Parasitic infections of the intestine.
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Animals↗
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[Hyperspecialised Filaria parasite of the intestinal wall of Coendu (author's transl)].
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Animals↗
A health and social survey of a group of children from rural New South Wales.
Between the middle of May and middle of July, 1972, 177 children aged up to 15 years were admitted to a nursing home in Sydney on referral from their doctors in country areas of New South Wales for specialized investigation and treatment mainly of respiratory infections, congenital malformations and orthopaedic and ophthalmic conditions. Specimens of faeces from these children were examined for bacterial pathogens and parasites. These tests revealed the presence of intestinal parasites (mostly Giardia lamblia) in 91 of the children and of bacterial pathogens in 14 (a salmonella in one and shigellas in 13). The general health and development of the children and the socioeconomic status of their families were below the average for New South Wales.
Adolescent↗
IFN-gamma-independent effects of IL-12 during intestinal nematode infection.
Expulsion of the gastrointestinal nematode Trichinella spiralis is associated with a pronounced mastocytosis mediated by a Th2-type response involving IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13. When exogenous rIL-12 was administered to T. spiralis-infected NIH mice, this resulted in significant suppression of intestinal mast cell responses, delayed worm expulsion, increased muscle larvae burdens, and a transient, but significant decrease in early Th2 cytokine secretion. rIL-12 treatment also altered chemokine expression in the jejunal mucosa. The effects of exogenous IL-12 administration were largely independent of IFN-gamma as shown by rIL-12 treatment of IFN-gamma knockout mice. Hence, IL-12 may play a significant biological role as a direct negative regulator of intestinal Th2 responses and may act to promote the survival of intestinal parasites in vivo also in the absence of IFN-gamma.
Animals↗
The genome of the protist parasite Entamoeba histolytica.
Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal parasite and the causative agent of amoebiasis, which is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Here we present the genome of E. histolytica, which reveals a variety of metabolic adaptations shared with two other amitochondrial protist pathogens: Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis. These adaptations include reduction or elimination of most mitochondrial metabolic pathways and the use of oxidative stress enzymes generally associated with anaerobic prokaryotes. Phylogenomic analysis identifies evidence for lateral gene transfer of bacterial genes into the E. histolytica genome, the effects of which centre on expanding aspects of E. histolytica's metabolic repertoire. The presence of these genes and the potential for novel metabolic pathways in E. histolytica may allow for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents. The genome encodes a large number of novel receptor kinases and contains expansions of a variety of gene families, including those associated with virulence. Additional genome features include an abundance of tandemly repeated transfer-RNA-containing arrays, which may have a structural function in the genome. Analysis of the genome provides new insights into the workings and genome evolution of a major human pathogen.
Animals↗
Survey of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in quarantined dogs in Taiwan.
Intestinal helminth and protozoan infection in the quarantined dogs in Taiwan were examined using fecal examination between January to December, 2004. Of the 376 dogs imported from 11 countries, 63 (16.8%) were found to be infected with at least one species of intestinal parasite. The parasites detected were oocysts of Isospora canis and eggs of Toxocara canis, Trichuris vulpis and hookworms. Of the 63 infected dogs, 11 were found to have a mixed infection of two different species of parasites. This paper illustrates that parasites are transmitted from one country to another through the transport of animals. Moreover, there is also a possibility of parasitic infection among quarantined dogs as well as the zoonotic potential for quarantine officers during the quarantine period.
Animals↗
A survey of gastrointestinal parasites in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria.
To study the epidemiology of intestinal parasites in Ogun State, Nigeria, 479 stool specimens were examined at a hospital in Abeokuta during the rainy season in June 1986. Intestinal helminths and/or protozoa were present in 297 samples (62%). 41.1% of the specimens showed a single infection, 34% showed double, 20% triple and 5% quadruple infection. The most commonly found worm was Ascaris lumbricoides (in 40% of specimens), followed by Trichuris trichiura (23.2%), hookworms (19.2%), Strongyloides stercoralis (2.1%) and Dicrocoelium sp. (0.4%). Pathogenic protozoa found were Entamoeba histolytica (7%), Giardia intestinalis (4.2%), Blastocystis hominis (2.5%) and Cryptosporidum sp. (2.3%). The apathogenic protozoa Entamoeba coli, Chilomastix mesnili, Trichomonas hominis and Iodamoeba buetschlii were also seen.
