EXTRAMEDULLARY HEMATOPOIESIS IN MURINE SCHISTOSOMIASIS-MANSONI

During Schistosoma mansoni infection, there is morphological evidence of involvement of various hematopoietic growth factors, which cause eo sinophil, neutrophil, megakaryocytic and erythroid extramedullary foci in the liver lymph nodes and omental and mesenteric milky spots. Whil e the eosinophil metaplasia in the periphery of hepatic granulomas rou ghly reproduced the intensity of the medullary eosinopoiesis, the neut rophil metaplasia, on the contrary, was more intense during the period of neutrophil depression in the bone mal row. This fact suggests that extramedullary, hematopoietic foci are locally regulated, and amplify and/or compensate the systemic hematopoietic response during the infe ction.