P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase influence on the production of IL-10 in human schistosomiasis mansoni.

Schistosomiasis mansoni remains a significant public health problem in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Clinical manifestations range from the asymptomatic intestinal form through to the hepatosplenic form of the disease, a potentially lethal clinical condition in a subsection of the exposed population. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which interleukin (IL)-10 production could be differentially controlled in patients with the intestinal and hepatosplenic forms of the disease, as IL-10 may play a fundamental role in the development of the hepatosplenic disease state.