In Vivo MRI Assessment of Hepatic and Splenic Disease in a Murine Model of Schistosmiasis

BackgroundSchistosomiasis (or bilharzia), a major parasitic disease, affects more than 260 million people worldwide. In chronic cases of intestinal schistosomiasis caused by trematodes of the Schistosoma genus, hepatic fibrosis develops as a host immune response to the helminth eggs, followed by potentially lethal portal hypertension. In this study, we characterized hepatic and splenic features of a murine model of intestinal schistosomiasis using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated the transverse relaxation time T₂ as a non-invasive imaging biomarker for monitoring hepatic fibrogenesis.Conclusions/SignificanceOur multiparametric MRI approach confirms that this murine model replicates hepatic and splenic manifestations of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Quantitative T₂ mapping proved sensitive to assess liver fibrogenesis non-invasively and may therefore constitute an objective imaging biomarker for treatment monitoring in diseases involving hepatic fibrosis.