Pseudotumoral presentation of chronic pulmonary schistosomiasis without pulmonary hypertension.

Schistosomiasis is a disease that, in Brazil, is caused by Schistosoma mansoni and is transmitted by snails of the genus Biomphalaria. This species occurs in Africa, the Antilles and South America. The parasite, developing to the adult stage in the vascular system of the host, migrates to the mesenteric veins. Each female lays approximately 400 eggs per day, and these travel from the submucosa to the intestinal lumen. There have been reported cases in which S. mansoni eggs were identified in the lungs of patients with no evidence of liver fibrosis. We report a case with this atypical presentation of the disease. The patient presented nonpleuritic chest pain, significant weight loss and dry cough. A CT scan revealed an irregular tumor in the left lower lobe. However, a lung biopsy revealed non-viable S. mansoni eggs. The patient presented no clinical signs of pulmonary or portal hypertension; nor was either identified through diagnostic tests.

Forma pseudoneoplásica de esquistossomose pulmonar crônica sem hipertensão pulmonar / Pseudotumoral presentation of chronic pulmonary schistosomiasis without pulmonary hypertension

A esquistossomose é uma doença que, no Brasil, é causada pelo Schistosoma mansoni e transmitida através da água por moluscos do gênero Biomphalaria. Essa espécie ocorre na África, nas Antilhas e na América do Sul. O parasita, ao atingir a fase adulta de seu ciclo biológico no sistema vascular do homem, alcança as veias mesentéricas. Cada fêmea põe cerca de 400 ovos por dia, e estes, a partir da submucosa, chegam à luz intestinal. Há relatos de casos a respeito de ovos de S. mansoni nos pulmões de pacientes sem evidência de fibrose hepática. Relatamos um caso dessa forma atípica de apresentação da doença. O paciente apresentava dor torácica não-ventilatóriodependente, perda ponderal significativa e tosse seca. A TC de tórax mostrou uma tumoração irregular no lobo inferior esquerdo, mas somente a biópsia pulmonar evidenciou ovos de S. mansoni degenerados. O paciente não apresentava sinais clínicos de hipertensão pulmonar ou portal, as quais tampouco foram diagnosticadas através de exames.

Schistosomiasis is a disease that, in Brazil, is caused by Schistosoma mansoni and is transmitted by snails of the genus Biomphalaria. This species occurs in Africa, the Antilles and South America. The parasite, developing to the adult stage in the vascular system of the host, migrates to the mesenteric veins. Each female lays approximately 400 eggs per day, and these travel from the submucosa to the intestinal lumen. There have been reported cases in which S. mansoni eggs were identified in the lungs of patients with no evidence of liver fibrosis. We report a case with this atypical presentation of the disease. The patient presented nonpleuritic chest pain, significant weight loss and dry cough. A CT scan revealed an irregular tumor in the left lower lobe. However, a lung biopsy revealed non-viable S. mansoni eggs. The patient presented no clinical signs of pulmonary or portal hypertension; nor was either identified through diagnostic tests.

Interleukin-13 fusion cytotoxin arrests Schistosoma mansoni egg-induced pulmonary granuloma formation in mice.

Schistosoma mansoni egg-induced lung pathology requires the actions of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. Because receptors for IL-4 and IL-13 share chains, we examined the effect of a fusion protein comprised of IL-13 and Pseudomonas exotoxin (IL13-PE) on the development of pulmonary granulomas in mice. At day 8 after an intravenous injection of live S. mansoni eggs, whole lung samples from IL13-PE-treated mice exhibited significantly lower IL-4 and IL-13 gene expression, smaller granulomas, decreased collagen levels, and increased IL-13 receptor alpha2 gene expression compared to controls. The therapeutic effects of IL13-PE were also observed at day 16 despite the termination of IL13-PE treatment at day 8. These studies demonstrate that targeting IL-4- and IL-13- responsive cells with IL13-PE effectively arrests S. mansoni egg granuloma formation.