Schistosoma haematobium and soil-transmitted Helminths in Tana Delta District of Kenya: infection and morbidity patterns in primary schoolchildren from two isolated villages.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomes and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) (hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides) are widely distributed in developing countries where they infect over 230 million and 1.5 billion people, respectively. The parasites are frequently co-endemic and many individuals are co-infected with two or more of the species, but information on how the parasites interact in co-infected individuals is scarce. The present study assessed Schistosoma haematobium and STH infection and morbidity patterns among school children in a hyper-endemic focus in the Tana River delta of coastal Kenya. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-two children aged 5-12 years from two primary schools were enrolled in the study. For each child, urine was examined for S. haematobium eggs and haematuria, stool was examined for STH eggs, peripheral blood was examined for eosinophilia and haemoglobin level, the urinary tract was ultrasound-examined for S. haematobium-related pathology, and the height and weight was measured and used to calculate the body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Prevalences of S. haematobium, hookworm, T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides infection were 94, 81, 88 and 46 %, respectively. There was no significant association between S. haematobium and STH infection but intensity of hookworm infection significantly increased with that of T. trichiura. Lower BMI scores were associated with high intensity of S. haematobium (difference =-0.48, p > 0.05) and A. lumbricoides (difference =-0.67, p < 0.05). Haematuria (both macro and micro) was common and associated with S. haematobium infection, while anaemia was associated with high intensity of S. haematobium (OR = 2.08, p < 0.05) and high hookworm infections OR = 4.75; p < 0.001). The majority of children had eosinophilia, which was significantly associated with high intensity of hookworm infection (OR = 5.34, p < 0.05). Overall 38 % of the children had ultrasound-detectable urinary tract morbidity, which was associated with high intensity of S. haematobium infection (OR = 3.13, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Prevalences of S. haematobium and STH infections among the primary school children were high and the parasites were responsible for significant morbidity. A clear synergistic interaction was observed between hookworm and T. trichiura infections. Increased coverage in administration of praziquantel and albendazole in the area is recommended to control morbidity due to these infections.

Posttreatment changes in cytokines induced by Schistosoma mansoni egg and worm antigens: dissociation of immunity- and morbidity-associated type 2 responses.

BACKGROUND: Human type 2 cytokine responsiveness to schistosome antigens increases after treatment; due either to removal of the immunosuppressive effects of active infection or immunological boosting by antigens released from dying parasites. We determined the responsiveness to Schistosoma mansoni over a 2-year period, when reinfection was restricted by interrupting transmission. METHODS: The proinflammatory and type 2 responses of Kenyan schoolchildren were measured before, and 1 year and 2 years posttreatment in whole blood cultures stimulated with soluble egg antigen (SEA) or soluble worm antigen (SWA). The site of S. mansoni transmission was molluscicided throughout. RESULTS: Pretreatment proinflammatory responses to SEA were high but reduced 1 and 2 years posttreatment, whereas type 2 responses were low pretreatment and increased 1 and 2 years posttreatment. Type 2 responses to SWA were high pretreatment and increased at 1 year, with no further increases at 2 years posttreatment. Children infected at follow-up had lower SEA, but not SWA, posttreatment type 2 responsiveness. Increases at 1 year in type 2 SWA, but not SEA, responsiveness correlated with pretreatment egg counts. CONCLUSIONS: Removal of immunosuppressive effects of active infection increases SEA type 2 responsiveness; long-term SWA type 2 responsiveness is due to treatment-induced immunological boosting. Dissociation of type 2 responses potentially protects against severe egg-associated immunopathology during infection, while allowing worm-antigen derived immunity to develop.

