Abstract. Ninety-eight Schistosoma mansoni-infected children from an endemic area in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt were evaluated by abdominal ultrasonography to determine liver and spleen sizes, grade of periportal fibrosis, ands splenic vein diameter. Circulating antigen levels were measured using a double sandwich ELISA in which the sensitivity was 91.8% and specificity was Ͼ 99%, with no evidence of cross-reactivity with other parasites. No significant relationship was observed between antigen level and clinical stages of the disease as assessed by physical examination (P Ͼ 0.05). When ultrasound was used to stage disease, the mean antigen level was significantly higher among hepatosplenic cases than intestinal cases (P Ͻ 0.05). No difference in mean antigen levels were found between the splenic and hepatic cases. Furthermore, a direct correlation (P Ͻ 0.01) was observed between antigen level and disease severity as monitored by ultrasonography. Antigen level showed a positive correlation with the degree of periportal fibrosis (P Ͻ 0.05). Moreover, a significant increase in the percent of children who were antigen positive (Ͼ 80 ng/ml) was found in those with more severe periportal fibrosis (P Ͻ 0.001). The findings suggest that ultrasonography along with measurement of circulating antigen levels predict morbidity in schistosomiasis mansoni.

Some reports have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy could ameliorate chemicallyinduced hepatic fibrosis. This research assesses the therapeutic action of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on chronic diseased liver in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice. All infected female mice divided into three groups, one group (15 mice) treated with oral praziquantel (PZQ), second group (15 mice) received intravenous injection of BM-MSCs and third group (15 mice) treated with both MSCs ? PZQ. Two control groups (15 mice each) subdivided into one infected and second healthy one. BM-MSCs were obtained from bones of both femur and tibia of male mice (30 mice), then cultured and characterized morphologically by detection of CD105 by flow cytometer. Liver tissues for all groups were examined histopathologically. Measuring of the collagen 1 gene expression was done by real-time PCR and immunohistochemical study to detect stem cells differentiation for detection of MSCs engraftments in liver tissue. MSCs treatment caused marked improvement and regression of fibrosis, and prevents deposition of collagen and reduced the expression of collagen 1 gene in infected mice on their liver tissues, especially when used with PZQ in mice treatment. It can be concluded that, MSCs is a good therapeutic method for liver fibrosis caused by S. mansoni infection.

Hepatic affection by granulomatous inflammation in schistosomiasis suggested that a potential anti-pathology vaccine could be generated based on limiting the presence of hazardous hepatocytes induced apoptosis and caused reduction of granulomas number and size . So, this work is concerned with experimental assessment of the efficacy of different antigens (SEA, SWAP and combined SEA and SWAP) on murine liver after challenge by infection, histopathological, histochemical and molecular investigations were performed on sixty male laboratory bred Swiss Albino mice. A schedule of vaccination and challenge infection was followed and performed on 6 mice groups (each of ten); control normal (G1), control infected (G2), adjuvant received then infected (G3), SEA + adj. received then infected (G4), SWAP + adj. received then infected (G5) and SEA + SWAP + adj. received then infected (G6).Animals were euthanized 10 weeks post infection.Vaccination efficacy was assessed by histopathological, histochemical and molecular studies on murine hepatic tissues.Results showed that:The combined (SEA + SWAP) antigens were better in reducing the number and diameter of the hepatic granulomas, with more protection of the hepatocytes DNA, in addition to more decrease of hepatocytes induced apoptosis and fragmentation as demonstrated by molecular assay.

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Cryptosporidiosis is a major cause of human diarrhea worldwide in immunocompromised individuals causing severe, chronic and possibly life threatening diarrhea. Nitazoxanide (NTZ) has been approved for treatment of diarrhea in immunocompetent children and adults, but not effective in immunosuppressed individuals. The present study evaluated the effect of NTZ-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on intestinal dysplastic changes of experimental Cryptosporidium infection in immunosuppressed murine model using parasitological, histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. Fifty immunosuppressed male mice, divided into 5 groups (10 each) as following: G1: non infected control, G2: non-treated infected control, G3: infected then treated by nitazoxanide, G4: infected then treated by nitazoxanide loaded on chitosan nanoparticles, G5: infected then treated by chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs). NTZ loaded on chitosan NPs treated mice showed the highest significant reduction in oocysts shedding, a remarkable improvement in histopathological changes and the least expression of cyclin D1 marker denoting the best protection presented to intestinal dysplastic changes caused by Cryptosporidium infection of the intestine followed by treatment with NTZ then by treatment with CS NPs alone that showed some improvement in histopathological and immunohistochemical changes.