ELISPOT analysis of antigen-specific SCH727965 IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells has been previously described 44. Lymphocytes were harvested from the spleens of WT BALB/c mice and sorted for B220+Thy-1.2−120G8− cells on a FACSAria. 3×106 purified (>98% purity by FACS) B cells were adoptively transferred by intravenous injection into naïve BALB/c mice prior to adoptive transfer of TCR-Tg cells and immunization. Data

analysis and presentation were performed using Prism (GraphPad Software). This work was supported by NIH grant AI44375. M. G. O. was supported by a fellowship from the Malaria Research Institute. The authors are grateful for the support of the Bloomberg Family Foundation. PDL-1 blocking antibodies were kindly provided by Lieping Chen. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no financial or commercial conflict of interest. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available

as submitted by the authors. “
“An association study of a cohort of 177 Sudanese patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni [82 (46%) males and 95 (54%) females] was conducted to evaluate the factors controlling the regression of liver fibrosis 39 months after treatment with praziquantel using ultrasound evaluation. Periportal fibrosis (PPF) was regressed in 63 (35.6%) patients, while the disease progressed to higher grades in 24 (13.6%) patients. The grade of PPF did not change in 90 (50.8%) patients.

The mean values of portal vein diameter, splenic vein Obeticholic Acid supplier diameter and index liver size in subjects in whom PPF regressed after treatment were significantly lower than in subjects in whom the disease Methane monooxygenase was progressed (P<0.0001, P=0.031 and P=0.003, respectively). The progression of hepatic fibrosis in males (15, 8.5%) was greater than that in females (9, 5.1%). Patients with regression or progression phenotypes tend to cluster in certain families. Our study indicated that regression, progression and stabilization of PPF after praziquantel therapy is controlled by gender, age, grade of fibrosis and possibly inherited factors. Human schistosomiasis is a major health problem in many countries including Sudan. The disease is chronic and debilitating, and remains one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in tropical and subtropical environments (WHO, 1993). Despite control efforts in a number of countries, 200 millions of people are still infected, and 10% develop severe disease with Symmers fibrosis (WHO, 1998). Mortality due to Schistosoma mansoni infections is mainly the consequence of portal hypertension that is caused by hepatic periportal fibrosis (PPF) (Dessein et al., 1999a). In PPF, varying degrees of inflammation and collagen surrounding the portal vein and its tributaries are observed (Homeida et al., 1991).