Infectious diarrhoea in antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV/AIDS patients in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhoea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. The objectives of this study were to investigate the aetiological agents, risk factors and clinical features associated with diarrhoea in HIV/AIDS patients in Kenya. METHODS: Sociodemographic, epidemiological and clinical data were obtained for 164 HIV/AIDS patients (70 with and 94 without diarrhoea) recruited from Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya. Stool samples were examined for enteric pathogens by microscopy and bacteriology. RESULTS: Intestinal protozoa and fungi were identified in 70% of patients, more frequently in those with diarrhoea (p<0.001). Helminths were detected in 25.6% of patients overall, and bacterial pathogens were identified in 51% of patients with diarrhoea. Polyparasitism was more common in patients with diarrhoea than those without (p<0.0001). Higher CD4(+) T-cell count (OR = 0.995, 95% CI 0.992-0.998) and water treatment (OR = 0.231, 95% CI 0.126-0.830) were associated with a lower risk of diarrhoea, while close contact with cows (OR = 3.200, 95% CI 1.26-8.13) or pigs (OR = 11.176, 95% CI 3.76-43.56) were associated with a higher risk of diarrhoea. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple enteric pathogens that are causative agents of diarrhoea were isolated from stools of antiretroviral therapy-naïve HIV/AIDS patients, indicating a need for surveillance, treatment and promotion of hygienic practices.

Rapidly boosted Plasma IL-5 induced by treatment of human Schistosomiasis haematobium is dependent on antigen dose, IgE and eosinophils.

BACKGROUND: IgE specific to worm antigen (SWA) and pre-treatment eosinophil number, are associated with human immunity to re-infection with schistosomes after chemotherapeutic treatment. Treatment significantly elevates circulating IL-5 24-hr post-treatment of Schistosoma mansoni. Here we investigate if praziquantel treatment of human schistosomiasis haematobium also boosts circulating IL-5, the immunological and parasitological factors that predispose to this, and the relationship between these and subsequent immunity to post-treatment re-infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: The relationship between pre-treatment SWA-IgE, eosinophil number and infection intensity and the 24-hr post-treatment IL-5 boost was investigated in a Malian cohort (aged 5-40 yrs), exposed to S. haematobium. Eotaxin levels were measured at 24-hr post-treatment as a proxy of eosinophil migration. The relationship between the 24-hr post-treatment IL-5 boost and later eosinophil numbers and SWA-IgE levels (9-wk post-treatment) was examined, then investigated in the context of subsequent levels of re-infection (2-yr post-treatment). Circulating IL-5 levels increased 24-hr post-treatment and were associated with pre-treatment infection intensity, SWA-IgE levels, eosinophil number, as well as 24-hr post-treatment eotaxin levels. 24-hr IL-5 levels were, in turn, significantly associated with eosinophil number and elevated SWA-IgE 9-wk later. These SWA-IgE levels were significantly associated with immunity to re-infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Early IL-5 production after treatment-induced exposure to S. haematobium worm antigen is positively associated with antigen dose (infection intensity), IgE availability for arming of effector cells at time of treatment and subsequent eosinophil migration response (as indicated by eotaxin levels). The IL-5 produced is positively associated with increased downstream eosinophil number and increases in specific IgE levels, implicating this cytokine boost and its down-stream consequences in the production and maintenance of IgE, and subsequent re-infection immunity.

Long term study on the effect of mollusciciding with niclosamide in stream habitats on the transmission of schistosomiasis mansoni after community-based chemotherapy in Makueni District, Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni infection is a persistent public health problem in many Kenyan communities. Although praziquantel is available, re-infection after chemotherapy treatment is inevitable, especially among children. Chemotherapy followed by intermittent mollusciciding of habitats of Biomphalaria pfeifferi, the intermediate host snail, may have longer term benefits, especially if timed to coincide with natural fluctuations in snail populations. METHODS: In this cohort study, the Kambu River (Intervention area) was molluscicided intermittently for 4 years, after mass chemotherapy with praziquantel in the adjacent community of Darajani in January 1997. The nearby Thange River was selected as a control (Non-intervention area), and its adjacent community of Ulilinzi was treated with praziquantel in December 1996. Snail numbers were recorded monthly at 9-10 sites along each river, while rainfall data were collected monthly, and annual parasitological surveys were undertaken in each village. The mollusciciding protocol was adapted to local conditions, and simplified to improve prospects for widespread application. RESULTS: After the initial reduction in prevalence attributable to chemotherapy, there was a gradual increase in the prevalence and intensity of infection in the non-intervention area, and significantly lower levels of re-infection amongst inhabitants of the intervention area. Incidence ratio between areas adjusted for age and gender at the first follow-up survey, 5 weeks after treatment in the non-intervention area and 4 months after treatment in the intervention area was not significant (few people turned positive), while during the following 4 annual surveys these ratios were 0.58 (0.39-0.85), 0.33 (0.18-0.60), 0.14 (0.09-0.21) and 0.45 (0.26-0.75), respectively. Snail numbers were consistently low in the intervention area as a result of the mollusciciding. Following termination of the mollusciciding at the end of 2000, snail populations and infections in snails increased again in the intervention area. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that in the Kenyan setting a combination of chemotherapy followed by intermittent mollusciciding can have longer term benefits than chemotherapy alone.

