Methods Used to Study Immunoregulation of Schistosome Egg Granulomas

The schistosome egg granuloma has emerged as a dominant model system to study the immunoregulation of focal inflammatory reactions. The pervasive Th2 character of schistosome egg granulomas has further increased interest in this parasite infection. This review will discuss the common methods used to study schistosome egg granulomas. This includes the choice of parasite, maintenance of parasite life cycle, animal infection, granuloma isolation, and analysis of granuloma cells. The review includes a survey of recent observations and conclusions concerning the immunoregulation of granulomatous reactions. Emphasis is placed on the cytokines and cell types that participate in forming schistosome egg granulomas. The pitfalls, assumptions, and limits of various experimental approaches are described.