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Frontiers in Immunology 2021Inflammation is an integral part of defense against most infectious diseases. These pathogen-induced immune responses are in very many instances strongly influenced by... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
Inflammation is an integral part of defense against most infectious diseases. These pathogen-induced immune responses are in very many instances strongly influenced by host's sex. As a consequence, sexual dimorphisms were observed in susceptibility to many infectious diseases. They are pathogen dose-dependent, and their outcomes depend on pathogen and even on its species or subspecies. Sex may differentially affect pathology of various organs and its influence is modified by interaction of host's hormonal status and genotype: sex chromosomes X and Y, as well as autosomal genes. In this Mini Review we summarize the major influences of sex in human infections and subsequently focus on 22 autosomal genes/loci that modify in a sex-dependent way the response to infectious diseases in mouse models. These genes have been observed to influence susceptibility to viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and worms. Some sex-dependent genes/loci affect susceptibility only in females or only in males, affect both sexes, but have stronger effect in one sex; still other genes were shown to affect the disease in both sexes, but with opposite direction of effect in females and males. The understanding of mechanisms of sex-dependent differences in the course of infectious diseases may be relevant for their personalized management.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Bacterial Infections; Child; Communicable Diseases; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Helminthiasis; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Inflammation; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Middle Aged; Models, Biological; Mycoses; Parasitic Diseases; Quantitative Trait Loci; Sex Characteristics; Sex Distribution; Species Specificity; Virus Diseases; Young Adult
PubMed: 34721380
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.712688 -
Parasitology Aug 2019Microbial parasites adapted to thrive at mammalian mucosal surfaces have evolved multiple times from phylogenetically distant lineages into various extracellular and...
Microbial parasites adapted to thrive at mammalian mucosal surfaces have evolved multiple times from phylogenetically distant lineages into various extracellular and intracellular life styles. Their symbiotic relationships can range from commensalism to parasitism and more recently some host-parasites interactions are thought to have evolved into mutualistic associations too. It is increasingly appreciated that this diversity of symbiotic outcomes is the product of a complex network of parasites-microbiota-host interactions. Refinement and broader use of DNA based detection techniques are providing increasing evidence of how common some mucosal microbial parasites are and their host range, with some species being able to swap hosts, including from farm and pet animals to humans. A selection of examples will illustrate the zoonotic potential for a number of microbial parasites and how some species can be either disruptive or beneficial nodes in the complex networks of host-microbe interactions disrupting or maintaining mucosal homoeostasis. It will be argued that mucosal microbial parasitic diversity will represent an important resource to help us dissect through comparative studies the role of host-microbe interactions in both human health and disease.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Animals; Host Microbial Interactions; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Mucous Membrane; Parasitic Diseases; Phylogeny; Symbiosis; Zoonoses
PubMed: 31378213
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182019000647 -
Cell Reports Aug 2023Infections cause catabolism of fat and muscle stores. Traditionally, studies have focused on understanding how the innate immune system contributes to energy stores...
Infections cause catabolism of fat and muscle stores. Traditionally, studies have focused on understanding how the innate immune system contributes to energy stores wasting, while the role of the adaptive immune system remains elusive. In the present study, we examine the role of the adaptive immune response in adipose tissue wasting and cachexia using a murine model of the chronic parasitic infection Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness. We find that the wasting response occurs in two phases, with the first stage involving fat wasting caused by CD4+ T cell-induced anorexia and a second anorexia-independent cachectic stage that is dependent on CD8+ T cells. Fat wasting has no impact on host antibody-mediated resistance defenses or survival, while later-stage muscle wasting contributes to disease-tolerance defenses. Our work reveals a decoupling of adaptive immune-mediated resistance from the catabolic response during infection.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cachexia; Anorexia; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Neoplasms; Adipose Tissue; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 37490905
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112814 -
International Journal of Infectious... Jul 2020The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemic scope, epidemic pattern and degree of damage of clonorchiasis as well as to summarize the diagnosis and control... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemic scope, epidemic pattern and degree of damage of clonorchiasis as well as to summarize the diagnosis and control effect of clonorchiasis in Shandong Province, China.
METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted to summarize the research on the dynamic epidemiology and the prevention and treatment measures of clonorchiasis in Shandong Province, China from 1962 to 2015.
RESULTS
After unremitting efforts and three nationwide surveys on the distribution and infection of human parasites, the infection rate of clonorchiasis decreased from 1.51% (1,500, 000) in the1960s to 0.16% in 1991, 0.04% in 2000 and 0.007% in 2015, respectively. The infection rate for villages with perennial water accumulation and rainy season water accumulation was higher than that of villages with rainy season water accumulation and non-water accumulation. The egg flotation in 70% potassium iodide solution method was applied to accurately test the specific proportion of C. sinensis eggs, which was 1.42. Using the modified Kato thick smear method, the detection rate of eggs was over 98%; hexachloroparaxylene yielded satisfactory therapeutic effects with slight adverse reactions, it is effective in the treatment of clonorchiasis.
CONCLUSIONS
After 50 years of active prevention and treatment, the disease has been successfully controlled in Shandong Province and had been used for reference in other endemic areas of clonorchiasis in China.
Topics: China; Clonorchiasis; Epidemics; Health Surveys; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Prevalence; Rain; Retrospective Studies; Seasons
PubMed: 32344009
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.04.052 -
Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the... 2020In developed countries, it is said that "threats of infectious diseases are already thought as things of the past". However, as you can see in the case of Ebola... (Review)
Review
In developed countries, it is said that "threats of infectious diseases are already thought as things of the past". However, as you can see in the case of Ebola hemorrhagic fever that occurred in West Africa, this is a big mistake. Among infectious diseases, only smallpox has been successfully eradicated worldwide. In addition to the three major infectious diseases of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, there is another group called emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Recently, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have been listed as threats by the WHO, as have drug-resistant bacteria. The spread of these pathogens is increasing due to an increase in global travel. Malaria and more than half of the NTDs are parasitic diseases, such as trypanosomiasis and soil-borne helminthiasis. These are caused by parasites, with eukaryotes similar to their host mammals. In the case of these NTDs, protective immune responses induced by differences between a pathogen and host do not work well, and there is no vaccine against parasites. As for drugs developed to treat these diseases, because the properties of enzymes and target receptors are very similar, and effective drugs simultaneously show efficacy against both the disease and the host, severe side effects often occur. Therefore, the search for targets specifically present in parasites, and screening for drugs that inhibit their physiological functions, is extremely important. Here, as an example of the development of antiparasitic drugs, I will introduce a study on malaria.
Topics: Animals; Antimalarials; Antiparasitic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Drug Development; Helminthiasis; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola; Humans; Malaria; Neglected Diseases; Trypanosomiasis
PubMed: 32612051
DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.19-00255-1 -
Trends in Parasitology Apr 2023While prevention is a bedrock of public health, innovative therapeutics are needed to complement the armamentarium of interventions required to achieve disease control... (Review)
Review
While prevention is a bedrock of public health, innovative therapeutics are needed to complement the armamentarium of interventions required to achieve disease control and elimination targets for neglected diseases. Extraordinary advances in drug discovery technologies have occurred over the past decades, along with accumulation of scientific knowledge and experience in pharmacological and clinical sciences that are transforming many aspects of drug R&D across disciplines. We reflect on how these advances have propelled drug discovery for parasitic infections, focusing on malaria, kinetoplastid diseases, and cryptosporidiosis. We also discuss challenges and research priorities to accelerate discovery and development of urgently needed novel antiparasitic drugs.