Aflatoxin exposure may contribute to chronic hepatomegaly in Kenyan school children.

BACKGROUND: Presentation with a firm type of chronic hepatomegaly of multifactorial etiology is common among school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE: Aflatoxin is a liver toxin and carcinogen contaminating staple maize food. In this study we examined its role in chronic hepatomegaly. METHODS: Plasma samples collected in 2002 and again in 2004 from 218 children attending two schools in neighboring villages were assayed for aflatoxin exposure using the aflatoxin-albumin adduct (AF-alb) biomarker. Data were previously examined for associations among hepatomegaly, malaria, and schistosomiasis. RESULTS: AF-alb levels were high in children from both schools, but the geometric mean (95% confidence interval) in year 2002 was significantly higher in Matangini [206.5 (175.5, 243.0) pg/mg albumin] than in Yumbuni [73.2 (61.6, 87.0) pg/mg; p < 0.001]. AF-alb levels also were higher in children with firm hepatomegaly [176.6 (129.6, 240.7) pg/mg] than in normal children [79.9 (49.6, 128.7) pg/mg; p = 0.029]. After adjusting for Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium infection, we estimated a significant 43% increase in the prevalence of hepatomegaly/hepatosplenomegaly for every natural-log-unit increase in AF-alb. In 2004, AF-alb levels were markedly higher than in 2002 [539.7 (463.3, 628.7) vs. 114.5 (99.7, 131.4) pg/mg; p < 0.001] but with no significant difference between the villages or between hepatomegaly and normal groups [539.7 (436.7, 666.9) vs. 512.6 (297.3, 883.8) pg/mg], possibly because acute exposures during an aflatoxicosis outbreak in 2004 may have masked any potential underlying relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to aflatoxin was associated with childhood chronic hepatomegaly in 2002. These preliminary data suggest an additional health risk that may be related to aflatoxin exposure in children, a hypothesis that merits further testing.

Locating irregularly shaped clusters of infection intensity.

Patterns of disease may take on irregular geographic shapes, especially when features of the physical environment influence risk. Identifying these patterns can be important for planning, and also identifying new environmental or social factors associated with high or low risk of illness. Until recently, cluster detection methods were limited in their ability to detect irregular spatial patterns, and limited to finding clusters that were roughly circular in shape. This approach has less power to detect irregularly-shaped, yet important spatial anomalies, particularly at high spatial resolutions. We employ a new method of finding irregularly-shaped spatial clusters at micro-geographical scales using both simulated and real data on Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm infection intensities. This method, which we refer to as the "greedy growth scan", is a modification of the spatial scan method for cluster detection. Real data are based on samples of hookworm and S. mansoni from Kitengei, Makueni district, Kenya. Our analysis of simulated data shows how methods able to find irregular shapes are more likely to identify clusters along rivers than methods constrained to fixed geometries. Our analysis of infection intensity identifies two small areas within the study region in which infection intensity is elevated, possibly due to local features of the physical or social environment. Collectively, our results show that the "greedy growth scan" is a suitable method for exploratory geographical analysis of infection intensity data when irregular shapes are suspected, especially at micro-geographical scales.

