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. 2023 Jan-Jun;13(1):40-45.
doi: 10.4103/tp.tp_46_22. Epub 2023 May 19.

Proposed morbidity markers among Schistosoma mansoni patients

Amel Youssef Shehab  1 , Amal Farahat Allam  1 , Awad Abd El Kader Saad  1 , Mervat Mostafa Osman  1 , Heba Said Ibrahim  1 , Esraa Abdelhamid Moneer  2 , Mona Mohamed Tolba  1
Affiliations

Proposed morbidity markers among Schistosoma mansoni patients

Amel Youssef Shehab et al. Trop Parasitol. 2023 Jan-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Fecal calprotectin (FC) and fecal occult blood (FOB) were suggested as potential inflammatory markers for assessing intestinal schistosomiasis morbidity that are conventionally detected through invasive methods.

Aim and objectives: The present work aimed to evaluate FC and FOB as morbidity markers of Schistosoma mansoni infection before and after praziquantel treatment.

Materials and methods: A total of 205 stool samples (117 schoolchildren and 88 adults) were collected and examined by Kato Katz. A questionnaire enquiring about diarrhea, history of blood in stool, and abdominal pain was designed and applied.

Results: S. mansoni prevalence rates were 20.5% and 11.36% among children and adults, respectively; the majority of cases had light infection intensity. FC and FOB were studied among 25 cured S. mansoni cases (17 children and 8 adults) pre and one-month post treatment. Before treatment, six and four children of moderate and high S. mansoni infection intensity tested positive for FC and FOB, respectively, all turning negative after treatment. FC showed borderline statistical significance before and after treatment among children. However, all adults tested negative for FC and FOB.

Conclusion: FC and FOB could be possibly used as morbidity monitoring tools for S. mansoni infection in children with moderate and high infection intensity.

Keywords: Fecal calprotectin; Schistosoma mansoni; fecal occult blood; morbidity markers; praziquantel.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A map of Kafr El-Sheikh governorate showing Motobus village
Figure 2
Figure 2
A photo of Schistosoma mansoni ova (×400)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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