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Frontiers in Immunology 2022Many parasitic diseases (including cerebral malaria, human African trypanosomiasis, cerebral toxoplasmosis, neurocysticercosis and neuroschistosomiasis) feature acute or... (Review)
Review
Many parasitic diseases (including cerebral malaria, human African trypanosomiasis, cerebral toxoplasmosis, neurocysticercosis and neuroschistosomiasis) feature acute or chronic brain inflammation processes, which are often associated with deregulation of glial cell activity and disruption of the brain blood barrier's intactness. The inflammatory responses of astrocytes and microglia during parasite infection are strongly influenced by a variety of environmental factors. Although it has recently been shown that the gut microbiota influences the physiology and immunomodulation of the central nervous system in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, the putative link in parasite-induced neuroinflammatory diseases has not been well characterized. Likewise, the central nervous system can influence the gut microbiota. In parasite infections, the gut microbiota is strongly perturbed and might influence the severity of the central nervous system inflammation response through changes in the production of bacterial metabolites. Here, we review the roles of astrocytes and microglial cells in the neuropathophysiological processes induced by parasite infections and their possible regulation by the gut microbiota.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Central Nervous System; Inflammation; Malaria, Cerebral
PubMed: 36569929
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024998 -
Parasitology Research Apr 2021The mechanistic (or mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) is considered as a critical regulatory enzyme involved in essential signaling pathways affecting cell growth,... (Review)
Review
The mechanistic (or mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) is considered as a critical regulatory enzyme involved in essential signaling pathways affecting cell growth, cell proliferation, protein translation, regulation of cellular metabolism, and cytoskeletal structure. Also, mTOR signaling has crucial roles in cell homeostasis via processes such as autophagy. Autophagy prevents many pathogen infections and is involved on immunosurveillance and pathogenesis. Immune responses and autophagy are therefore key host responses and both are linked by complex mTOR regulatory mechanisms. In recent years, the mTOR pathway has been highlighted in different diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and infectious and parasitic diseases including leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and malaria. The current review underlines the implications of mTOR signals and intricate networks on pathogen infections and the modulation of this master regulator by parasites. Parasitic infections are able to induce dynamic metabolic reprogramming leading to mTOR alterations in spite of many other ways impacting this regulatory network. Accordingly, the identification of parasite effects and interactions over such a complex modulation might reveal novel information regarding the biology of the abovementioned parasites and might allow the development of therapeutic strategies against parasitic diseases. In this sense, the effects of inhibiting the mTOR pathways are also considered in this context in the light of their potential for the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases.
Topics: Animals; Autophagy; Cell Cycle; Cell Proliferation; Humans; Immunity; Leishmaniasis; Malaria; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Phosphorylation; Protein Biosynthesis; Signal Transduction; Sirolimus; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Toxoplasmosis
PubMed: 33534053
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07070-6 -
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2023
Topics: Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Helminthiasis; Drug Discovery; Neglected Diseases; Antiparasitic Agents
PubMed: 37254528
DOI: 10.2174/156802662309230522141052 -
Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology 2022Infectious diseases can be of serious public concerns because of its transmissibility. The parasitic infectious diseases in particular are often seen as neglected... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Infectious diseases can be of serious public concerns because of its transmissibility. The parasitic infectious diseases in particular are often seen as neglected diseases of poverty. The diagnostic tests for parasitic diseases barring malaria are not easily available specially in low resources settings where they are needed most. The conventional mode of diagnosis based on centralized laboratory is time consuming and resource intensive. The modern-day medicine has shifted the focus to patient care. The use of point of care tests (POCT) has increased worldwide because they provide rapid diagnosis within the consultation time that too near patient care areas. This is very useful for starting initial treatment. These POCT provide excellent solution for rural and hard to reach areas where parasitic diseases are most prevalent. Despite the high demand, a relatively limited number of validated rapid diagnostics are commercially available for parasitic infections.
OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT
This review aims to discuss various POCT available for these neglected parasitic diseases. Accurate detection of parasitic infection underpins a holistic approach to its control and management. The POCT can also be used to screen mass population to detect asymptomatic reservoirs and monitor interventions planned for elimination programs for many parasitic diseases. Recently focus is on integrated platforms and analysis of multiple analytes from single sample. Researchers are striving to produce POCT based on innovative technology such as lab-on-chip that can be made more affordable and suitable for low resource settings.