Health implications of chronic hepatosplenomegaly in Kenyan school-aged children chronically exposed to malarial infections and Schistosoma mansoni.

Hepatosplenomegaly among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa is highly prevalent. Two of the more common aetiological agents of hepatosplenomegaly, namely chronic exposure to malaria and Schistosoma mansoni infection, can result in similar clinical presentation, with the liver and spleen being chronically enlarged and of a firm consistency. Where co-endemic, the two parasites are thought to synergistically exacerbate hepatosplenomegaly. Here, two potential health consequences, i.e. dilation of the portal vein (indicative of increased portal pressure) and stunting of growth, were investigated in a study area where children were chronically exposed to malaria throughout while S. mansoni transmission was geographically restricted. Hepatosplenomegaly was associated with increased portal vein diameters, with enlargement of the spleen rather than the liver being more closely associated with dilation. Dilation of the portal vein was exacerbated by S. mansoni infection in an intensity-dependent manner. The prevalence of growth stunting was not associated with either relative exposure rates to malarial infection or with S. mansoni infection status but was significantly associated with hepatosplenomegaly. Children who presented with hepatosplenomegaly had the lowest height-for-age Z-scores. This study shows that hepatosplenomegaly associated with chronic exposure to malaria and schistosomiasis is not a benign symptom amongst school-aged children but has potential long-term health consequences.

Hepatosplenomegaly is associated with low regulatory and Th2 responses to schistosome antigens in childhood schistosomiasis and malaria coinfection.

Hepatosplenomegaly among Kenyan schoolchildren has been shown to be exacerbated where there is transmission of both Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium falciparum. This highly prevalent and chronic morbidity often occurs in the absence of ultrasound-detectable periportal fibrosis and may be due to immunological inflammation. For a cohort of school-age children, whole-blood cultures were stimulated with S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) or soluble worm antigen (SWA). Responses to SWA were found to be predominantly Th2 cytokines; however, they were not significantly associated with either hepatosplenomegaly or infection with S. mansoni or P. falciparum. In comparison, SEA-specific Th2 cytokine responses were low, and the levels were negatively correlated with S. mansoni infection intensities and were lower among children who were coinfected with P. falciparum. Tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in response to stimulation with SEA were high, and a negative association between presentation with hepatomegaly and the levels of the regulatory cytokines interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor beta(1) suggests that a possible mechanism for childhood hepatomegaly in areas where both malaria and schistosomiasis are endemic is poor regulation of an inflammatory response to schistosome eggs.

Hepatosplenomegaly in Kenyan schoolchildren: exacerbation by concurrent chronic exposure to malaria and Schistosoma mansoni infection.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic exposure to malaria exacerbates Schistosoma mansoni-associated hepatosplenomegaly in school-aged children. However, residual hepatosplenomegaly after treatment of S. mansoni with concurrent mollusciciding suggests malaria could be an underlying cause of hepatosplenomegaly. We investigated the role of chronic malaria in childhood hepatosplenomegaly in the presence and absence of concurrent S. mansoni infection. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of children in an study area where transmission of S. mansoni, but not malaria, is restricted to the eastern end. Clinical and ultrasound examinations were conducted, and parasitological and serological tests used to determine S. mansoni infection intensities and comparative exposure levels to malaria. RESULTS: Chronic exposure to malaria, as determined by Pfs-IgG3 levels, was associated with hepatosplenomegaly even in the absence of S. mansoni infection. Children infected with S. mansoni mostly had light to moderate infection intensities but greater enlargement of the liver and spleen than children who did not have schistosomiasis, and for the left liver lobe this was S. mansoni infection intensity dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Children chronically exposed to malaria but without S. mansoni infection can have hepatosplenomegaly, which even light S. mansoni infections can exacerbate in an intensity-dependent manner. Thus, concurrent chronic exposure to S. mansoni and Plasmodium falciparum can have an additive or synergistic effect on childhood morbidity.

