Evaluation of auto-antibody to DNA and soluble immune complexes in children with urinary schistosomiasis

Abstract

Levels of serum auto antibody to DNA and soluble immune complex (SIC) were determined in the sera of 40 Nigerian school children with heavy urinary schistosomiasis (USS), 64 school children with light USS and 36 apparently healthy children as controls. Haemagglutination and polyethylene glycol precipitation (PEG) techniques were employed respectively. 75% of USS subjects with heavy infection, 59% of USS subjects with light infection, and 8% of apparently healthy controls had auto antibodies to DNA in the scrum samples. Moreso, the mean concentrations of auto-antibodies to DNA and SIC were significantly higher in USS subjects with heavy infection compared with USS subjects with light infection or the controls. Significant correlation existed between severity of S. haematobium infection (S. haematobium egg numbers/10ml urine) and SIC (r=0.21, t=2.16) or auto-anti DNA antibodies (r=0.43, t=3.86). It could be concluded that SIC and anti-DNA antibodies arc induced by antigens from eggs of S. haematobium and that both SIC and anti-DNA antibodies may be involved in the pathology of USS.