Search results for "Protozoa"
showing 10 items of 222 documents
Diagnóstico microbiológico de las infecciones gastrointestinales
2009
Resumen Las infecciones agudas del tracto gastrointestinal figuran entre las enfermedades infecciosas más frecuentes. En esta revisión se examinan diversas técnicas para diagnosticar las gastroenteritis que ocasionan bacterias, virus y parásitos. El coprocultivo es el método de elección para el diagnóstico de las infecciones bacterianas intestinales, aunque las infecciones por Clostridium difficile se pueden diagnosticar mediante la detección de las toxinas A y B en las heces y las infecciones por Escherichia coli diarreagénicas se pueden diagnosticar mediante la detección por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa de factores de virulencia específicos de los diversos enteropatotipos. Las técn…
Toxoplasmosis, a severe complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: successful treatment strategies during a 5-year single-ce…
1999
Toxoplasmosis is a rare but often fatal complication that occurs after patients undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. At our institution, toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 8 of 301 patients who received stem cell transplants. Disseminated toxoplasmosis with a rapid fatal course was observed in 2 patients. Six patients had cerebral toxoplasmosis diagnosed on the basis of neurological signs and observation of the patients' mental confusion, seizures, and typical lesions (which were assessed by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or both). Seroconversion of antitoxoplasma immunoglobulin and a discovery of toxoplasma deoxyribonucleic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid (c…
Misidentification ofDiphyllobothriumSpecies Related to Global Fish Trade, Europe
2014
To the Editor: Diphyllobothriosis, infection by tapeworms of the genus Diphyllobothrium (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) (1), is a well-known disease of humans. In Europe, infections caused by 3 species of Diphyllobothrium have recently been reported in humans: D. latum is considered to be the principal species infecting persons in Europe (1); 4 cases of D. dendriticum infection and 6 cases of D. nihonkaiense infection have also been reported (2,3). Except for those caused by D. latum, which is autochthonous in northeastern Europe and subalpine lakes, most of the cases in Europe have been imported or caused by consumption of fish imported from areas to which the parasites are endemic (1,3,4). …
Early Diagnosis of Acanthamoeba Infection during Routine Cytological Examination of Cerebrospinal Fluid
2006
ABSTRACT Early identification of Acanthamoeba in cerebrospinal fluid is mandatory to prevent fatal granulomatous amebic encephalitis. In the case presented here amebic trophozoites were detected in a routine cerebrospinal fluid sample. The antibiotic treatment and the apparently low virulence of this isolate were responsible for the benign progression of the infection.
Visceral leishmaniasis: host-parasite interactions and clinical presentation in the immunocompetent and in the immunocompromised host.
2013
SummaryVisceral leishmaniases are vector-borne parasitic diseases caused by protozoa belonging to the genus Leishmania. The heterogeneity of clinical manifestations and epidemiological characteristics of the disease reflect the complex interplay between the infecting Leishmania species and the genetic and immunologic characteristics of the infected host. The clinical presentation of visceral leishmaniasis depends strictly on the immunocompetency of the host and ranges from asymptomatic to severe forms. Conditions of depression of the immune system, such as HIV infection or immunosuppressive treatments, impair the capability of the immune response to resolve the infection and allow reactivat…
Freezing and storage at -20 °C provides adequate preservation of Toxoplasma gondii DNA for retrospective molecular analysis.
2014
Equipe EA MERS; International audience; Nucleic acid-based testing has become crucial for toxoplasmosis diagnosis. For retrospective (forensic or scientific) studies, optimal methods must be employed for DNA long-term storage. We compared Toxoplasma gondii detection before and after DNA storage using real-time PCR. No significant differences were found depending on duration or storage conditions at -20 °C or -80 °C.
Pediatric visceral leishmaniasis in Western Sicily, Italy: a retrospective analysis of 111 cases
2002
The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 111 consecutive cases of visceral leishmaniasis identified from 1980 to 2000 in a Sicilian pediatric hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of the patients was 1.7 years. All children were HIV negative, but 15% were severely malnourished. Fever and splenomegaly were present in all cases and hepatomegaly in 101 (90.1%) cases. Thrombocytopenia and anemia were both observed in 78 (70.2%) cases and leukopenia in 47 (42.3%) cases. A bone marrow aspirate was obtained in all cases; Leishmania amastigotes were detected in 89 (80.2%) cases. Initial treatment consisted of meglumine antimoniate in 99 (89.2%) patients and amphotericin B …
Computational Identification of Chemical Compounds with Potential Activity against Leishmania amazonensis using Nonlinear Machine Learning Techniques.
2019
Leishmaniasis is a poverty-related disease endemic in 98 countries worldwide, with morbidity and mortality increasing daily. All currently used first-line and second-line drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis exhibit several drawbacks including toxicity, high costs and route of administration. Consequently, the development of new treatments for leishmaniasis is a priority in the field of neglected tropical diseases. The aim of this work is to develop computational models those allow the identification of new chemical compounds with potential anti-leishmanial activity. A data set of 116 organic chemicals, assayed against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, is used to develop the the…
In vitro leishmanicidal activity of pyrazole-containing polyamine macrocycles which inhibit the Fe-SOD enzyme of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania b…
2014
The in vitro leishmanicidal activity and cytotoxicity of pyrazole-containing macrocyclic polyamines 1-4 was assayed on Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis species. Compounds 1-4 were more active and less toxic than glucantime and both infection rates and ultrastructural alterations confirmed that 1 and 2 were highly leishmanicidal and induced extensive parasite cell damage. Modifications in the excretion products of parasites treated with 1-3 were also consistent with substantial cytoplasm alterations. Compound 2 was highlighted as a potent inhibitor of Fe-SOD in both species, whereas its effect on human CuZn-SOD was poor. Molecular modelling suggested that 2 could deactivate Fe…
A molecular assembly system that renders antigens of choice highly repetitive for induction of protective B cell responses.
2002
Virus like particles (VLPs) are known to induce potent B cell responses in the absence of adjuvants. Moreover, epitope-specific antibody responses may be induced by VLPs that contain peptides inserted in their immunodominant regions. However, due to steric problems, the size of the peptides capable of being incorporated into VLPs while still permitting capsid assembly, is rather limited. While peptides genetically fused to either the N- or C-terminus of VLPs present fewer assembly problems, the immune responses obtained against such epitopes are often limited, most likely because the epitopes are not optimally exposed. In addition, such particles may be less stable in vivo. Here, we show th…