Ambystoma mexicanum/immunology* ; Amputation ; Animals ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Blastomeres/immunology* ; Cell Lineage/immunology* ; Connective Tissue Cells/immunology* ; Epithelial Cells/immunology* ; Forelimb ; Gene Expression ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Immunity ; Peroxiredoxins/immunology* ; Regeneration/immunology* ; Regenerative Medicine/methods* ; Single-Cell Analysis/methods*

Steroids are commonly used in patients with eosinophilic meningitis caused by A. cantonensis infections. The mechanism steroids act on eosinophilic meningitis remains unclear. In this mouse experiments, expressions of 14-3-3 isoform β and γ proteins significantly increased in the CSF 2–3 weeks after the infection, but not increasedin the dexamethasone-treated group. Expression of 14-3-3 β, γ, ɛ, and θ isoforms increased in brain meninges over the 3-week period after infection and decreased due to dexamethasone treatment. In conclusion, administration of dexamethasone in mice with eosinophilic meningitis decreased expressions of 14-3-3 isoform proteins in the CSF and in brain meninges.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis ; Angiostrongylus ; Animals ; Brain ; Dexamethasone ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Meninges ; Meningitis ; Mice ; Protein Isoforms ; Steroids

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The ingestion of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract usually happens as a result of accidental swallowing, and rarely produces symptoms. Although most foreign bodies are eliminated spontaneously, 10~20% of cases need treatment with endoscopy. We evaluated the role of endoscopy for removing foreign bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: We analyzed one hundred and thirty-nine cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract which were endoscopically treated at Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2001 to July 2004. RESULTS: Patients' age ranged from 6 months to 96 years old (mean 36.0 years old). The ratio of males to females was 1.2 : 1. The common foreign bodies included coins (29 cases) and fish bones (23 cases), animal bones (19 cases), and stones (15 cases) follows in order. The most common location was the esophagus (79.9%). In most cases (73.4%), the foreign body was removed using an alligator tooth and a grasping forceps. Twenty-eight among one hundred and thirty-nine patients had a co-morbid condition, such as esophageal disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stomach cancer, or a psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic removal is a very powerful and useful method for removing foreign bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, a simpler and more efficient endoscopic equipment is required
Alligators and Crocodiles ; Animals ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Deglutition ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Eating ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Diseases ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies* ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Numismatics ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgical Instruments ; Tooth ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract are produced chiefly by accidental swallowing, but rarely produce symptoms. Although most foreign bodies pass spontaneously, 10~20% of those need treatment. We evaluated the role of endoscopy for removal of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 80 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract who had been treated using endoscopy at Konyang University Hospital from February 2000 to July 2003. RESULTS: The age ranged from 14 months to 75 years (mean 36.8 years-old). Patients over 60 years, under 10 years were 20 cases and 28 cases, respectively and male to female ratio was 1.1:1. Common foreign bodies are coin (20 cases), fishbone (12 cases), animal bone (11 cases) and meat stuff (9 cases). The most common location was the esophagus (68.8%). In most cases (88.8%), foreign bodies were removed using alligator tooth forceps. Fourteen patients had co-morbidities such as esophageal diseases, psychiatric disorders, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stomach cancer, and subtotal gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopy is a useful tool for removal of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Alligators and Crocodiles ; Animals ; Deglutition ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Diseases ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies* ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Meat ; Numismatics ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgical Instruments ; Tooth ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

Melting temperature shift (T(m)-shift) is a new detection method that analyze the melting curve on real-time PCR thermocycler using SYBR Green I fluorescent dye. To establish a T(m)-shift method for the detection of Ancylostoma ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme in cats, specific primers, with GC tail of unequal length attached to their 5′ end, were designed based on 2 SNP loci (ITS101 and ITS296) of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences. The standard curve of T(m)-shift was established using the standard plasmids of A. ceylanicum (AceP) and A. tubaeforme (AtuP). The T(m)-shift method stability, sensitivity, and accuracy were tested with reference to the standard curve, and clinical fecal samples were also examined. The results demonstrated that the 2 sets of primers based on the 2 SNPs could accurately distinguish between A. ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme. The coefficient of variation (CV) of T(m)-values of AceP and AtuP was 0.07% and 0.06% in ITS101 and was 0.06% and 0.08% in ITS296, respectively. The minimum detectable DNA concentration was 5.22×10⁻⁶ and 5.28×10⁻⁶ ng/μl samples of AceP and AtuP, respectively. The accuracy of T(m)-shift method reached 100% based on examination of 10 hookworm DNA samples with known species. In the clinical detection of hookworm in 69 stray cat fecal sample, the T(m)-shift detection results were consistent with the microscopic examination and successfully differentiated between the 2-hookworm species. In conclusion, the developed method is a rapid, sensitive and accurate technique and can provide a promising tool for clinical detection and epidemiological investigation of cat-derived hookworms.
Ancylostoma ; Ancylostomatoidea ; Animals ; Cats ; DNA ; Freezing ; Methods ; Plasmids ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tail

