Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in patients with chronic schistosomiasis mansoni: evidences of subclinical renal inflammation

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 12;8(11):e80421. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080421. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate renal markers and the biomarker MCP-1 in patients with schistosomiasis mansoni. This is a cross-sectional study with 85 patients aged 5 to 48 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni through the Kato-Katz method. The patients were divided in three groups: control (G-I); infected by S. mansoni before treatment (G-II) and infected by S. mansoni after treatment (G-III). Renal function was evaluated by tubular and glomerular biomarkers and through urinary MCP-1. Patients' mean age was 23.2 ± 13 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding tubular and glomerular function evaluated through the traditional biomarkers. MCP-1 was higher in G-II and G-III, when compared to G-I; p=0.009 and p=0.007, respectively. There was no difference when comparing groups G-II and G-III (p=0.892). Although it was not different among the groups, there was a significant correlation between albuminuria and MCP-1. There was a significant increase in urinary MCP-1 levels in patients with schistosomiasis mansoni, which was associated with albuminuria. This protein has a role in the recruitment of monocytes to injury and inflammation sites . The increase of MCP-1 in the urine evidences that there is silent renal inflammation in these patients and the inflammatory status is not interrupted by specific treatment of the offending agent. Our findings suggest that urinary MCP-1 can be a sensitive marker of renal injury in patients with schistosomiasis mansoni.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Albuminuria / etiology
  • Albuminuria / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / administration & dosage
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Biomarkers / urine
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism*
  • Chemokine CCL2 / urine
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Nephritis / etiology*
  • Nephritis / physiopathology
  • Praziquantel / administration & dosage
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use
  • Schistosoma mansoni
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / complications*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / drug therapy
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / metabolism*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / parasitology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Biomarkers
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Praziquantel

Grants and funding

The Microalbumina Olympus® kit was a donation from HEMOGRAM® (www.hemogram.com.br). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding was received for this study.