Identification and characterization of immune complexes in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with spinal cord schistosomiasis

The pathogenesis of neuroschistosomiasis is largely unknown. Available evidence suggests that it depends on the presence of parasite eggs in the nervous tissue and on the host's immune response. We investigated the presence of immune complexes (ICs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of four patients with spinal cord schistosomiasis (SCS), and performed their characterization. ICs containing soluble egg antigen of Schistosoma mansoni (SEA) were found in the CSF of all the SCS patients. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of ICs containing schistosomal antigens in the CSF of patients with SCS. Further studies are necessary to confirm our findings and investigate the possible roles of ICs in the pathogenesis of this disease. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.