Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

Right Ventricular Systolic Pressure Measurements in Combination with Harvest of Lung and Immune Tissue Samples in Mice
Published on: January 16, 2013
Immunopathological aspects of schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension
Thais Mauad1, Geanette Pozzan, Tatiana Lanças
1Dept Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455, CEP 01246-000 São Paulo, Brazil.
Objectives:
Pulmonary hypertension is a lethal complication of chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. Little is known of the underlying (immuno-)histopathological characteristics of lung vasculopathy.
Methods:
We characterized vasculopathy and inflammation in lung tissue of 10 patients with Schistosomiasis-associated PH (SCH-PH) in comparison to 22 idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients and 10 normal controls. SCH-PH cases were younger than controls.
Results:
Plexiform lesions and/or angiomatoid lesions were found in 10/10 SCH-PH, and 19/22 IPAH patients (χ² p = 0.22). Lung granulomas with Schistosoma eggs were found in 2/10 of SCH-PH cases. PAH cases had increased peri-arterial density of CD3+ T cells, chymase+ and tryptase+ mast cells when compared to controls (p ≤ 0.047). SCH-PH showed increased density of CD4+ cells when compared to controls (p = 0.025), paralleled by an increased density of dendritic CD83+ cells when compared to both controls and IPAH patients (p ≤ 0.022).
Conclusion:
Both SCH-PH and IPAH feature plexogenic arteriopathy and increased periarterial T cell and mast cell density. SCH-PH and IPAH differ only with respect to the density of dendritic CD83+ cells. These findings imply ongoing antigenic stimulation in SCH-PH, yet a pattern of pulmonary vasculopathy similar to IPAH, suggestive of a final common pathway in their pathogenesis of PAH.
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
Portal Hypertension
Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
Peripheral Artery Disease I: Introduction

