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Human eosinophils and parasitic diseases--III. Beta-interferon increases eosinophil IgG-Fc receptor expression and capacity.

Eosinophilic granulocytes from the blood of patients with parasitic diseases were preincubated in the presence or absence of beta-interferon (beta-IFN). The number of cells bearing IgG-Fc receptors was determined by rosette formation with chicken erythrocytes coated with IgG antibodies. beta-IFN augmented the expression of IgG-Fc receptors on the cells within 1 h incubation. Treatment of beta-IFN with heat or acid did not abolish the activity. The doses of beta-IFN needed to induce the modulations of IgG-Fc receptors could also augment the eosinophil-mediated antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) against chicken red blood cells which resulted most pronounced when the IgG antibodies were present in suboptimal amount. These data suggest the role of beta-IFN in the host resistance to parasitic diseases, mainly in the initial phases of parasitic infestation when the specific IgG antibody levels are very low.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗

[Parasitic diseases in patients with impaired immune response. Clinical picture and diagnosis].

Patients with impaired immune system are frequently infected with various parasitic diseases. The clinical picture is characterized by unusual manifestations and frequently severe recurrences of infections which are not normally serious. Some almost parasitic microorganisms produce symptoms exclusively in patients with impaired immune system. Parasitic infections have become increasingly common with the increasing number of patients who live for prolonged periods with impaired immune systems, often as a result of infection with HIV. Among the numerous parasitic infections which are observed in man, there are a few which occur particularly frequently in patients with impaired immune systems. This is a brief review of the clinical pictures and diagnostic options in parasitic disease in individuals with impaired immune system with particular emphasis on infections caused by: Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium ssp., Microspora, Entamoeba histolytica, Leishmania ssp., and Strongyloides stercoralis. In patients with impaired immunity, parasitic infections frequently cause nonspecific symptoms and, on account of the impaired immunity, antibodies to the parasite are not always produced. The diagnosis of these infections is, therefore, based on morphological demonstration of the microorganism concerned, culture, specific antigen or DNA defections.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

MRI of CNS parasitic diseases.

This article reviews MRI findings of parasitic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), with emphasis on neurocysticercosis, which is by far the most common CNS parasitic infection worldwide. MRI findings of neurocysticercosis are various, depending on the location (parenchymal, cisternal, ventricular, and spinal forms), and temporal evolutional stages (vesicular, colloid vesicular, granular nodular, and nodular calcified stages) of the worm. Classical findings of each location and stage are presented. Characteristic MRI findings of cerebral toxoplasmosis frequently seen in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), paragonimiasis, and sparganosis that have most commonly been reported in East Asia are also illustrated. MRI is superior to CT scan in the evaluation of most CNS parasitic infections and is nearly diagnostic, particularly in endemic areas. Contrast-enhanced study is essential not only for specific diagnosis of the disease, but also for assessment of the inflammatory activity.

Amebiasis↗

Applications of electron spin resonance and spin trapping in tropical parasitic diseases.

Free radicals may be reaction intermediates in biological systems in more situations than are presently recognized. However, progress in detecting such species by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) has been relatively slow. ESR is a very sensitive technique for free radical detection and characterization. It can be used to investigate very low concentrations of radicals provided that they are stable enough for their presence to be detected. For unstable radicals special techniques have to be employed. One of these methods is called Spin Trapping. Parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical areas constitute a major health and economic problem. The range of antiparasitic drugs varies widely in structural complexity and action at the subcellular and molecular levels. However, a number of these drugs are thought to exert their action by generating free radicals. Most of the free radical producing drugs used against parasites are: quinones, naphtoquinones, quinone-imines, aminoquinolines, N-oxides and nitroheterocyclic compounds. This review summarizes some of the more relevant achievements of ESR and Spin Trapping applications in parasitic diseases studies. The use of ESR spectroscopy to obtain relevant information about free radical characterization and the analysis of the mechanisms of action of drugs involved in several parasitic diseases is also presented.

Antiparasitic Agents↗

[Control of parasitic diseases in Uzbekistan].

More than 200,000 patients with parasitic diseases (predominantly helminthisms, zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis) are annually notified in Uzbekistan. There are imported cases of malaria and sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis. The republic eradicated Filaria medinensis infection (dracunculosis) in 1931, town-type cutaneous leishmaniasis in 1950, malaria in 1960, visceral leishmaniasis in 1968, and hookworm diseases in 1974. Much experience has been accumulated in controlling zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, large-scale social helminthisms: ascariasis, taeniarinchiasis, and hymenolepiasis.

