Serum osteopontin is a biomarker of severe fibrosis and portal hypertension in human and murine schistosomiasis mansoni. Issue 13 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pereira, Thiago Almeida; Syn, Wing-Kin; Pereira, Fausto E.L.; Lambertucci, José Roberto; Secor, William Evan; Diehl, Anna Mae
• Is Part Of: International journal for parasitology. Volume 46:Issue 13/14(2016)
• Page Start: 829
• Page End: 832
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Osteopontin -- Schistosomiasis mansoni -- Liver fibrosis -- Portal hypertension -- Biomarker; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitologie -- Périodiques; Parasitology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 571.999
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.08.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7519

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Osteopontin distinguishes severe from mild schistosomiasis in mice and humans. Osteopontin is a novel morbidity biomarker in human and murine schistosomiasis. Failure to modulate osteopontin expression may contribute to severe fibrosis. Abstract: Schistosomiasis is a major cause of fibrosis and portal hypertension. The reason 4–10% of infected subjects develops hepatosplenic schistosomiasis remains unclear. Chronically infected male CBA/J mice reproduce the dichotomic forms of human schistosomiasis. Most mice (80%) develop moderate splenomegaly syndrome (similar to hepatointestinal disease in humans) and 20% present severe hypersplenomegaly syndrome (analogous to human hepatosplenic disease). We demonstrated that the profibrogenic molecule osteopontin discriminates between mice with severe and mild disease and could be a novel morbidity biomarker in murine and human schistosomiasis. Failure to downregulate osteopontin during the chronic phase may explain why hepatosplenic subjects develop severe fibrosis.