Background: The intestinal coccidian protozoa Cyclospora cayetanensis has emerged as an important cause of parasitic diarrhea among children living in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Cyclospora among the school children of Kathmandu with reference to various associated risk factors.Methodology: A total of five hundred and seven stool samples from students between the age of 3–14 years, studying in 13 different schools in Kathmandu were collected during the study period (May–November, 2014) and processed at the Public Health Research Laboratory, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. A modified acid fast staining technique (Kinyoun’s method) was used to detect oocyst of Cyclospora from the formal-ether concentrated stool samples.Results: Cyclospora was detected in 3.94% (20/507) of the stool samples examined. The prevalence was found to be highest among the students in the 3–5 year age group i.e. 10.15% (13/128), peaking during the rainy season (June–August). The detection rate was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) among children presenting with diarrheal symptoms, household keeping livestock and consumers of raw vegetables/fruits, showing a prevalence of 10.57% (11/104), 10.11% (9/89) and 7.25% (14/193) respectively.Conclusion: Consumption of untreated drinking water, fresh produce (raw fruits/vegetables) without proper washing and the presence of livestock at home were found to be predisposing factors for higher susceptibility of infection due to Cyclospora. This finding confirms the existence of a public-health issue with potentially serious consequences whereby children can be infected through exposure to oocysts in contaminated food and water and get ill as a result.

Background: The intestinalcoccidian protozoa Cyclospora cayetanensis has emerged as an important cause of parasitic diarrhea among the childrenliving in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Cyclospora among the school childrenof Kathmandu with relation to various associated risk factors. Methodology: A total of fivehundred and seven stool samples from students between the age group 3-14 years,studying in 13 different schools of Kathmandu were collected during the studyperiod (May- November, 2014) and processed in Public Health ResearchLaboratory, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. A modified Acid Faststaining technique (Kinyoun’s method) was used to detect oocyst of Cyclospora from the formal-etherconcentrated stool samples. Results: Cyclospora was detected in 3.94% (20/507) of the stool samplesexamined. The prevalence was found to be highest among the students between theage group 3-5 years i.e. 10.15% (13/128), peaking during the rainy season(June-August). The detection rate of the parasite was found to be significantlyhigher (p<0.05) among the children presenting with diarrheal symptom,household keeping livestock(s) and consumers of raw vegetables/fruits withprevalence10.57 % (11/104), 10.11% (9/89) and 7.25% (14/193) respectively. Conclusion: Consumptionof untreated drinking water, fresh produce (raw fruits/vegetables) withoutproper washing and livestock presence at home were found to be some of thepredisposing factors for higher susceptibility of infection due to Cyclospora. This finding confirms apublic-health issue with potentially serious consequences whereby, children canbe infected through the exposure to oocyst contaminated food, water and getill.

TNF-alpha is a major cytokine involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, water extract of Grifola frondosa (GFW) was evaluated for its protective effects against colon inflammation through the modulation of TNF-alpha action. In coculture of HT-29 human colon cancer cells with U937 human monocytic cells, TNF-alpha-induced monocyte adhesion to HT-29 cells was significantly suppressed by GFW (10, 50, 100 microg/ml). The reduced adhesion by GFW correlated with the suppressed expression of MCP-1 and IL-8, the major IBD-associated chemokines. In addition, treatment with GFW significantly suppressed TNF-alpha-induced reactive oxygen species production and NF-kappaB transcriptional activity in HT-29 cells. In differentiated U937 monocytic cells, LPS-induced TNF-alpha production, which is known to be mediated through NF-kappaB activation, was significantly suppressed by GFW. In an in vivo rat model of IBD, oral administration of GFW for 5 days (1 g/kg per day) significantly inhibited the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced weight loss, colon ulceration, myeloperoxidase activity, and TNF-alpha expression in the colon tissue. Moreover, the effect of GFW was similar to that of intra-peritoneal injection of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), an active metabolite of sulfasalazine, commonly used drug for the treatment of IBD. The results suggest that GFW ameliorates colon inflammation by suppressing production of TNF-alpha as well as its signaling through NF-kappaB leading to the expression of inflammatory chemokines, MCP-1 and IL-8. Taken together, the results strongly suggest GFW is a valuable medicinal food for IBD treatment, and thus may be used as an alternative medicine for IBD.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion/drug effects/immunology ; Cell Extracts/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Chemokine CCL2/biosynthesis/genetics ; Coculture Techniques ; Colon/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Grifola ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/chemically induced/*drug therapy/pathology/physiopathology ; Interleukin-8/biosynthesis/genetics ; Intestinal Mucosa/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; Monocytes/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; NF-kappa B/genetics/metabolism ; Peroxidase/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Stomach Ulcer ; Transcription, Genetic/drug effects ; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid/administration & dosage ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*biosynthesis/genetics ; U937 Cells ; Weight Loss