Age-adjusted Plasmodium falciparum antibody levels in school-aged children are a stable marker of microgeographical variations in exposure to Plasmodium infection.

BACKGROUND: Amongst school-aged children living in malaria endemic areas, chronic morbidity and exacerbation of morbidity associated with other infections are often not coincident with the presence or levels of Plasmodium parasitaemia, but may result from long-term exposure to the parasite. Studies of hepatosplenomegaly associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection and exposure to Plasmodium infection indicate that differences that occur over 1-2 km in levels of Plasmodium transmission are related to the degree of exacerbation of hepatosplenomegaly and that Plasmodium falciparum schizont antigen (Pfs)-IgG3 levels may be a marker for the differing levels of exposure. METHODS: To investigate the validity of Pfs-IgG3 measurements as a tool to assess these comparative exposure levels on a microgeographical scale, cross-sectional community surveys were conducted over a 10 x 6 km study site in Makueni District, Kenya, during low and high malaria transmission seasons. During both high and low malaria transmission seasons, thick blood smears were examined microscopically and circulating Pfs-IgG3 levels measured from dried blood spot elute. GIS techniques were used to map prevalence of parasitaemia and Pfs-IgG3 levels. RESULTS: Microgeographical variations in prevalence of parasitaemia were observed during the high but not the low transmission season. Pfs-IgG3 levels were stable between high and low transmission seasons, but increased with age throughout childhood before reaching a plateau in adults. Adjusting Pfs-IgG3 levels of school-aged children for age prior to mapping resulted in spatial patterns that reflected the microgeographical variations observed for high season prevalence of parasitaemia, however, Pfs-IgG3 levels of adults did not. The distances over which age-adjusted Pfs-IgG3 of school-aged children fluctuated were comparable with those distances over which chronic morbidity has previous been shown to vary. CONCLUSION: Age-adjusted Pfs-IgG3 levels of school-aged children are stable and when mapped can provide a tool sensitive enough to detect microgeographical variations in malaria exposure, that would be useful for studying the aetiology of morbidities associated with long-term exposure and co-infections.

Increased human IgE induced by killing Schistosoma mansoni in vivo is associated with pretreatment Th2 cytokine responsiveness to worm antigens.

In schistosomiasis endemic areas, children are very susceptible to postchemotherapy reinfection, whereas adults are relatively resistant. Different studies have reported that schistosome-specific IL-4 and IL-5 responses, or posttreatment worm-IgE levels, correlate with subsequent low reinfection. Chemotherapy kills i.v. worms providing an in vivo Ag challenge. We measured anti-worm (soluble worm Ag (SWA) and recombinant tegumental Ag (rSm22.6)) and anti-egg (soluble egg Ag) Ab levels in 177 Ugandans (aged 7-50) in a high Schistosoma mansoni transmission area, both before and 7 wk posttreatment, and analyzed these data in relation to whole blood in vitro cytokine responses at the same time points. Soluble egg Ag-Ig levels were unaffected by treatment but worm-IgG1 and -IgG4 increased, whereas worm-IgE increased in many but not all individuals. An increase in worm-IgE was mainly seen in >15-year-olds and, unlike in children, was inversely correlated to pretreatment infection intensities, suggesting this response was associated both with resistance to pretreatment infection, as well as posttreatment reinfection. The increases in SWA-IgE and rSm22.6-IgE positively correlated with pretreatment Th2 cytokines, but not IFN-gamma, induced by SWA. These relationships remained significant after allowing for the confounding effects of pretreatment infection intensity, age, and pretreatment IgE levels, indicating a link between SWA-specific Th2 cytokine responsiveness and subsequent increases in worm-IgE. An exceptionally strong relationship between IL-5 and posttreatment worm-IgE levels in < 15-year-olds suggested that the failure of younger children to respond to in vivo Ag stimulation with increased levels of IgE, is related to their lack of pretreatment SWA Th2 cytokine responsiveness.

Eosinophil activity in Schistosoma mansoni infections in vivo and in vitro in relation to plasma cytokine profile pre- and posttreatment with praziquantel.

