Interaction Between the Neglected Tropical Disease Human Schistosomiasis and HCV Infection in Egypt: a Puzzling Relationship
نویسنده
چکیده
Egypt has the highest prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and seropositivity worldwide, and it has been proposed that this enhanced susceptibility to HCV is related to coinfection with schistosomiasis. Although currently, there are no studies regarding the actual prevalence of both human schistosomiasis and schistosomiasis/HCV coinfection evidences strongly support that eliminating human schistosomiasis from Egypt is necessary to reduce both HCV prevalence and liver pathology. The present review highlights the significant impact of the neglected tropical disease human schistosomiasis on both susceptibility of Egyptians to HCV coinfection, severity of the resulting liver pathology, and poor response to antiviral therapy. The immune evasion mechanisms exerted by the HCV-NS3/4A protease domain, and the possible impact of immune evasion mechanisms exerted by proteases of larval, worm and egg stages of the parasite Schistosoma on human susceptibility to HCV infection are discussed. In addition, schistosome immune evasion mechanisms may include immunosuppression that in turn prevents clearance of HCV viremia and leads to relapsing HCV infection and severe liver pathology. I propose the generation of a replicon system from the most prevailing genotype (HCV-4a) in Egypt and establishing its replication on hepatoplastoma or immune cells in presence of bilharzial antigens. Finally, the use of a humanized small animal model that can acquire both HCV and S. mansoni infections will be important to further understand in real time the impact of coinfection on both the immune system and liver pathology.
منابع مشابه
Role of hepatitis C infection in chronic liver disease in Egypt.
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Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become the most important public health problem in Egypt. In Egypt, viral hepatitis along with infection with Schistosoma mansoni is the major cause of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis. Although HCV infection is highly prevalent in Egypt, very little information is available on the distribution of the different genotypes of HCV. Our aims in th...
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Hepatitis C is caused by a virus (HCV) and is transmitted by infected blood. It has no epidemiological relationship with schistosomiasis, which is a parasitic disease that is widespread in Egypt. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Egypt tried to control a schistosomiasis epidemic with a program of mass injections of tartar emetic. Largely because of poor sterilization techniques, this program spread ...
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عنوان ژورنال:
دوره 2 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2014