Determining the Role of EPX Enzyme and The Prevalenyce of Fasciola Hepatica in Patients with Cholelithiasis

Background : Fascioliasis is a parasitic infection typically caused by Fasciola Hepatica , EPX is one of toxic granules that released by eosinophils in response to infection by this parasite. Aim of study: To determining the epidemiological prevalence of Liver fluke (Fasciola Hepatica ) in patients suffering from gallstones and assessment of serum concentrations of eosinophil marker in these patients and control groups by ELISA. technique. Methodology: Case control study design, included 140 participants, 70 of them included as cases (suffered from Cholelithiasis), and 70 of them included as controls. History of the study was from beginning of October 2023 to end of January 2024, all participants were attending to Al-Sader Medical City/Digestive System Unit, Al-Hakeem Hospital and Al-Haidarya Hospital. Two samples (stool and 5 ml serum) were taken from each participant for microscopic detection of F. hepatica and for measure immune parameter EPX by ELISA, respectively. Results: It was found that there is a statistically significant difference between patients with liver fluke (Fasciola Hepatica ), where the percentage of patients with liver fluke (Fasciola Hepatica ) was 10%. Only 90% of participants suffering from gallstones were negative for this parasite. There was statistically significant (p-value= 0.0001), increase in mean concentration of the parameters (EPX,) between the two groups of patients (29.1±14.04 ng/ml,) and the control (16.76±6.16 ng/ml,) respectively. And there was a known increase in the mean concentration of immune parameter in the serum of patients infected with the parasite (EPX: 56.88±6.78 ng/ml,) compared to their concentration in patients not infected with the parasite. Conclusions: Only 10% of 90% of Cholelithiasis patients in the immediate study were diagnosed positive for F. hepatica parasite. There was increased in study parameter (EPX,) significantly in group of cholelithiasis patients other than control group.