Eosinophil activity in vivo and in vitro was studied in relation to infection intensities and plasma cytokine profiles of 51 Schistosoma mansoni-infected Ugandan fishermen before treatment and 24 h and 3 weeks posttreatment. Blood eosinophil numbers significantly declined 24 h posttreatment, but significant eosinophilia had developed by 3 weeks posttreatment. Cellular eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) content increased significantly during the transient eosinopenia but was significantly reduced 3 weeks later. No similar reduction in cellular eosinophil protein X (EPX) content was seen. Before treatment, S. mansoni infection intensity was positively correlated with 24-h boosts in plasma interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IL-6 levels, which were in turn negatively correlated with the posttreatment fall in eosinophil numbers. Significant correlations were observed between pretreatment infection intensities and plasma IL-10 and eotaxin levels. Treatment induced significant fluctuations in plasma IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and eotaxin levels. Optimal relative release of ECP and EPX in vitro was detected in S. mansoni soluble egg antigen-stimulated cultures during transient eosinopenia. Our data suggest that blood eosinophils are activated during S. mansoni infection and that treatment induces a burst in released antigens, causing increased production of IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and eotaxin; a drop in TNF-alpha levels; and a transient sequestration of eosinophils, which leaves fewer degranulated eosinophils in the circulation 24 h posttreatment, followed by the development of eosinophilia 3 weeks later. During these events, it appears that preferential release of ECP occurs in vivo. Moreover, it is possible that infection intensity-dependent levels of plasma IL-10 may be involved in the prevention of treatment-induced anaphylactic reactions.

Applied and basic research on the epidemiology, morbidity, and immunology of schistosomiasis in fishing communities on Lake Albert, Uganda.

We report multidisciplinary studies on schistosomiasis which have been ongoing in the fishing communities of Piida, Booma, Bugoigo and Walakuba, on Lake Albert, Uganda, since 1996. Schistosomiasis is the major health problem in this area, with high infection intensities and prevalence. In addition to generating basic data on the epidemiology, morbidity and immunology of human schistosomiasis, this research programme is providing important descriptive and methodological information, and has contributed to the increase in operational capacity within Uganda in recent years. Such information and operational capacity are needed to facilitate much needed schistosomiasis control programmes, such as the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative that was launched in Uganda in 2003.

Regression of hepatosplenomegaly in Kenyan school-aged children after praziquantel treatment and three years of greatly reduced exposure to Schistosoma mansoni.

Evaluating regression of morbidity associated with parasitic infections is an important component of community-based control programmes. We performed an intervention against Schistosoma mansoni infection, focusing on hepatosplenomegaly in the absence of periportal fibrosis, in a cohort of 67 Kenyan children aged 7-18 years from Makueni District, selected on the basis of hepatosplenomegaly detected by ultrasonography. Clinical and ultrasound examinations were conducted annually for three years after treatment, and the source of infection (a river) was regularly treated with molluscicide, thereby severely reducing exposure to schistosomiasis. Malaria transmission was uninterrupted. The prevalence of hard spleens, and the magnitude of clinically assessed splenomegaly along the mid-axillary and mid-clavicular lines decreased monotonically over time, independently of age, whereas clinically measured hepatomegaly along the mid-sternal line and the prevalence of firm livers decreased in an age-specific manner, being more pronounced amongst children aged 14 years or older at enrolment. Ultrasound data were less informative, and did not concur with clinical observations. These results demonstrate that praziquantel treatment reduces hepatosplenomegaly in the absence of exposure to S. mansoni, even with continuing exposure to malaria. The lack of complete resolution of hepatosplenomegaly in most children suggests, among other things, a residual organomegaly attributable to malaria.

Exposure to malaria affects the regression of hepatosplenomegaly after treatment for Schistosoma mansoni infection in Kenyan children.

BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni and malaria infections are often endemic in the same communities in sub-Saharan Africa, and both have pathological effects on the liver and the spleen. Hepatosplenomegaly associated with S. mansoni is exacerbated in children with relatively high exposure to malaria. Treatment with praziquantel reduces the degree of hepatosplenomegaly, but the condition does not completely resolve in some cases. The present analysis focused on the possibility that exposure to malaria infection may have limited the resolution of hepatosplenomegaly in a cohort of Kenyan schoolchildren. METHODS: Ninety-six children aged 6-16, from one community in Makueni district, Kenya, were treated with praziquantel. At baseline, all children had hepatomegaly and most had splenomegaly. The source of S. mansoni infection, a river, was molluscicided regularly over the following three years to limit S. mansoni re-infection, whereas malaria exposure was uninterrupted. Hepatic and splenic enlargement was assessed annually outside the malaria transmission season. RESULTS: Children living in an area of relatively high exposure to both infections presented with the largest spleens before treatment and at each follow-up. Spleens of firm consistency were associated with proximity to the river. The regression of hepatomegaly was also affected by location, being minimal in an area with relatively low S. mansoni exposure but high exposure to malaria, and maximal in an area with relatively low exposure to both infections. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of treating cases of hepatosplenomegaly with praziquantel in this cohort of Kenyan children depended strongly on their level of exposure to malaria infection. Furthermore, a residual burden of hepatosplenic morbidity was observed, which was possibly attributable to the level of exposure to malaria. The results suggest that exposure to malaria infection may be a significant factor affecting the outcome of praziquantel treatment to reduce the level of hepatosplenic morbidity.

Increases in human T helper 2 cytokine responses to Schistosoma mansoni worm and worm-tegument antigens are induced by treatment with praziquantel.

Levels of Schistosoma mansoni-induced interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 and posttreatment levels of immunoglobulin E recognizing the parasite's tegument (Teg) correlate with human resistance to subsequent reinfection after treatment. We measured changes in whole-blood cytokine production in response to soluble egg antigen (SEA), soluble worm antigen (SWA), or Teg after treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) in a cohort of 187 individuals living near Lake Albert, Uganda. Levels of SWA-induced IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 increased after treatment with PZQ, and the greatest relative increases were seen in the responses to Teg. Mean levels of Teg-specific IL-5 and IL-10 increased ~10-15-fold, and mean levels of IL-13 increased ~5-fold. Correlations between the changes in cytokines suggested that their production was positively coregulated by tegumentally derived antigens. Levels of SEA-, SWA-, and Teg-induced interferon- gamma were not significantly changed by treatment, and, with the exception of IL-10, which increased slightly, responses to SEA also remained largely unchanged. The changes in cytokines were not strongly influenced by age or intensity of infection and were not accompanied by corresponding increases in the numbers of circulating eosinophils or lymphocytes.

Chemotherapy for schistosomiasis in Ugandan fishermen: treatment can cause a rapid increase in interleukin-5 levels in plasma but decreased levels of eosinophilia and worm-specific immunoglobulin E.

Chemotherapy for blood-dwelling schistosomes kills the worms and exposes parasite antigen to the circulation. In many people from areas of endemicity, this treatment increases parasite-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and other Th2 responses in the months following therapy, responses that have been associated with subsequent resistance to reinfection. Here we investigate much earlier changes in immune reactions after praziquantel therapy in Schistosoma mansoni-infected fishermen working in an area of high transmission in Uganda. The subjects gave blood before treatment and at 1 and 21 days posttreatment. Blood cultures were incubated with schistosome soluble worm antigen (SWA) or soluble egg antigen (SEA). Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, gamma interferon, and transforming growth factor beta levels were measured in the cultures and in plasma. A marked transient increase in plasma IL-5 levels was observed in 75% of the subjects (n = 48) by 1 day posttreatment. This response was dependent on pretreatment intensity of infection and was accompanied by a transient decrease in eosinophil numbers. One day posttreatment, blood cultures from the 16 subjects with the greatest increase in plasma IL-5 level (>100 pg/ml) displayed reduced IL-5, IL-13, and IL-10 responses to SWA, and in contrast to the rest of the cohort, these high-IL-5 subjects displayed reduced levels of SWA-specific IgE in plasma 21 days posttreatment. Twenty months after treatment, the intensity of reinfection was positively correlated with the increase in plasma IL-5 level seen 1 day posttreatment. These studies describe the heterogeneity in early immune reactions to treatment, identifying subgroups who have different patterns of reaction and who may have different capacities to mount the responses that have been associated with resistance to reinfection.

