BATF2 and inflammation: Furthermore, histological assessment of small intestinal sections from schistosomiasis-diseased animals showed several opened areas stretching from the lumen to the epithelium leading to loss of intestinal villi in the small intestine of Batf2−/− mice (Fig. 4n).18 Collectively, these data suggest that the absence of Batf2 results in an exacerbated small intestinal fibro-granulomatous inflammation associated with a wasting disease thus premature death during the Type-2 dominated model of acute schistosomiasis.