Mucosal mast cell-derived chondroitin sulphates (sulphated proteoglycans) were assayed in gut washings and homogenate of FcRgamma-knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice challenged with Strongyloides venezuelensis in order to assess their possible role in secondary immunity against enteric nematodes. Groups of immune KO and WT mice were challenged by oral gavage with 300 infective larvae (L3). Establishment of infection was assessed by daily faecal analysis to determine the number of eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and by adult worm recovery on days 5 and 13 post challenge. Mucosal mast cell (MMC) counts were done on days 5 and 13 post challenge while MMC-derived chondroitin sulphates in gut washings (days 1 and 5) and homogenate (day 8) were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that patent infection occurred in challenged KO but not WT mice despite significantly higher mastocytosis in jejunal sections of KO than WT mice (p<0.001). Similarly but against prediction, significantly higher concentration of MMC-derived chondroitin sulphates was observed in gut homogenate of KO than WT mice (p<0.05). In contrast, significantly higher concentration of chondroitin sulphates was observed in gut washings of WT than KO mice (p<0.05). These results suggest that MMC in KO mice failed to release sufficient amount of sulphated proteoglycans into the gut lumen as did the WT mice, which may have been part of the hostile environment that prevented the establishment in and eventual expulsion of adult S. venezuelensis from the gut of WT mice following challenge.
Animals ; Cell Count/veterinary ; Chondroitin Sulfates/*immunology/metabolism ; Chymases ; Feces/parasitology ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/immunology/*veterinary ; Intestinal Mucosa/cytology/immunology/parasitology ; Jejunum/cytology/immunology/parasitology ; Male ; Mast Cells/immunology/metabolism/*parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Parasite Egg Count/veterinary ; Receptors, IgG/*immunology ; Serine Endopeptidases/blood/immunology ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Strongyloides/*immunology ; Strongyloidiasis/immunology/parasitology/*veterinary

No abstract available.
Animals ; *Base Sequence ; DNA, Helminth/*genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*genetics ; *Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Electron Transport Complex IV/*genetics ; Helminth Proteins/*genetics

Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by infection with lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus. In Vietnam, research on Paragonimus and paragonimiasis has been conducted in northern and central regions of the country. Using a combination of morphological and molecular methods, 7 Paragonimus species, namely P. heterotremus, P. westermani, P. skrjabini, P. vietnamensis, P. proliferus, P. bangkokenis and P. harinasutai, have been identified in Vietnam. Of these, the first 3, P. heterotremus, P. westermani and P. skrjabini, are known to infect humans in other countries. However, in Vietnam, only P. heterotremus, found in some northern provinces, has been shown to infect humans. Even nowadays, local people in some northern provinces, such as Lai Chau and Yen Bai, are still suffering from P. heterotremus infection. In some provinces of central Vietnam, the prevalence and infection intensity of P. westermani metacercariae in freshwater crabs (the second intermediate hosts) are extremely high, but human cases have not been reported. Likewise, although P. skrjabini was found in Thanh Hoa Province, its pathogenicity to humans in Vietnam still remains uncertain. The results of molecular phylogenetic analyses of Vietnamese Paragonimus species provides new insights on the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Paragonimus. Comprehensive molecular epidemiological and geobiological studies on the genus in Vietnam and adjacent countries are needed to clarify the biodiversity and public health significance of the lung flukes.
Animals ; Humans ; Paragonimiasis/*epidemiology ; Paragonimus/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Shellfish/parasitology ; Vietnam/epidemiology

Angiostrongyliasis, caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, is a food-borne parasitic disease. Its larvae evoke eosinophilic inflammation in the central nervous system, but can also cause pathological changes in the eyes. Among ocular angiostrongyliasis cases, the incidence of optic neuritis is low and only few sporadic reports exist. Some patients with optic neuritis developed obvious hypopsia or even vision loss, which would seriously influence the quality of life of patients. Prompt treatment of optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis is the key factor for minimizing the incidence of serious complications of this disease. In this review, we first provide a comprehensive overview of ocular angiostrongyliasis, and then focus on the clinical features of optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis/*isolation & purification ; Animals ; Asia/epidemiology ; Eye Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Optic Neuritis/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Strongylida Infections/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology

Among Paragonimus species, P. paishuihoensis is one of the most mysterious and poorly understood species. Metacercariae are characterized by having a unique dendritically branched excretory bladder. However, the morphology of the adult worm remains unknown. To date, metacercariae of this species have been reported only in China and Thailand. In this study, we first found P. paishuihoensis metacercariae in freshwater crabs, Potamon lipkei, in Hinheub District, Vientiane, Lao PDR, with a prevalence of 77.7% and the average intensity of 10.3 (range 1-28) metacercariae per crab. The molecular data based on ITS2 and CO1 markers indicated that P. paishuihoensis from Laos and Thailand were almost completely identical and were close to members of the Paragonimus bangkokensis/Paragonimus harinasutai complex. Attempts to infect experimental animals (cats, dogs, and rats) with P. paishuihoensis were unsuccessful, suggesting that these animals might be unsuitable definitive hosts for the species. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the taxonomic status and life cycle of P. paishuihoensis.
Animals ; Brachyura/*parasitology ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Fresh Water ; Laos ; Metacercariae/*isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Paragonimus/*isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology

Paragonimiasis is an important food-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by infection with lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus. Of the 7 members of the genus known in Thailand until recently, only P. heterotremus has been confirmed as causing human disease. An 8th species, P. pseudoheterotremus, has recently been proposed from Thailand, and has been found in humans. Molecular data place this species as a sister species to P. heterotremus, and it is likely that P. pseudoheterotremus is not specifically distinct from P. heterotremus. In this study, we collected metacercariae of both nominal species (identification based on metacercarial morphology) from freshwater crabs from Phetchabun Province in northern Thailand, Saraburi Province in central Thailand, and Surat Thani Province in southern Thailand. In addition, we purchased freshwater crabs imported from Myanmar at Myawaddy Province, western Thailand, close to the Myanmar-Thailand border. The DNAs extracted from excysted metacercariae were PCR-amplified and sequenced for ITS2 and cox1 genes. The ITS2 sequences were nearly identical among all samples (99-100%). Phylogenies inferred from all available partial cox1 sequences contained several clusters. Sequences from Indian P. heterotremus formed a sister group to sequences from P. pseudoheterotremus-type metacercariae. Sequences of P. heterotremus from Thailand, Vietnam, and China formed a separate distinct clade. One metacercaria from Phitsanulok Province was distinct from all others. There is clearly considerable genetic variation in the P. heterotremus complex in Thailand and the form referred to as P. pseudoheterotremus is widely distributed in Thailand and the Thai-Myanmar border region.
Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Metacercariae/genetics/isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Myanmar ; Paragonimus/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology ; Shellfish/parasitology ; Thailand

A 15-year-old boy, who had recently arrived back from a trip to Cambodia for a missionary camp, presented with several serpiginous thread-like skin lesions that began as small papules on the left upper extremities 2 weeks before his visit to Hospital. The skin lesions were pruritic and erythematous, and had migrated to the chest and abdomen. The histopathological findings showed only lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltrations in the dermis of the biopsied skin lesion. The patient's serum reacted strongly to the Ancylostoma caninum antigen by an ELISA method. Therefore, he was diagnosed with cutaneous larva migrans by A. caninum. After the oral administration of albendazole and ivermectin, the skin lesions resolved without recurrence. This is the first reported case of a cutaneous larva migrans caused by Ancylostoma canimum diagnosed serologically using ELISA in Korea.
Adolescent ; Ancylostoma/*immunology ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Larva Migrans/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Male

OBJECTIVETo improve the clinician's awareness of angiostrongyliasis.

METHODSThe clinical and laboratory data as well as the epidemiological information concerning 18 patients with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis were analyzed.