Micro-geographical variation in exposure to Schistosoma mansoni and malaria, and exacerbation of splenomegaly in Kenyan school-aged children.

BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium falciparum are common infections of school aged children in Kenya. They both cause enlargement of the spleen, but their relative contribution to the condition of splenomegaly remains unknown in areas where both infections are endemic. Here, we have investigated whether relatively high exposure to both infections has a clinically measurable effect on this condition. METHODS: 96 children aged 6-16 years living along a ten kilometre stretch and within 4 km south of a river that is a source of both S. mansoni and malaria infections were examined clinically for splenomegaly along the mid clavicular line (MCL) and mid axillary line (MAL). The survey was conducted outside the malaria transmission season. The consistency of the organ was recorded as soft, firm or hard. Mapping of the locations of houses and the course of the river was undertaken. Egg counts were mapped at the household level, as were IgG3 responses to Plasmodium falciparum schizont antigen (anti-Pfs IgG3), in order to identify areas with relatively high exposure to both infections, either infection or neither infection. ANOVA was used to test for differences in egg counts, IgG3 levels and the magnitude of spleen enlargement between these areas. RESULTS: 4 contiguous sectors were identified, one where anti-Pfs IgG3 responses and S. mansoni egg counts were both high, one where only anti-Pfs IgG3 responses were high, one where only egg counts were high, and one where both anti-Pfs IgG3 responses and egg counts were low. Spleen MAL and MCL values were significantly higher amongst children from the sector with highest IgG3 levels and highest egg counts but similar amongst children from elsewhere. Both egg counts and anti-Pfs IgG3 responses were significantly higher in children with MAL values > or =4 cm. Hardening of spleens was associated with proximity of domicile to the river. CONCLUSIONS: Micro-geographical variation in exposure to S. mansoni and malaria infections can be exploited to investigate the chronic impact of these two infections. These results provide firm evidence that relatively high exposure to both infections exacerbates splenomegaly even outside the malaria transmission season. Major implications include assessing the burden of infection in school age-children.

Detailed clinical and ultrasound examination of children and adolescents in a Schistosoma mansoni endemic area in Kenya: hepatosplenic disease in the absence of portal fibrosis.

Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis involving organomegaly, portal fibrosis and portal hypertension has been observed in autopsy studies. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that hepatosplenic disease including organomegaly and markers of increased portal pressure can occur in school aged children in the absence of fibrosis. A case-only study of 96 children aged 7-20 years defined by ultrasound detectable hepatomegaly was undertaken in Makueni district, Kenya. A novel method of clinical examination that involved a consensus scoring by three or four examiners was used to classify children as presenting with severe or moderate hepatosplenic disease after palpation of livers and spleens. Ultrasound examination of livers and spleens was based on the Niamey protocol. Clinical measurements included spleen enlargement along the mid-clavicular and mid-axillary lines, liver enlargement along the mid-sternal (MSL) and mid-clavicular lines, as well as organ consistency. The clinical examination indicated that 9% and 60% of the children had severe or moderate hepatosplenomegaly, respectively. Amongst egg-positive children, all clinical measurements, except MSL liver enlargement, correlated with egg count, as did portal vein diameter, spleen length and liver length measured by ultrasound. Peri-portal fibrosis was not observed in any child, whereas 28% of the children were classified as having increased portal pressure according to World Health Organization criteria. There was no effect of malaria parasitaemia or hepatitis seropositvity on any of the observed parameters. These results indicate that hepatosplenic disease in school-aged children attributable to S. mansoni infection, involving hepatosplenomegaly and increased portal vein diameter, can occur in the absence of peri-portal fibrosis.