The role of porto-systemic shunts in the specific humoral immune response in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis.

The present study was devoted to elucidate the role of collaterals (porto-systemic shunts) in the specific humoral immune response to schistosomal soluble egg antigen (SEA) in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis (SHF). Twenty five patients with SHF with collaterals, ten patients with SHF without collaterals and twenty healthy control subjects constituted the material of this study. In vivo and in vitro tests for humoral immunity to SEA included serum immunoglobulins estimation, immediate intradermal test, indirect haemagglutination test and determination of B lymphocytes count in peripheral blood. Significant differences have been observed between cases without collaterals and those with collaterals; and in the latter group before and after decongestion. These results tend to consolidate the view of the role of collaterals in schistosomal antigenemia and subsequent humoral immune response.