Abstract:Introduction
Schistosoma
lives as a parasite in the portal vein causing intestinal lesions. It also lives in the liver, spleen, and the vein of the urinary bladder causing lesions in the urinary system. Angola is an endemic area of
Schistosoma haematobium
, which causes lesions in the urinary system, including the urinary bladder. In this study, we aimed to identify and classify the parasites that were collected from four patients from Angola, who currentl… Show more
“…Acute schistosomiasis, also known as Katayama fever, presents a range of symptoms, including fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and malaise [ 5 , 6 ]. In chronic schistosomiasis, mature schistosomes produce many eggs, leading to immunopathological reactions and chronic inflammatory lesions [ 7 ]. Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum reside in the mesenteric veins and cause intestinal disease; S. haematobium resides in the pelvic venous plexus and is involved in lesions of the bladder wall [ 8 , 9 ].…”
Background
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a devastating parasitic disease. This progressive and debilitating helminth disease is often associated with poverty and can lead to chronic poor health. Despite ongoing research, there is currently no effective vaccine for schistosomiasis, and praziquantel remains the only available treatment option. According to the progression of schistosomiasis, infections caused by schistosomes are classified into three distinct clinical phases: acute, chronic and advanced schistosomiasis. However, the underlying immune mechanism involved in the progression of schistosomiasis remains poorly understood.
Methods
We employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile the immune landscape of Schistosomiasis japonica infection based on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy control group (n = 4), chronic schistosomiasis group (n = 4) and advanced schistosomiasis group (n = 2).
Results
Of 89,896 cells, 24 major cell clusters were ultimately included in our analysis. Neutrophils and NK/T cells accounted for the major proportion in the chronic group and the healthy group, and monocytes dominated in the advanced group. A preliminary study showed that NKT cells were increased in patients with schistosomiasis and that CXCR2 + NKT cells were proinflammatory cells. Plasma cells also accounted for a large proportion of B cells in the advanced group. MHC molecules in monocytes were notably lower in the advanced group than in the chronic group or the healthy control group. However, monocytes in the advanced group exhibited high expression of FOLR3 and CCR2.
Conclusions
Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the immune mechanisms involved in schistosomiasis. It provides a transcriptional atlas of peripheral immune cells that may contribute to elimination of the disease. This preliminary study suggests that the increased presence of CCR2 + monocyte and CXCR2 + NKT cells might participate in the progression of schistosomiasis.
Graphical Abstract
“…Acute schistosomiasis, also known as Katayama fever, presents a range of symptoms, including fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and malaise [ 5 , 6 ]. In chronic schistosomiasis, mature schistosomes produce many eggs, leading to immunopathological reactions and chronic inflammatory lesions [ 7 ]. Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum reside in the mesenteric veins and cause intestinal disease; S. haematobium resides in the pelvic venous plexus and is involved in lesions of the bladder wall [ 8 , 9 ].…”
Background
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a devastating parasitic disease. This progressive and debilitating helminth disease is often associated with poverty and can lead to chronic poor health. Despite ongoing research, there is currently no effective vaccine for schistosomiasis, and praziquantel remains the only available treatment option. According to the progression of schistosomiasis, infections caused by schistosomes are classified into three distinct clinical phases: acute, chronic and advanced schistosomiasis. However, the underlying immune mechanism involved in the progression of schistosomiasis remains poorly understood.
Methods
We employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile the immune landscape of Schistosomiasis japonica infection based on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy control group (n = 4), chronic schistosomiasis group (n = 4) and advanced schistosomiasis group (n = 2).
Results
Of 89,896 cells, 24 major cell clusters were ultimately included in our analysis. Neutrophils and NK/T cells accounted for the major proportion in the chronic group and the healthy group, and monocytes dominated in the advanced group. A preliminary study showed that NKT cells were increased in patients with schistosomiasis and that CXCR2 + NKT cells were proinflammatory cells. Plasma cells also accounted for a large proportion of B cells in the advanced group. MHC molecules in monocytes were notably lower in the advanced group than in the chronic group or the healthy control group. However, monocytes in the advanced group exhibited high expression of FOLR3 and CCR2.
Conclusions
Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the immune mechanisms involved in schistosomiasis. It provides a transcriptional atlas of peripheral immune cells that may contribute to elimination of the disease. This preliminary study suggests that the increased presence of CCR2 + monocyte and CXCR2 + NKT cells might participate in the progression of schistosomiasis.
Graphical Abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.