Evaluation of WGA and Concanavalin A (Con A) lectin as biomarkers of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis in human biopsies with no evidence of egg-granuloma system.

Introduction: Colonic lesions are predominant in patients with schistosomiasis. However, carbohydrate alterations in colonic schistosomiasis remain unclear. Lectin-ligands allow us to identify changes in the saccharide patterns of cells.
Methods: Biopsies of descending and rectosigmoid colon of patients were submitted to WGA and Con A lectin histochemistry.
Results: WGA stained stroma and gland cells of descending colon and rectosigmoid tissues in a granular strong cytoplasmatic pattern in schistosomiasis specimens differing from normal control and Con A failing to recognize all samples analyzed.
Conclusions: WGA ligands are expressed differently in patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and no evidence of egg-granuloma system.