Proteomic changes at 8 weeks after infection are associated with chronic liver pathology in experimental schistosomiasis.

Chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection can present as a moderate or severe disease, termed intestinal or hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, respectively. Similarly, either moderate splenomegaly or hypersplenomegaly syndrome develops in CBA/J mice by 20weeks of infection and is similar to intestinal or hepatosplenic schistosomiasis respectively. Using this mouse model and two-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis, the liver proteomic signatures of uninfected mice and mice infected for 6, 8, 12, or 20weeks were compared, and significant protein spots identified using mass spectrometry. We found the greatest number of changes at 12weeks suggesting that this period represents the peak time of change. Pathway analysis identified specific proteins and pathways that correlated to the pathological changes indicative of severe disease, and these pathways were involved as early as 8weeks after infection. These findings provide insight into the development of severe liver pathology in schistosomiasis and may aid in developing biomarkers for hepatosplenic schistosomiasis.