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Delayed tail loss during the invasion of human skin by schistosome cercariae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2003

P. J. WHITFIELD ,
A. BARTLETT ,
N. KHAMMO ,
A. P. R. BRAIN ,
M. B. BROWN ,
C. MARRIOTT  and
R. CLOTHIER
P. J. WHITFIELD
Affiliation:
School of Health and Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN
A. BARTLETT
Affiliation:
School of Health and Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN
N. KHAMMO
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH
A. P. R. BRAIN
Affiliation:
School of Health and Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN
M. B. BROWN
Affiliation:
School of Health and Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN
C. MARRIOTT
Affiliation:
School of Health and Life Sciences, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN
R. CLOTHIER
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH
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Abstract

Schistosomiasis is initiated when cercarial larvae invade human skin. Contrary to long-held assumptions, most cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni do not shed their propulsive tails as they penetrate. Scanning electron microscopy studies and infection experiments with entire human skin and differentiated, stratum corneum-like, human keratinocyte cultures, have shown that most cercarial tails enter the skin along with their bodies. We propose that this behaviour is an adaptive trait linked with concomitant immunity.

Keywords

Schistosoma mansonitail losscercariaeinvasionconcomitant immunity
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 126 , Issue 2 , February 2003 , pp. 135 - 140
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press

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