Schsitosoma mansoni co-infection with hepatitis c virus is associated with increased interleukin-28b plasma levels in egyptian population

Abstract EN

Intestinal schistosomiasis and hepatitis C viral (HCV) infections are endemic in Egypt with co-infections leading to increased severity of liver diseases.

Previous studies characterized the im-mune responses to treatment in co-infection.

However, little is known about the levels of inter-leukin 28B (IL-28B) in co-infection and its relation to endogenous gamma interferon (IFN-y)levels.

Therefore, a case-control study was performed comparing levels of IL-28B in relation to endogenous IFN-y in Schistosoma mansoni / HCV co-infected Egyptian patients compared to HCV mono-infected patients.

Patients attending Kasr Al-Aini Hospital.

Cairo from 2012-2014 were recruited.

Subjects recruited were S.

mansoni/HCV co-infected (n=22).

treatment-naive chronic HCV-4 (n=50).

and healthy controls (n=35).

Clinical history and liver function markers were determined for each participant.

IL-2SB and IFN-y plasma levels were assayed for all par-ticipants by ELISA and HCV load was quantified using Real-Time PCR_ Plasma anti-schistosomal antibody titers were assayed along with viable egg identification in feces.

Patients with high HCV viral load had significantly higher IFN-y and IL-28B levels whether suffering from HCV mono- or co-infection.

Moreover.

IFN-y levels were positively associated with IL-28B plasma levels in HCV mono- and co-infection.

The IL-2SB levels were significantly higher in S.

mansoni/HCV co-infected than HCV mono-infection patients (p < 0.05).Data suggested that co-infection of HCV with S.

mansoni affected IL-2SB levels and IL-28B plasma levels might prove with sufficient further studies to be an effective prognosis biomarker for S.

mansoni ! HCV co-infection in the Egyptian population.