasis, in contrast to alcoholic liver disease, leads to presinusoidal hepatic fibrosis, which determines the prognosis of the disease. Because conventional liver function tests and liver biopsy specimens provide little information about the dynamics of the fibrotic process, we measured the serum concentrations of procollagen type III N-propeptide and procollagen type I C-propeptide, believed to mainly reflect collagen synthesis, and procollagen type IV C-propeptide and collagen type VI, two presumptive markers of collagen degradation. Determinations were performed in 15 healthy control subjects, 69 patients with various stages of infection with Schistosoma mansoni/Schistosoma haematobium (28 with an early active infection and no organ involvement, 27 with hepatosplenic involvement and 14 with complications of portal hypertension) and 16 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. In addition, liver biopsy specimens were obtained from 30 schistosomal patients (18 with hepatosplenic involvement and 12 with complications of portal hypertension for histopathological grading and collagen histochemistry. Procollagen type III N-propeptide was significantly elevated in the three patient groups with schistosomiasis when compared with controls (p less than 0.01). Also, patients with higher histological grading showed significantly higher procollagen type III N-propeptide values (p less than 0.05). In alcoholic patients, procollagen type III N-propeptide was even higher and increased parallel to the severity of the disease, determined by using a combined clinical and laboratory index. Procollagen type I C-propeptide was only elevated in early infection (p less than 0.05) and steadily decreased with disease progression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Intestinal helminthic and protozoal infections and urinary schistosomiasis in Egyptian children.

To extend information on the current distribution and frequency of parasitic infections in Egypt, one stool and one urine specimen from 2945 children, aged 6 to 12 years old were examined. The children were from 10 schools, one in Cairo, 2 in Giza Governorate, and 7 in the Nile delata. Frequency rates for S. mansoni by school were 0.3% in Cairo, 8-15% in Giza, and 3-79% in the delta; for S. haematobium, rates were 3% in Cairo, 25-71% in Giza, and 0-33% in the delta. Rates for strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, and trichostrongliasis were low in each location never exceeding 1%. Frequency rates for ascariasis were 3-31%, ancylostomiasis 3-8%, enterobiasis 2-22%, hymenolepiasis 4-20%, amebiasis 13-52%, and giardiasis 5-25%. F. hepatica infections (0.01%) were found in Sobtas, and an 8% H. heterophyes infection rate was found in Mataryia.