The purpose of this study is to delineate the histopathologic findings of the spleen after Hantaan viral inoculation, which is the largest lymphoid organ in rats, and to identify the viral location by anti-Hantaan virus (HTNV) monoclonal antibody. All the sixty one suckling rats of less than twenty four hours of age were used. Except twenty one rats of control group, twenty-five rats inoculated intracerebrally for the early change and fifteen suckling rats inoculated intramuscularly for the late change were uniformly susceptible to lethal infection with the ROK 84-105-1 strain of seed HTNV. The characteristic histopathologic findings were; appearance of macrophages below the splenic capsule on the 3rd day, small lymphocytes around the periarteriolar sheath on the 5th day increasing in numbers on the 7th day, and a markedly expanded marginal zone with some immunoblasts and plasma cells as well as decreased extramedullary hematopoiesis on the 9th and 14th days. Time of onset of histopathologic changes in spleen thickness, appearance of medium and large lymphocytes and degree of extramedullary hematopoiesis were influenced by inoculation route, whereas expansion of the marginal zone was affected by postnatal age.
Animals ; Animals, Suckling ; Antigens, Viral/analysis ; Hantavirus/immunology ; Hematopoiesis ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/*pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Strains ; Spleen/*pathology

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode that needs to develop in different hosts in different larval stages. Freshwater snails, such as Pomacea canaliculata, are the intermediate host, and rats are the definitive host. Periodic shedding of the cuticle (moulting) is an important biological process for the survival and development of the parasite in the intermediate and definitive hosts. However, there are few studies on the cuticle alterations between different stages of this parasite. In this study, we observed the ultrastructural appearance and changes of the cuticle of the 2nd/3rd stage larvae (L2/L3) and the 3rd/4th stage larvae (L3/L4) using a scanning electron microscope. We also first divided L2/L3 into late L2 and early L3. The late L2 lacked alae, but possessed a pull-chain-like fissure. Irregular alignment of spherical particles on the cuticle were noted compared to the L3. Alae appeared in the early L3. The old cuticle turned into a thin film-like structure which adhered to the new cuticle, and spherical particles were seen regularly arranged on the surface of this structure. Regular rectangular cavities were found on the surface of L3/L4. The caudal structure of L3/L4 was much larger than that of L3, but caudal inflation, such as seen in L4, was not observed. These results are the first to reveal the ultrastructural changes of the cuticle of A. cantonensis before and after moulting of L2/L3 and L3/L4.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis/*physiology/*ultrastructure ; Animals ; Larva/physiology/ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; *Molting

OBJECTIVETo analyze the degrees on the epidemic foci of Angiostronglus cantonensis and to explore the measurement methods.

METHODSSnails (Pila gigas) were collected from the spots of Wenzhou, Cangnan, Yongjia, Yueqing in Zhejiang province and Minhou, Changle, Ningde in Fujian province. The snails were examined microscopically in order to calculate their infection rates and the average worm number in the positive snails, then taking the product of multiplication of both values as infestation index.

RESULTSThe infection rates of the epidemic foci were 10.59% (9/85), 60.74% (181/298), 34.96% (79/226), 32.90% (76/231), 57.50% (184/320), 40.00% (82/205), 17.65% (12/68) and the rates of infectivity were 6.57, 183.54, 121.73, 93.45, 276.36, 76.08, 12.65, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe epidemic foci were divided into five ranks (super, high, mid-range, low and non-epidemic foci) according to the value of infestation index which ranked from > 75, 30-75, 5-29, < 5 to 0.

OBJECTIVETo explore the development of the study on Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

METHODSA total of 930 papers were searched from the PubMed and Chinese Bio-medical Disc(CBM) database under the search terms of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and analyzed through publication time, journal and contents.

RESULTSThe number of papers published was found to increase annually, and two peaks of publication in national magazines occurred since 1996. Most papers were published in tropical medicine or professional journal of parasitology. The reports mostly documented cases and epidemiological investigations, and only a few investigated pathogenic mechanisms, drug treatment and other basic theory.

CONCLUSIONIt is in the initial stage of the study on Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Angiostrongyliasis, and there are a vast space in diagnosis, pathogenic mechanism, therapy and prevalence of Angiostrongyliasis cantonensis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; China ; Snails ; parasitology ; Strongylida Infections ; epidemiology