The importance of Toxoplasma gondii in human disease stimulated a number of electron microscope studies on the structure of this protozoan parasite. Gustafson et al. first studied the fine structure by means of thin sections in 1954. Many other papers havs subsequantly appeared. It is well known that Toxoplasma gondii has two stages in its life cycle-the proliferative forms and the cyst. The purpose of the electron microscopical work reported here was to study the fine structure of Toxoplasma gondii with recent techniques clarifying the correlation between the proliferative forms and cyst. RH strain and KM strain as proliferative forms on the one hand and Beverley strain as a cyst form of Toxoplasma gondii on the other hand were used throughout this study. The conoid, toxoneme, nucleus, nucleolus, osmiophilic granules, mitochondria and vacuoles were found in RH strain as wsll as in KM strain and Beverley strain. The endoplasmic reticulum was found in the cytoplasm of RH strain and KM strain. It was better developed in KM strain than in RH strain. The outside contour of the organism of Beverley strain was somewhat irregular and toxoneme of this organism was better developed than in the other two strains. Vacuoles were found in RH strain, KM strain and Beverley strain. Furthermore, tube-like bodies were observed in the vacuoles of the organism of RH strain. In KM strain, two organisms of the same size were demonstrated in the leucocytes. It was presumed that they were products of longitudinal division.
parasitology-protozoa- Toxoplasma gondii ; electron microscopy

Gangweon-do is known to be highly endemic area of sparganosis more than other provinces in Korea. A seroepidmiologic examination for the detection of anti-Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid IgG in serum was carried out in normal inhabitants in Hongcheon-gun, Gangweon-do. Sere were tested by enzyme-linked immunosrobent assay (ELISA) for the anti-sparganum antibodies. Positive rate for anti-sparganum antibody in 719 adults was 3.3%. Data of the questionnaire for 24 ELISA positive inhabitants revealed that 20 had a history of eating raw meat of snakes, 24 had a history of eating frogs, and 24 had a history of drinking stream water. Two positive cases had a past history of sparganosis. Two positive cases showed current symptoms of sparganosis. The data revealed that ELISA would be useful to find infected cases among normal inhabitants at sparganosis-endemic areas.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Immunoglobulin G/*blood ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sparganosis/*epidemiology ; Spirometra/*immunology

No abstract available.
Anemia, Dyserythropoietic, Congenital*

Recurrent or a second attack of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis have been known to be extremely rare. Acute exacerbation in chronic glomerulonephritis and recurrence of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis would be distinguishable shable clearly by histopathological, immuno-fluorescent and electron microscopic, studies from renal biopsy material. Recently we dealt with two cases of a second attack of APSGN in a 9 year old girl and a 12 year old boy and reviewed the literature and the possible mechanism is discussed.
Acute Disease ; Child ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis*/pathology ; Human ; Kidney/pathology ; Male ; Recurrence ; Streptococcal Infections*

The ultrastructural changes of mitochondria in the ovarian oocytes from Graafian follicles, the ovulated tubal ova, and the various stages of preimplantation rabbit embryos have been observed with an electron microscope. From the ovarian oocytes to the 4-cell stage, mitochondria showed oval and round forms with a few cristae arranged concentrically and peripherally at the inner membrane. In 8-cell and 16-cell stages, mitochondria tended to change their forms to be elongated, and their sizes, and the outer membrane of the mitochondria had a tendency to become rough and irregular although there were few changes in the inner structure. In morula, some mitochondria began to show several transverse cristae proceeding into the matrix. Mitochondria rapidly increased in number at the late blastocyst stage. Matrix of mitochondria with transverse cristae found in the morula and in blastocyst stages was less dense than that of the earlier stages. The authors believe that the morphological changes of mitochondria during early embryonal development indicate the level of enzymatic activity at which this organelle is engaged in energy metabolism.
Animal ; Cell Membrane/ultrastructure ; Embryo/ultrastructure* ; Embryo Implantation ; Female ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mitochondria/ultrastructure* ; Organoids/ultrastructure ; Ovum/ultrastructure ; Rabbits

A survey was conducted to determine the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Bat Dambang, Cambodia in March 2004. A total of 623 fecal specimens was collected from kindergarten and schoolchildren and examined using the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasites was 25.7% (boys, 26.2%; girls, 25.1%), and the infection rates of intestinal helminthes by species were as follows: Echinostoma sp. 4.8%, hookworm 3.4%, Hymenolepis nana 1.3%, and Rhabditis sp. 1.3%. The infection rates of intestinal protozoa were; Entamoeba coli 4.8%, Giardia lamblia 2.9%, Iodamoeba butschlii 1.4%, Entamoeba polecki 1.1%, and Entamoeba histolytica 0.8%. There were no egg positive cases of Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. All children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel, or metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in Bat Dambang, Cambodia.
Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Cambodia/epidemiology ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Helminthiasis/*epidemiology ; Helminths/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*epidemiology ; Male ; Protozoa/isolation & purification ; Protozoan Infections/*epidemiology

A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/therapeutic use ; Cambodia/epidemiology ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Human ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Intestines/parasitology ; Male ; Parasites/isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; Schools/*statistics & numerical data

This experiment was undertaken in order to find out if there is any morphological change in oocytes and two-cell embryos whose development have been suppressed by progesterone for six hours in vitro. It can be observed that some part of the outer side of nuclear membrane of the suppressed oocytes was damaged. The number of nuclear pores has decreased in suppressed oocytes and this suggests that progesterone might suppress the transport of intermediary metabolites between cytoplasm and nucleus. Sometimes, closely packed aggregates of parallel or irregular endoplasmic reticula were observed in suppressed oocytes. Microvilli of suppresed oocytes showed signs of degradation and the perivitelline space became apparent. Thus it is presumed that the egg membrane has constricted during cultivation under progesterone in vitro. The other cell organelles such as mitochondria, multivesicular bodies, cortical granules and fibrillar lattices showed no difference in morphology between treated and control (intact) oocytes. In two-cell embryos, there was also no evident morphological change except for the fact that many vacuoles appeared clearly in suppressed embryonal cells. In brief, there was no fundamental morphological change in the oocytes and the embryonal cells exposed to progesterone for six hours even though it inhibits their development. The action of progesterone should be investigated thoroughly.
Animal ; Embryo/cytology* ; Embryo/drug effects ; Female ; In Vitro ; Mice ; Oocytes/drug effects ; Oocytes/ultrastructure* ; Ovum/ultrastructure* ; Progesterone/pharmacology*

Since the Gordius worm is a parasite of crickets and several arthropods, cases of humans infected with this worm have been rare and accidental. A Gordius worm was obtained from a three-year-old girl who consulted a local clinic in Gwangju, Kyunggi-do, Korea. She lived in a rural area, and had eaten an insect that looked like a cricket. She expelled the worm in vomitus 15 minutes later; in fact, she expelled two worms, but one was discarded. The worm had a grayish white color and an intact outer surface. It was 16 cm in length and 0.6 cm wide. The posterior end of the worm was spirally enrolled and furcated into two caudal lobes, which were nearly cylindrical but showed a somewhat concave medio- ventral surface. The cloacal aperture was round and situated anterior to the point of bifurcation of the lobes. The cloacal aperture was encircled by a dark ring, which was a little removed from the aperture. The crescent fold was reddish brown, and no hairs were noticed over the entire body surface. The worm had the morphological features of a male Gordius. Accidental human cases involving the Gordius worm are rare and this is the first such case in Korea.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gryllidae/parasitology ; *Helminths ; Human ; Male ; Vomiting/*parasitology