Increased CD4+ T cell-dependent anti-erythrocyte antibody levels following the onset of parasite egg production in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice

Anaemia has been reported to be a symptom of schistosomiasis mansoni. In other chronic infectious diseases, antired blood cell (RBC) antibodies have been suggested or shown to play a role in anaemia by participating in either complement or macrophage-dependent RBC elimination. To examine whether such a situation could be contributing to the anaemia of schistosomiasis, we examined RBC taken from infected mice for surface-bound antibodies. Our data show that prior to the onset of egg production infected mice have plasma haemoglobin levels that are indistinguishable from age matched controls (AMC). However, consistent with previous reports, following the initiation of egg laying, infected mice have significantly lower haemoglobin levels than AMC. Surface-bound IgM, IgG1 and IgG3 on RBC from infected mice increased markedly after egg laying began. Levels of RBC-associated IgG2b were similar on RBC from infected and normal mice. Antibody production against RBC was Th cell-dependent since it did not occur in mice depleted of CD4⁺ cells. Antibodies eluted from RBC of infected mice bound to isolated membranes of RBC from AMC and to a soluble extract of schistosome eggs. Furthermore, antibodies in serum from mice carrying patent infections bound to the membranes of RBC from normal mice. Taken together, these data suggest that schistosome eggs induce an antibody response which may cross react with a RBC surface antigen.