Adolescent↗
Trichuris suis: a secretory chymotrypsin/elastase inhibitor with potential as an immunomodulator.
A serine protease inhibitor, termed TsCEI, was purified from adult-stage Trichuris suis by acid precipitation, affinity chromatography (elastase-agarose), and reverse-phase HPLC. The molecular weight of TsCEI was estimated at 6.437 kDa by laser desorption mass spectrometry. TsCEI potently inhibited both chymotrypsin (K(i) = 33.4 pM) and pancreatic elastase (K(i) = 8.32 nM). Neutrophil elastase, chymase (mouse mast cell protease-1, mMCP-1), and cathepsin G were also inhibited by TsCEI, whereas trypsin, thrombin, and factor Xa were not. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence of the mature TsCEI consisted of 58 residues including 9 cysteine residues with a molecular mass of 6.196 kDa. TsCEI displayed 48% sequence identity to a previously characterized trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitor of T. suis, TsTCI. TsCEI showed 36% sequence identity to a protease inhibitor from the hemolymph of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Sequence similarity was also detected with the trypsin/thrombin inhibitor of the European frog Bombina bombina, the elastase isoinhibitors of the nematode Anisakis simplex, and the chymotrypsin/elastase and trypsin inhibitors of the nematode Ascaris suum. The inhibitors of T. suis, an intestinal parasite of swine, may function as components of a parasite defense mechanism by modulating intestinal mucosal mast cell-associated, protease-mediated, host immune responses.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Gastrointestinal parasite infestation.
Twenty-five percent of the world's population could be suffering parasitic infestation. Highest prevalence is in underdeveloped agricultural and rural areas in the tropical and subtropical regions. In some areas incidence may reach 90% of the population. In contrast, some major economic projects intended to promote local development have, paradoxically, caused parasitic proliferation, e.g. bilharziasis in Egypt and Sudan and Chagas disease in Brazil. The commonest cosmopolitan gastrointestinal parasite is Entamoeba histolytica. Some intestinal parasite are endemic in temperate climates, e.g. Entrobius vermicularis. The AIDS epidemic has increased the prevalence and severity of parasitic disease, particularly Strongyloides stercolaris. Tropical parasites are seen in Western people who travel to tropical countries. Radiology has acquired a major role in diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal parasite infestations and their complications.
Animals↗
Phylogenetic analyses of diplomonad genes reveal frequent lateral gene transfers affecting eukaryotes.
BACKGROUND: Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important evolutionary mechanism among prokaryotes. The situation in eukaryotes is less clear; the human genome sequence failed to give strong support for any recent transfers from prokaryotes to vertebrates, yet a number of LGTs from prokaryotes to protists (unicellular eukaryotes) have been documented. Here, we perform a systematic analysis to investigate the impact of LGT on the evolution of diplomonads, a group of anaerobic protists. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analyses of 15 genes present in the genome of the Atlantic Salmon parasite Spironucleus barkhanus and/or the intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia show that most of these genes originated via LGT. Half of the genes are putatively involved in processes related to an anaerobic lifestyle, and this finding suggests that a common ancestor, which most probably was aerobic, of Spironucleus and Giardia adapted to an anaerobic environment in part by acquiring genes via LGT from prokaryotes. The sources of the transferred diplomonad genes are found among all three domains of life, including other eukaryotes. Many of the phylogenetic reconstructions show eukaryotes emerging in several distinct regions of the tree, strongly suggesting that LGT not only involved diplomonads, but also involved other eukaryotic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that LGT is a significant evolutionary mechanism among diplomonads in particular and protists in general. These findings provide insights into the evolution of biochemical pathways in early eukaryote evolution and have important implications for studies of eukaryotic genome evolution and organismal relationships. Furthermore, "fusion" hypotheses for the origin of eukaryotes need to be rigorously reexamined in the light of these results.
