Suppression of granuloma formation around Schistosoma mansoni eggs in severe protein malnutrition: the role of the egg.

The role of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in producing suppressed granulomatous response in severe protein malnutrition was studied in mice by the von Lichtenberg technique. Granulomatous response to eggs recovered from infected mice fed on 4% protein diet for four weeks was compared with the response to eggs that were recovered from mice fed on standard control (20% protein) diet in both unsensitized and sensitized normal mice. Granulomatous response to the former was significantly smaller (p less than .01) in unsensitized mice than to the latter. This suggests that the eggs might have responded to the "milieu interne" altered by malnutrition, in a way that its granuloma-inducing capacity differed from what it would be in well nourished mice. It was concluded that suppression of host cellular immunity may not be the only factor that explains suppression of granulomatous response to S. mansoni egg in severe protein malnutrition.