RESULTSAll patients had a history of eating raw fresh water snail (Ampularium canaliculatus) before the onset of the disease. Incubation period ranged from 1 to 25 days. The major symptoms of the patients had severe headache and pain in the trunk and limbs. Increased eosinophlic count in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid was noted. Tested by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA), sera were specifically IgG-antibody positive against Angiostrougylus cantonensis antigen, but were negative against other parasitic antigens such as Paragonimus westermani, Cysticerus, Cellulosae hominis, Echinococcus granulosus and Trichinella spiralis. Abnormal spotty signals were found in 2 cases with brain magnetic resonance imaging. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed slow alpha rhythm. All the patients were effectively treated with combined administration of albendazole and dexamethazone.

CONCLUSIONSAngiostrongyliasis is one of the common causes leading to eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. To our knowledge, Wenzhou is the first small outbreak site of angiostrongyliasis discovered in Chinese mainland.

Adult ; Albendazole ; administration & dosage ; Angiostrongylus cantonensis ; Animals ; Dexamethasone ; administration & dosage ; Eosinophilia ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningoencephalitis ; etiology ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Strongylida Infections ; complications ; drug therapy

BACKGROUND: Sparganosis is a larval cestodiasis caused by the plerocercoid of Spirometra spp. Since the first description of human sparganosis in 1924, several hundred cases have been reported in Korea. However, systematic approaches for literature surveys of Korean sparganosis have seldom appeared. METHODS: We searched publicly available databases such as PubMed, Research Information Sharing Service, and Korea Medical Citation Index with relevant Medical Subject Headings. RESULTS: At least 438 Korean sparganosis cases have been described from 1924 to 2015. Preoperative diagnosis has been significantly increased since the 1980s due to popularization of serological and imaging diagnostics. Cases were largely detected from fifth decades in general, but cerebral sparganosis was detected in relatively young age groups (third and fourth decades). Sparganosis was prevalent in men (75.9%). Consumption of frog/snake and drinking unfiltered water were found in 63.4% and 16.9% of patients, respectively. Most frequently affected sites were subcutaneous tissues (49.9%), followed by the central nervous system (36.2%). Involvements of visceral organs (7.6%), ocular regions (3.6%), and muscles (2.7%) were noticed. In women, breast sparganosis constituted a large proportion (34.2%). Sparganosis associated with immunocompromised patients has recently been reported. CONCLUSION: Sparganosis has been continuously reported in Korea during the past 90 years, although its incidence has decreased during the last 20 years. The disease is mostly characterized by subcutaneous nodule, but infection of the worm in vital organs often results in serious illness. Continuous awareness is warranted to monitor sparganosis occurrence and associated clinical consequences.
Breast ; Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Drinking ; Female ; Humans* ; Immunocompromised Host ; Incidence ; Information Dissemination ; Korea* ; Male ; Medical Subject Headings ; Muscles ; Sparganosis* ; Sparganum ; Spirometra ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Water

The aim of this study is to clarify the clinical features of Haplorchis taichui infection in humans in Nan Province, Thailand, and to correlate the clinical features with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms. In this study area, only H. taichui, but neither other minute intestinal flukes nor small liver flukes were endemic. The degree of infection was determined by fecal egg counts and also by collecting adult worms after deworming. The signs and symptoms of individual patients together with their hematological and biochemical laboratory data were gathered to evaluate the relationship between the clinical features and the severity of infection. Special emphasis was made to elucidate the possible similarities of the clinical features of H. taichui infection and IBS-like symptoms. The results showed useful clinical information and the significant (> 50%) proportion of haplorchiasis patients complained of abdominal pain, lassitude, and flatulence, which were the important diagnostic symptoms of IBS. This study has reported a possible link between H. taichui and IBS, and H. taichui might probably play a role in the etiology of these IBS-like symptoms.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Heterophyidae/*isolation & purification/physiology ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/*parasitology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thailand ; Trematode Infections/*parasitology ; Young Adult