BACKGROUND: To investigate TNF-alpha levels released by monocyte culture in bearers of human hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni. METHODS: In this study we randomly included 39 volunteers with ages from 15 to 31 years, 19 men and 20 women, divided into three groups. Control Group 1 (CG) 12 healthy people without schistosomiasis. Auto implanted spleen group 2 (AIS) 18 young adults with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni who underwent splenectomy, ligature of the left gastric vein and auto implantation of spleen tissue into the major omentum, when the age varied between 7 and 16 years. These patients received oxaminiquine in a single dose of 20mg/kg 30 days before the surgical treatment. The mean follow-up was about 8 years. Group 3 - splenectomyzed patients without auto implantation of spleen tissue (SP). Nine young adults were included and underwent total splenectomy without auto implantation of spleen tissue and azigo portal disconnection. The patients with schistosomiasis from groups I and III had the confirmation of their disease by the presence of Symmers fibrosis in the wedge liver biopsies during the surgical procedure. Six 6ml of blood from all volunteers we collected.. The monocytes were separated by centrifugation and cultivated in CultilabÒ medium. Supernatant samples of 100ml from the monocyte culture (10(6)cells/ml), of each person were taken for the measure of TNF-alpha concentrations. This measure was performed by colorimetric ELISA (QuantikineTM - R&D systems), after 4 hours of stimulation with PMA and incubation with 37ºC humid atmosphere of 5% CO2. RESULTS: The TNF-alpha concentrations did not differ significantly among the three groups [(GC 135.0 ± 51.6 pg/ml; AIS 97.0 ± 25.4 pg/ml and SP 107.0 ±. 52.1 pg/ml) - ANOVA F = 0.210; p = 0.813]. CONCLUSIONS: These findings give support to the hypothesis that after splenectomy with or without auto implantation of spleen tissue the monocyte function, as far as the production of TNF-alpha is concerned, it is still preserved.
Schistosomiasis mansoni; Spleen; Liver; Splenectomy; Tumor necrosis factor; Monocytes
