Cytogenetic study of the effect of Schistosoma mansoni infection on human peripheral blood lymphocytes and the role of β-carotene and vitamin E in modulating this effect

This study has been made to determine the potential genotoxicity of Schistosoma mansoni on lymphocytes of infected patients using different mutagenic end points. The protective role of antioxidants pro vitamin β-carotene and vitamin E in minimizing these genotoxic effect was also studied. The study focused on the effect of schistosomiasis on the induction of sister chromatid exchange (SCEs) and other chromosomal aberrations. This work was conducted on 24 Schistosoma mansoni infected patients and 10 healthy adults as a control group. Lymphocytes from peripheral blood of patients and control group were used for culture and subsequent cytogenetic studies. The results indicated that schistosomiasis was genotoxic in all examined tests. It induced a significant increase in the percentage of structural chromosomal aberrations and the frequency of SCEs. It also inhibited cell division and caused cell cycle delay. Lymphocyte cultures of S. mansoni patients treated with 10 μg/ml β-carotene or 20 mg/ml vitamin E showed a significant decrease in the percentage of structural chromosomal aberrations and the frequency of SCEs. Schistosomiasis has a genotoxic effect on peripheral blood lymphocytes. The use of the antioxidants β-carotene and vitamin E can be considered a promising approach not only toward inhibiting the genetic damage of schistosomiasis but also as prophylactic agents against infection with S mansoni. Furthermore, higher doses of antioxidant drugs, β-carotene and vitamin E, should be tried as an adjuvants to conventional therapy in a trial to improve treatment of schistosomiasis.