Abstract
The Role of Pericytes in Neurocysticercosis Comprehensive Research and Novel Hypotheses
Author(s): Lourdes de Fatima Ibanez Valdes and Humberto Foyaca Sibat*Background: Cysticercosis (Ct) is a preventable and eradicable zoonotic parasitic disease secondary to a cestode infection by the larva form of pig tapeworm Taenia solium (Ts), mainly seen in people living in developing countries. However, the number of carriers in developed countries increases gradually due to globalization and uncontrolled migration. When the cysticercus is in the brain parenchymal, intraventricular system, Subarachnoid Space (SAS), cerebellum, brainstem, optic nerve, or spinal cord, then it has named Neurocysticercosis (NCC), and the often-clinical manifestations are headache and epileptic seizures/epilepsy among other less frequent symptoms and signs. In this study, we look for a manuscript related to the role played by pericytes in the pathogenesis of NCC in the cerebral hemispheres and spinal cord. After reviewing this issue, we formulate some hypotheses regarding its role in the CNS.
Methods: We searched the medical literature comprehensively, looking for published Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms like "Neurocysticercosis", "pathogenesis of Neurocysticercosis", "comorbidity in NCC"; OR "Pericytes (PC)"; OR "PC/Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPC/NG2)"; OR "Epileptic Seizures (ES)/Epilepsy (Ep)/NCC/PC" OR "PC/ ES/Ep"; OR "PC/BBB/NCC."
Results: All selected manuscripts were peer-reviewed, and we did not find publications related to PC/NCC.
Comments and concluding remarks: We have hypothesized the role played by PC on the pathogenesis of cysticercus perilesional edema and the role of PC on the pathogenesis of ES/Ep/NCC.