Eosinophil granule proteins ECP and EPX as markers for a potential early-stage inflammatory lesion in female genital schistosomiasis (FGS).

Genital granulomas induced by Schistosoma haematobium eggs can manifest as different lesion types visible by colposcopy; rubbery papules (RP), homogenous sandy patches (HSP) and grainy sandy patches (GSP). Pronounced tissue eosinophilia is a candidate marker for active S. haematobium pathology, as v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Main Authors: Charles Emile Ramarokoto, Anna Overgaard Kildemoes, Bodo Sahondra Randrianasolo, Pascaline Ravoniarimbinina, Vololomboahangy Elisabeth Ravaoalimalala, Peter Leutscher, Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland, Birgitte Jyding Vennervald
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014
Subjects:
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002974
https://doaj.org/article/eaff4bbfad0243708b323875cab4b26c
Description
Summary:Genital granulomas induced by Schistosoma haematobium eggs can manifest as different lesion types visible by colposcopy; rubbery papules (RP), homogenous sandy patches (HSP) and grainy sandy patches (GSP). Pronounced tissue eosinophilia is a candidate marker for active S. haematobium pathology, as viable schistosome egg granulomas often are eosinophil rich. Here it was investigated whether eosinophil granule proteins ECP (eosinophil cationic protein) and EPX (eosinophil protein-X) in urine and genital lavage can be used as markers for active FGS lesions.Uro-genital samples from 118 Malagasy women were analysed for ECP and EPX by standard sandwich avidin/biotin amplified ELISA.The women with RP lesions had significantly higher levels of ECP and EPX in both lavage and urine. Furthermore, women with RP lesions were significantly younger than those with GSP. This could indicate that RP lesions might be more recently established and thus represent an earlier inflammatory lesion stage.ECP in genital lavage might be a future tool aiding the identification of FGS pathology at a stage where reversibility remains a possibility following praziquantel treatment.

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