Topics: Communicable Diseases; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Malaria; Parasitic Diseases; Point-of-Care Systems; Point-of-Care Testing
PubMed: 35248402
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmmb.2022.02.003 -
Revista Medica de Chile Feb 2022Neurocysticercosis is the most prevalent parasitic disease of the central nervous system in Chile, where sporadic cases are reported, without information about the...
BACKGROUND
Neurocysticercosis is the most prevalent parasitic disease of the central nervous system in Chile, where sporadic cases are reported, without information about the epidemiology or distribution of the disease.
AIM
To identify the main risk zones for cysticercosis in Chile.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Analysis of hospital discharge databases between 2002 and 2019, available at the website of the Chilean Ministry of Health. Cases with B69 code of the tenth international classification of diseases were identified.
RESULTS
In the study period, there were 1752 discharges with the diagnoses of neurocysticercosis, ocular cysticercosis and cysticercosis of other sites. The ages of patients ranged from 0 to 89 years with a clustering between 30 and 59 years. Sixty two percent were males. The zone between the regions of Maule and Araucania concentrated 82% of cases.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified the zone with the greatest concentration of cysticercosis in Chile, where preventive strategies should eventually be directed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Central Nervous System; Child; Child, Preschool; Chile; Cysticercosis; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Neurocysticercosis; Patient Discharge; Young Adult
PubMed: 36156649
DOI: 10.4067/S0034-98872022000200222 -
Acta Tropica Dec 2019China was once a country plagued by parasitic diseases. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, nearly 80% of the population suffered from... (Review)
Review
China was once a country plagued by parasitic diseases. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, nearly 80% of the population suffered from parasitic diseases because of poverty and poor sanitary conditions. After nearly 70 years of development, China has made remarkable achievements in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases, and the prevalence of parasitic diseases has been greatly reduced. In addition to organizational leadership from the government and various preventive measures, drug treatment and drug research & development are important and irreplaceable links in prevention and control work. Since the 1950s, China has begun to introduce, produce and imitate antiparasitic drugs from abroad, such as santonin, benzimidazole, and praziquantel. Chinese scientists have also contributed to the optimization of production techniques, improvements in drug formulation, the application in the clinic and the mechanisms of actions of generic drugs. At the same time, China has independently developed tribendimidine (TrBD, a broad spectrum anthelminthic), and its anthelminthic spectrum has been comprehensively studied. It is active against almost 20 parasites, is especially superior to benzimidazoles against Necator americanus, and surpasses the effectiveness of praziquantel against Clonorchis sinensis. In the treatment of tapeworm disease, the traditional Chinese medicines pumpkin seeds and betel nuts have good curative effects for taeniasis. Chinese scientists have explored the action modes and clinical administration methods of pumpkin seeds and betel nuts, which is still the main clinical regimen for the disease. This paper reviews the history and progress of the study of anthelmintics in intestinal helminth infections since the founding of the People's Republic of China and aiming to support clinicians and drug researchers in China and other countries.
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Cestode Infections; China; Clonorchis sinensis; Helminthiasis; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Parasitic Diseases; Phenylenediamines; Praziquantel; Taeniasis
PubMed: 31542370
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105181 -
Clinics in Dermatology 2020Skin rashes have exanthema as a synonym, a term derived from the Greek words exanthem, meaning "to appear," and anthos, which denotes "flourishing." The relevant factors... (Review)
Review
Skin rashes have exanthema as a synonym, a term derived from the Greek words exanthem, meaning "to appear," and anthos, which denotes "flourishing." The relevant factors for characterization of a rash include distribution, configuration, and organization of the lesions, in addition to evidence of systemic involvement through toxemia, adenopathy, and conjunctive lesions, hepatosplenomegaly, excoriations or phlogosis, neck rigidity, or neurologic dysfunction. A rash may evolve to cutaneous ulceration in many instances, which is relevant for the diagnosis, the followup, and the therapeutic management of the patient. Systemic diseases with exanthemas that result in ulcerations prevail over diseases that are restricted to signs and/or merely cutaneous clinical manifestations. A variety of etiologies can present cutaneous rashes with ulcers, subject or not to systemic involvement by the underlying disease, among which stand out the bullous diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases, noninfectious granulomatous diseases, vasculitis, paraneoplastic syndromes, autoimmune diseases of the connective tissue, neutrophilic diseases, lichen planus, and drug hypersensitivity syndrome. The authors present a detailed review of some diseases corresponding to each one of the mentioned etiologies, updating the clinical manifestations and therapeutic proposals.
