Author/Authors :
Tuffour, Isaac West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens - Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology - College of Basic and Applied Sciences - University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana , Ayi, Irene Department of Parasitology - Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research - College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana , Manful Gwira, Theresa West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens - Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology - College of Basic and Applied Sciences - University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana , Dumashie, Edward Department of Parasitology - Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research - College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana , Ashong, Yvonne Department of Parasitology - Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research - College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana , Appiah-Opong, Regina West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens - Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology - College of Basic and Applied Sciences - University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Abstract :
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects 200 million people and accounts for 100,000 deaths annually. In endemicgeographical areas, schistosomiasis has been implicated as an etiological agent in the pathogenesis of bladder, colorectal, and renalcarcinoma largely due toSchistosomaeggs in tissues that comes with chronic infection. Several studies have also reported cases ofassociation betweenSchistosomainfection and prostate cancer. The possible causal association is however poorly understood. Wehypothesized in this study that infection of the prostate cells withSchistosoma spppromotes cancer. Urine samples from individualsliving in Galilea, a schistosomiasis endemic community in the Ga South District of Ghana, were collected and screened forSchistosomainfection via microscopy and multiplex PCR. Soluble egg antigens (SEA) were prepared fromSchistosomaegg-positive urine samples and assessed for the ability to induce cancer-like phenotypes including excessive proliferation, oxidativestress (reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion), and diminished apoptosis in cultured human prostate (PNT2) cells. Molecularanalysis revealed infecting schistosome species to beS.haematobiumandS. mansoni. Prostate cell proliferation was significantlyinduced by 12.5μg/ml SEA (p=0029). Also, SEA dose-dependently depleted cellular GSH. Flow cytometric analysis andfluorescence staining revealed that SEA dose-dependently diminished apoptosis, significantly, in prostate cells. Findings of thisstudy suggest that schistosome infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer.In vivostudies are howeverneeded to confirm this association.
