Abstract Acquired immunity to human schistosomiasis correlates with increased serum levels of schistosome antigen-specific IgE. Since interleukin (IL)-4 stimulates IgE production, the hypothesis that Th2-associated cell-mediated immunity participates in protection to reinfection was studied in a cohort of adolescent boys 12–18 months after chemotherapeutic cure in Upper Egypt. Initial Schistosoma haematobium prevalence was 51% and posttreatment incidence was 44%. Water contact was similar between putatively resistant and susceptible patients. Resistant persons had a 3.5- to 14-fold greater frequency of schistosome adult worm antigen (SWAP)-specific lymphocytes secreting IL-5 or IL-4 (by ELISPOT) and IL-5 or IL-4 production in peripheral blood lymphocyte culture supernatants (P .05 to .001, n = 48) versus susceptible subjects (n = 38). In contrast, SWAP-induced interferon-g and IL-10 production and lymphocyte proliferation were similar between the 2 groups. Schistosome egg antigen and streptolysin O each stimulated similar cytokine production in susceptible and resistant persons. Thus, enhanced SWAP-driven IL-4 and IL-5 production correlates with immunity to reinfection in adolescents exposed to urinary schistosomiasis. Footnotes Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and their parents. The studies were approved by the appropriate authorities of the Government of Egypt and the Human Studies Committee of University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland. Grant support: Schistosome Research Project (060361 from the US Agency for International Development and the Egyptian Government) and an NIH Research Career Development Award (AI-01202 to C.L.K.).

tBackground: Disorder in cerebellar structure was reported in diabetes mellitus. B vitamins are involvedin many significant metabolic processes within the brain.Aim of the work: To detect the protective role of vitamin B complex on the histological structure of thecerebellum of experimentally induced diabetic rat.Material & methods: Eighteen adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Group I: normal vehiclecontrol (n = 6). Group II: streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (n = 12), which was equally divided intotwo subgroups; IIA (diabetic vehicle control), IIB (diabetic vitamin B complex-treated): streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with vitamin B complex (1 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks. Specimens from thecerebellum were processed for light and electron microscopy.Results: In vitamin B complex treated group, the histological changes in Purkinje cells, astrocytes andoligodendrocytes were improved compared with the diabetic non-treated group. The white matterrevealed intact myelinated axons. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and caspase-3 expressionreduced. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression revealed less activated astroglia. The num-ber of Purkinje cells/mm2significantly increased. While, the number of GFAP positive astrocytes/mm2significantly decreased. In addition, the blood glucose level was reduced.Conclusion: Vitamin B complex protected the cerebellum from the histological changes which occurredin STZ- induced diabetic rats.

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