Search results for "MINT"
showing 10 items of 2181 documents
Morphological and molecular characterization of Paragonimus caliensis Little, 1968 (Trematoda: Paragonimidae) from Medellin and Pichinde, Colombia
2018
Paragonimiasis is a subacute to chronic inflammatory granulomatous lung disease caused by the genus Paragonimus. In Latin America Paragonimus mexicanus Miyazaki & Ishii, 1968 is the only confirmed species to cause human infections. Paragonimus caliensis Little, 1968 is an uncommon species often regarded as a synonym of P. mexicanus. Recently, the study of two types of Paragonimus metacercariae from Costa Rica has provided new molecular and morphological evidence that P. caliensis is a separate species from P. mexicanus. In the present study, molecular, morphological and phylogenetic tools have been used to characterize two populations of Paragonimus located at west of Medellin, Antioquia an…
Fasciola spp: Mapping of the MF6 epitope and antigenic analysis of the MF6p/HDM family of heme-binding proteins
2017
MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a small cationic heme-binding protein which is recognized by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) MF6, and abundantly present in parenchymal cells and secreted antigens of Fasciola hepatica. Orthologs of this protein (MF6p/HDMs) also exist in other causal agents of important foodborne trematodiasis, such as Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini and Paragonimus westermani. Considering that MF6p/FhHDM-1 is relevant for heme homeostasis in Fasciola and was reported to have immunomodulatory properties, this protein is expected to be a useful target for vaccination. Thus, in this study we mapped the epitope recognized by mAb MF6 and evaluated its antigenicity in sheep. The sequenc…
Potential Influence of Helminth Molecules on COVID-19 Pathology
2020
In recent months, the parasitology research community has been tasked with investigation of the influence of parasite coinfection on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. Herein, we share our approach to analyze the effect of the trematode Fasciola hepatica as a modulator of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and of COVID-19 pathology.
Microbial diversity along a gradient in peatlands treating mining-affected waters.
2018
Peatlands are used for the purification of mining-affected waters in Northern Finland. In Northern climate, microorganisms in treatment peatlands (TPs) are affected by long and cold winters, but studies about those microorganisms are scarce. Thus, the bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities along gradients of mine water influence in two TPs were investigated. The TPs receive waters rich in contaminants, including arsenic (As), sulfate (SO42-) and nitrate (NO3-). Microbial diversity was high in both TPs, and microbial community composition differed between the studied TPs. Bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria, archaeal commu…
Life history adjustments to intestinal inflammation in a gut nematode.
2017
ABSTRACT Many parasitic nematodes establish chronic infections. This implies a finely tuned interaction with the host immune response in order to avoid infection clearance. Although a number of immune interference mechanisms have been described in nematodes, how parasites adapt to the immune environment provided by their hosts remains largely unexplored. Here, we used the gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus to investigate the plasticity of life history traits and immunomodulatory mechanisms in response to intestinal inflammation. We adopted an experimental model of induced colitis and exposed worms to intestinal inflammation at two different developmental stages (larvae and …
Association between urticaria and nematode infections
2018
Background The association between parasites and urticaria was first suggested in the last century. A wide range, 0-75.4%, of the prevalence of parasitic infection has been reported with chronic urticaria (CU). Moreover, urticaria may be detected in patients with parasitosis. Nematodes are a type of helminth that infect hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. Objective The aim of this work was to collect and review the published studies and cases of urticaria associated with nematode infections. Methods A search of scientific literature data bases from January 1960 until May 2017 was carried out. Results Numerous nematode infections have been associated with urticaria and/or an…
Come rain or come shine: environmental effects on the infective stages of Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a key pathogen in Mediterranean aquaculture
2018
Background Evidence concerning the environmental influence on monogenean transmission and infection processes is widely accepted, although only the effects of a limited number of abiotic factors on particular monogenean species have been explored. The current context of climate change calls for further research both on this subject, and also that concerning monogenean hosts, especially in aquaculture. Methods In this study, four experiments were used to assess the response of the infective stages of Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a pathogenic monogenean from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) cultures in the Mediterranean, to variations of temperature (from 10 °C to 30 °C), pH (7.0 and 7.9), phot…
Potential risk analysis of human anisakiasis through the consumption of mackerel, Scomber scombrus, sold at Spanish supermarkets
2016
Abstract Herein, the potential risk of human anisakiasis through the consumption of mackerel, Scomber scombrus , sold at nationwide Spanish supermarket chains is assessed, by means of the identification of anisakid and other nematode species found, and the analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may influence the prevalence and abundance of nematode worms, as well as their presence in the viscera or in the flesh. 231 fresh mackerel specimens caught between 2008 and 2014 (140 from the Atlantic and 91 from the Mediterranean), captured in autumn and spring and acquired at nationwide Spanish supermarket chains, were examined dissecting their viscera and submitting their flesh to artifi…
Resistance against Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) secondary infections in mice is not dependent on the ileal protein production
2016
Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) is an intestinal trematode, which has been widely employed to investigate the factors determining the rejection of intestinal helminths. Protein production patterns of intestinal epithelial cells are related to the infection-induced changes that determine the course of E. caproni infections. Herein, we compare the protein production profiles in the ileum of four experimental groups of mice: control; infected; dewormed and reinfected. Worm burdens were significantly lower in secondary infections, confirming the generation of partial resistance to homologous secondary infections in mice. However, quantitative comparison by 2D-DIGE showed that …
Prevalence and intensity of neglected tropical diseases (schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths) amongst rural female pupils in Ugu district,…
2020
Background Inadequate water supply and sanitation adversely affects the health and socio-economic development of communities and places them at risk of contracting schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and STHs amongst female school-going pupils in Ugu district. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Ugu district amongst primary school pupils from 18 randomly selected schools in 2010. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the history and knowledge of bilharzia of 1057 pupils. One stool and 3 consecutive days of urine samples were co…