Topics: Autoimmune Diseases; Exanthema; Granuloma; Humans; Infections; Paraneoplastic Syndromes; Parasitic Diseases; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous; Skin Ulcer; Sweet Syndrome; Vasculitis
PubMed: 32197748
DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.10.021 -
Journal of Vector Borne Diseases 2020Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease of tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe which is classified as a neglected tropical disease. There is a paucity of knowledge for... (Review)
Review
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease of tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe which is classified as a neglected tropical disease. There is a paucity of knowledge for this disease especially in some parts of the world where leishmaniasis is endemic such as Cyprus island in the Mediterranean. This narrative review revealed cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as the dominant type of human leishmaniasis in the island. Host and disease type identification studies based on cats, dogs and rats showed Leishmania infantum parasite to be the leading species among others with a seroprevalence rate ranging from 3.55% to 14.9% in selected hosts with an indication of dogs as the main animal reservoir. Lack of focus on potential wild animal hosts creates an important evidence gap to overcome for the purpose of controlling leishmaniasis. We aim to present asynoptical review of leishmaniasis to critically analyse currently available data in literature about this disease in Cyprus.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Cyprus; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Leishmania infantum; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Rats; Seroepidemiologic Studies
PubMed: 34472502
DOI: 10.4103/0972-9062.311771 -
Experimental Biology and Medicine... Oct 2022Parasitic infections acquired by the population cause substantial morbidity worldwide, with individuals from developing countries being most affected. Some parasites... (Review)
Review
Parasitic infections acquired by the population cause substantial morbidity worldwide, with individuals from developing countries being most affected. Some parasites remain in the host for long periods, settling in different organs, manipulating the flow of nutrients and metabolites, and influencing the immune response, favoring their adaptation. The host attempts to counteract the metabolic and immunological alterations and the possible damage caused by infection. These metabolic and immunological changes experienced by the host can influence the progression of other existing morbidities or those that will be acquired in the future. Cancer and metabolic diseases are also frequent causes of morbidity in the world population. The large numbers of individuals affected by cancer and metabolic diseases and the high prevalence of morbidity caused by parasitic diseases favor the development of comorbidity involving these pathologies. This review provides an overview of major advances in research on cancer and metabolic diseases associated with parasitic infections. Information about hosts and parasites such as alterations of the immune response, metabolism and adaptation mechanisms of the parasites, and parasitic molecules with therapeutic potential is provided, as well as the beneficial results or complications related to the comorbidities discussed herein. We emphasize the need to conduct additional studies addressing comorbidities associated with parasitic infections to improve the understanding of the impact of this association on the progression of morbidities, as well as the possibility of the therapeutic use of and therapeutic approaches involving parasites.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Parasites; Comorbidity; Prevalence
PubMed: 35876147
DOI: 10.1177/15353702221108387 -
Child's Nervous System : ChNS :... Feb 2023Schistosomiasis is an endemic parasitic disease in several tropical countries. In Brazil, the only prevalent species of parasite responsible for schistosomiasis is... (Review)
Review
Schistosomiasis is an endemic parasitic disease in several tropical countries. In Brazil, the only prevalent species of parasite responsible for schistosomiasis is Schistosoma mansoni. Neuroschistosomiasis is the second most frequent form of infection and the primary ectopic manifestation, with predominant involvement of the lower thoracic spinal cord and lumbar and lumbosacral regions. The frequent contact of children with contaminated ponds and the immaturity of their immune systems make this age group especially susceptible to infection by this parasite. Therefore, neuroschistosomiasis mansoni should always be considered in cases of transverse myelitis in children from endemic regions. The treatment for this condition is quite simple and effective, resulting in total recovery of neurological deficits if the diagnosis is made early.
Topics: Animals; Child; Humans; Neuroschistosomiasis; Schistosoma mansoni; Spinal Cord Diseases; Brazil
PubMed: 36258049
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-022-05696-0