The following is a summary of “Respiratory morbidity in Schistosoma mansoni infection: a rapid review of literature,” published in the December 2023 issue of Infectious Disease by Baluku et al.

Despite impacting 2.5 million people worldwide, the respiratory effects of Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection, both immediate and long-term, remain in mystery. Researchers started a retrospective study to investigate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, lung function abnormalities, immune responses, and imaging findings in S. mansoni patients.

They conducted an extensive literature search in Embase and MEDLINE, covering the databases’ inception to March 13, 2023 (Embase and MEDLINE).

The results showed 2,243 patients with S. mansoni, including 24 case reports, 11 cross-sectional studies, 7 case series, 2 cohort studies, and 2 RCTs. Respiratory symptoms were found in 13.3% to 63.3% of 149 patients studied. Among S. mansoni patients with sought respiratory symptoms, the prevalence of cough (8.3%–80.6%, n = 338), dyspnea (1.7%–100.0%, n = 200), chest pain (9.0%–57.1%, n = 86), sputum production (20.0%–23.3%, n = 30), and wheezing (0.0%–20.0%, n = 1396). Acute schistosomiasis tended to exhibit higher symptom frequencies. Restrictive lung disease was observed in 29.0% (9/31) of cases. Common chest imaging findings included nodules (20%–90%, n = 103) and interstitial infiltrates (12.5%–23.0%, n = 89). Peripheral blood eosinophilia was prevalent in 72.0%–100.0% of patients (n = 130) with acute schistosomiasis and correlated with symptoms and imaging abnormalities. Three chronic S. mansoni cases hinted at immune activation through elevated markers like CRP, white blood cells, and specific antibodies (IgE, IgG4).

They concluded that lung troubles, especially early on, plague Schistosoma mansoni patients, demanding more extensive studies to unlock the respiratory mechanisms in chronic cases.

Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20499361231220152