Adaptation, Physiological↗
[The importance of Entamoeba histolytica in persons returning from the tropics].
Stools from 1000 travellers returning from the tropics were examined for intestinal parasites. The most frequently isolated intestinal pathogens were Giardia lamblia (5%) and E. histolytica (3.6%). For 21 out of 36 E. histolytica isolates iso-enzyme differentiation by starch-gel electrophoresis was possible, yielding a pathogenic pattern in four. This finding correlated closely with clinical symptoms and positive serology, while E. histolytica with non-pathogenic zymodeme should not be considered as a cause of diarrhoea.
Adult↗
Intestinal permeability in strongyloidiasis.
The objective of the present study was to assess intestinal permeability in patients with infection caused by Strongyloides stercoralis. Twenty-six patients (16 women and 10 men), mean age 45.9, with a diagnosis of strongyloidiasis were evaluated. For comparison, 25 healthy volunteers (18 women and 7 men), mean age 44.9, without digestive disorders or intestinal parasites served as normal controls. Intestinal permeability was measured on the basis of urinary radioactivity levels during the 24 h following oral administration of chromium-labeled ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ((51)Cr-EDTA) expressed as percentage of the ingested dose. The urinary excretion of (51)Cr-EDTA was significantly reduced in patients with strongyloidiasis compared to controls (1.60 +/- 0.74 and 3.10 +/- 1.40, respectively, P = 0.0001). Intestinal permeability is diminished in strongyloidiasis. Abnormalities in mucus secretion and intestinal motility and loss of macromolecules could explain the impaired intestinal permeability.
Adult↗
Cosmocerca vrcibradici n. sp. (Ascaridida: Cosmocercidae), Oswaldocruzia vitti n. sp. (Strongylida: Molineoidae), and other helminths from Prionodactylus eigenmanni and Prionodactylus oshaughnessyi (Sauria: Gymnophthalmidae) from Brazil and Ecuador.
Cosmocerca vrcibradici n. sp. and Oswaldocruzia vitti n. sp., intestinal parasites of Prionodactylus eigenmanni (type host) and P. oshaughnessyi, are described and illustrated. Of the 19 valid species of Cosmocerca, C. vrcibradici n. sp. represents the 12th Neotropical species and the first species to be reported from lizard hosts. Of the 76 valid species of Oswaldocruzia, O. vitti n. sp. represents the 14th Neotropical species and the eighth species to be reported from lizard hosts. In addition, 1 species of Digenea, Mesocoelium monas, and 1 species of Acanthocephala, Acanthocephalus saurius, were found.
Animals↗
Socio-agricultural factors and parasitic infections in the Caspian littoral region of Iran.
Surveys for intestinal parasites in villages in the Babol area of the Caspian littoral region of Iran have been conducted for five years. During this period, mass chemotherapy and individual treatment have been administered. While the overall prevalence of parasitic disease was reduced after these campaigns, reinfection took place repeatedly, and at a rapid rate. This paper re-examines the prevalence of seven helminth species (Ascaris lumbricoides), hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus), Hymenolepis nana, Strongyloides stercoralis, Taenia saginata, Trichostrongylus spp. and Trichuris trichiura) on the basis of geographical and socio-agricultural criteria. The considerable differences in the prevalence of these parasitoses--even between neighboring villages--emphasize the variability of human ecology in the region under study.
Agriculture↗
[Environmental monitoring in the foci of parasitic diseases in the town of Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, Odessa region].
The paper shows a role of environmental objects in the formation of parasitic diseases in Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, developmental changes in intestinal parasitic cenoses in children from closed institutions. To attract parasitologists to the diagnosis of acute intestinal infections of unspecified etiology increases the percent (49.5 to 82.0) of positive results. The findings show what environmental objects should be monitored in the sanitary and parasitological contexts: soil, vegetables, greens in helminthiasis; utensils in preschool children' establishments in contact helminthiasis; drinking water, vegetables, greens in giardiasis.
Adolescent↗
Prevalence of parasitism diagnosed by fecal examination in Louisiana dogs.