Delivery of Health Care↗

Advances in the diagnosis of some parasitic diseases by monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Advances in diagnostic assays for parasitic diseases include the use of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) in antigen capture and competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (C-ELISA). Antigen capture ELISAs for Anaplasma marginale and Cryptosporidium parvum provide direct detection of these parasites during clinical disease, and the C-ELISA format has been adapted for detection of anti-Babesia equi, anti-A. marginale and anti-bluetongue virus antibodies. False-positive results may occur when antigen preparations in other ELISA formats are contaminated with Escherichia coli, erythrocyte or cell-culture antigens. The C-ELISA format overcomes problems of antigen purity, since the specificity of the C-ELISA depends solely on the MAb used. For this reason, the C-ELISA format is highly suited for use with recombinant antigens. Also, the use of recombinant protein in diagnostic assays precludes the need to infect animals for antigen production when the antigen cannot be produced in cell culture.

Anaplasmosis↗

[Advances in the molecular diagnosis of infectious and parasitic diseases].

During the last decade molecular diagnostic techniques have moved from the research laboratory into the clinical microbiology laboratory. The application of molecular biology for the diagnosis of infections and parasitic diseases by the detection of nucleic acids has steadily grown, and it is very probably that, while they may not displace the traditional diagnostic laboratory, they will be common place in the not to distant future. A detailed description of the principal molecular diagnostic techniques that are currently being used or that have a potential use for the diagnosis, evaluation of disease progression or response to therapy of selected infectious and parasitic diseases, is presented. Emphasis is placed on the rational use of these techniques in regional reference laboratories or highly specialized hospitals; the importance of selecting and implanting those diagnostic techniques with the highest cost-benefit ratio; and finally, the need to train human resources which are highly qualified in the theory and practice of molecular biology.

Adult↗

[Detection of coproantigens in parasitic diseases].

The author presented general issues in detecting of parasite's coproantigens and carried out a critical review of abstracts submitted to the scientific session (17th Congress of the Polish Parasitological Society, September 1994, Gdynia, Poland). The abstracts are being published in a special edition of the "Methodical and Organisational Bulletin" (Institute of Marine and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland).

Animals↗

[Parasitic diseases in the Russian Federation under the conditions of population migration].

Migration of the population has been established to substantially increase the risk of importation of parasitic diseases into Russia. Mass importation of malaria into Russia has started since 1993 when local cases of malaria (secondary to imported ones), whose source was newcomers from Tadjikistan and Azerbaijan, were notified. The migration of the population has increased the incidence of helminthiasis and protozoan diseases earlier sporadically recorded in Russia. In 1996 to 2002, a total of 7386 patients with parasitic diseases considered by official statistics as other helminthiasis and other protozoan diseases were notified. In some areas, the morbidity rates due to hymenolepidiasis and trichocephaliasis have been formed from imported cases, the number of imported cases of opisthorchiasis increased, the area of spreading echinococciasis in Russia expanded at the expense of imported cases of echinococciasis from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Ukraine.

Emigration and Immigration↗

Co-existing conditions for deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the frequency distribution of co-existing conditions for deaths where the underlying cause was infectious and parasitic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Besides the underlying cause of death, the distributions of co-existing conditions for deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases were examined in total and by various age and sex groups, at individual and chapter levels, using 1998 Australian mortality data. RESULTS: In addition to the underlying cause of death, the average number of reported co-existing conditions for a single infectious and parasitic death was 1.62. The most common co-existing conditions were respiratory failure, acute renal failure - non-specific causes, ischaemic heart disease, pneumonia and diabetes. When studying the distribution of co-existing conditions at the ICD-9 chapter level, it was found that the circulatory system diseases were the most important. There was an increasing trend in the number of reported co-existing conditions from 60 years of age upwards. Gender differences existed in the frequency of some reported co-existing conditions. The most common organism types of co-existing conditions were other bacterial infection and other viruses. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that the quality of death certificates is less than satisfactory for the 1998 Australian mortality data. The findings may be helpful in clarifying the ICD coding rules and the development of disease prevention strategies.

Adolescent↗

Extracellular matrix degradation in parasitic diseases.

1. Fibrosis is an important manifestation of several parasitic diseases, but is not irreversible. A marked degree of extracellular matrix degradation can occur after cure of parasitism. Patients with the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis undergo considerable resorption of portal fibrosis months or years after curative treatment as demonstrated by ultrasonography and pathological examination. 2. Studies of the post-treatment degradation of extracellular matrix in schistosomal periovular granulomas have demonstrated two forms of collagen degradation: in hepatic granulomas formed during early infection a rapid process occurs, with the extracellular breakdown of fibers and internalization of collagen fragments, whereas during late infection, degradation is slow and is accompanied by focal electrondense and/or lytic changes. 3. Extensive extracellular matrix degradation and resorption occurring after curative treatment was recently described in the liver of a man with advanced visceral leishmaniasis and in the heart of mice with chronic Chagas' disease.

Animals↗

[Water and intestinal parasitic diseases].

The paper presents data on the rates of Lamblia cyst dissemination of surface water sources in foreign countries, the Russian Federation, Moscow, and the Moscow Region. It shows a role of drinking water in the spread of intestinal parasitic diseases. In accordance with parasitological parameters, specific data on improvement of methodological control of water quality are presented. The dosages of ultraviolet radiation are given in relation to water decontamination of parasitic disease germs.

Animals↗