Differential regulation of granuloma size and hepatic fibrosis in schistosome infections

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 92(5), September/October 1997, pp. 689-692 Differential regulation of granuloma size and hepatic fibrosis in schistosome infections Allen W Cheever Code Number:OC97129 Sizes of Files: Text: 13.4K Graphics: Tables (jpg) - 80.9K Line drawing (jpg) - 21.8K Granuloma size is the variable most frequently used to evaluate the immunopathogenesis of schistosome infections. However, hepatic fibrosis is at the least an equally relevant variable. Hepatic fibrosis and the size of circumoval granulomas are frequently dissociated in experimental murine Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum infections. Virtually nothing is known of the immunoregulation of schistosomal hepatic fibrosis. This review notes many of the studies which have found discrepancies in granuloma volume and hepatic fibrosis, attempts to put them in perspective and to evaluate different methods of calculating changes in collagen synthesis or content. Key words: schistosomiasis - granulomatous inflammation - fibrosis Copyright 1997 Fundacao Oswaldo Cru