The prevalence of canine intestinal parasitism was evaluated by fecal examination of 4,058 dogs admitted to the Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Clinics from March 1977 to March 1980). One or more species of parasites was identified in 2,048 (50.5%) dogs. Hookworms were encountered in 38.5% of the dogs examined, whipworms in 14.9%, ascarids in 8.5%, coccidia in 2.6%, tapeworms in 2.2%, and giardia in 0.8%. Single parasitic infection was present in 1,456 (35.9%) dogs. For hookworm and whipworm infections, male dogs were significantly (P less than .05) more often affected, compared with females or spayed females. Ascarid, coccidia, and giardia infections were more prevalent in pups than in mature dogs, whereas whipworm infections were detected less often in dogs less than 6 months of age. Hookworms were the most prevalent parasites in male (39.2%) and female (35.7%) dogs less than 6 months of age and maintained high prevalence in mature dogs. Tapeworm infections were diagnosed sporadically in all age groups. In female dogs greater than 24 months of age, significantly less parasitism was present as compared with younger females. In male dogs, the prevalence of parasitism diminished less markedly with increasing age.
Age Factors↗
Parasitic infections and maternal awareness of preschool children in Karmouz district, Alexandria.
Intestinal parasitic infections are widespread especially among preschool children living in poor areas. Also pediculosis has been perceived as a public health nuisance for decades. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 256 children and their mothers in a poor urban district to assess mothers' knowledge and practices as regards parasitic infections and infestations that may be present in her preschool child, and to correlate the presence of these infections with her awareness. A pre-designed questionnaire that included socio-demographic data, items to assess mothers' knowledge of sources and preventive measures of parasitic infections and infestations and her practices was completed. A stool sample was collected from children and examined using formol-ether technique and Sellotape technique was used to detect Enterobius vermicularis. Pediculus capitis was diagnosed by inspection of the scalp and was found to be the most prevalent parasite found in 58.9% of those children followed by Enterobius vermicularis in 46%. A strong positive association between pediculosis and enterobiasis was detected (phi coefficient = 0.956, p < 0.001). Socioeconomic level affected both knowledge and practices scores where one point change in knowledge score or socioeconomic score caused an increase in practice score of 0.279 and 0.071, respectively. Also higher risk of pediculosis was found to be significantly associated with female sex and low socioeconomic level. An increase of one point in practice score showed a decrease in the log likelihood ratio of enterobiasis of 14.3%. The majority of mothers (77.3%) were found to be aware that their children had a parasitic infection, which was significantly associated with results of stool analysis. This indicates that awareness building is not enough to be of practical benefit. Appropriate and detailed control methods of parasitic infections and pediculosis must be taught and applied by parents and community. Socio-economic development, organized health programs and motivation should be undertaken to help today's children.
Adult↗
Structural analysis of ASCUT-1, a protein component of the cuticle of the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides.
CUT-1 from the intestinal parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides is a protein component of the insoluble residue of the cuticle, cuticlin. It contains the CUT-1-like domain which is shared by members of a novel family of components of extracellular matrices. The structure and the thermal stability of recombinant CUT-1 from A. lumbricoides (ASCUT-1) were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and CD spectroscopy. The data revealed that the secondary structure of the protein at 20 degrees C, both as insoluble inclusion bodies or in soluble form, contains about 50% beta structure, 14% alpha-helix and 25% turns. A tendency of A. lumbricoides CUT-1 to form aggregates was documented by FT-IR spectroscopy which showed also that the addition of SDS disrupts these interactions. Near-ultraviolet CD spectra confirmed these data and suggested that phenylalanine residues are probably involved in intermolecular hydrophobic interactions responsible for the tendency of the protein to aggregate. Near-ultraviolet spectra showed also that part of the cysteine residues forms disulphide bridges responsible for the tertiary architecture of the protein. Finally, FT-IR and CD data revealed that ASCUT-1 is very stable at high temperatures. This stability and the tendency of ASCUT-1 to form aggregates suggest that these properties may be important for a protein which is a component of a particularly resistant extracellular matrix such as the nematode cuticle.
Amino Acid Sequence↗