Topics: Humans; Drug Discovery; Parasitic Diseases; Antiparasitic Agents; Malaria; Technology
PubMed: 36803572
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.01.010 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2020Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are important cytokines playing critical roles in various infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Studies have also shown that IFN-Is... (Review)
Review
Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are important cytokines playing critical roles in various infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Studies have also shown that IFN-Is exhibit 'conflicting' roles in malaria parasite infections. Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle with multiple developing stages in two hosts. Both the liver and blood stages of malaria parasites in a vertebrate host stimulate IFN-I responses. IFN-Is have been shown to inhibit liver and blood stage development, to suppress T cell activation and adaptive immune response, and to promote production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in animal models. Different parasite species or strains trigger distinct IFN-I responses. For example, a strain can stimulate a strong IFN-I response during early infection, whereas its isogenetic strain does not. Host genetic background also greatly influences IFN-I production during malaria infections. Consequently, the effects of IFN-Is on parasitemia and disease symptoms are highly variable depending on the combination of parasite and host species or strains. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7, TLR9, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) coupled with stimulator of interferon genes (STING) are the major receptors for recognizing parasite nucleic acids (RNA/DNA) to trigger IFN-I responses. IFN-I levels are tightly regulated, and various novel molecules have been identified to regulate IFN-I responses during malaria infections. Here we review the major findings and progress in ligand recognition, signaling pathways, functions, and regulation of IFN-I responses during malaria infections.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Animals; Interferon Type I; Malaria; Parasitemia; Plasmodium yoelii
PubMed: 33344264
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.594621 -
A versatile microfluidic platform for malaria infection screening and Plasmodium species genotyping.EBioMedicine Dec 2023Malaria, a widespread parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium species, remains a significant global health concern. Rapid and accurate detection, as well as species...
BACKGROUND
Malaria, a widespread parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium species, remains a significant global health concern. Rapid and accurate detection, as well as species genotyping, are critical for effective malaria control.
METHODS
We have developed a Flexible, Robust, Equipment-free Microfluidic (FREM) platform, which integrates recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based detection, enabling simultaneous malaria infection screening and Plasmodium species genotyping. The microfluidic chip enabled the parallel detection of multiple Plasmodium species, each amplified by universal RPA primers and genotyped by specific crRNAs. The inclusion of a sucrose solution effectively created spatial separation between the RPA and CRISPR assays within a one-pot system, effectively resolving compatibility issues.
FINDINGS
Clinical assessment of DNA extracts from patients with suspected malaria demonstrates the FREM platform's superior sensitivity (98.41%) and specificity (92.86%), yielding consistent results with PCR-sequencing for malaria detection, which achieved a positive predictive agreement of 98.41% and a negative predictive agreement of 92.86%. Additionally, the accuracy of species genotyping was validated through concordance rates of 90.91% between the FREM platform and PCR-sequencing.
INTERPRETATION
The FREM platform offers a promising solution for point-of-care malaria screening and Plasmodium species genotyping. It highlights the possibility of improving malaria control efforts and expanding its applicability to address other infectious diseases.
FUNDING
This work was financially supported by International Joint Laboratory on Tropical Diseases Control in Greater Mekong Subregion, National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Research and Development Plan of China.
Topics: Humans; Microfluidics; Genotype; China; Plasmodium; Malaria; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 38029461
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104898 -
American Family Physician Sep 2021
Topics: Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Strongyloidiasis
PubMed: 34523890
DOI: No ID Found -
International Journal For Parasitology Jul 2020This review addresses the research landscape regarding vaccines against scour worms, particularly Trichostrongylus spp. and Teladorsagia circumcincta. The inability of... (Review)
Review
This review addresses the research landscape regarding vaccines against scour worms, particularly Trichostrongylus spp. and Teladorsagia circumcincta. The inability of past research to deliver scour-worm vaccines with reliable and reproducible efficacy has been due in part to gaps in knowledge concerning: (i) host-parasite interactions leading to development of type-2 immunity, (ii) definition of an optimal suite of parasite antigens, and (iii) rational formulation and administration to induce protective immunity against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) at the site of infestation. Recent 'omics' developments enable more systematic analyses. GIN genomes are reaching completion, facilitating "reverse vaccinology" approaches that have been used successfully for the Rhipicephalus australis vaccine for cattle tick, while methods for gene silencing and editing in GIN enable identification and validation of potential vaccine antigens. We envisage that any efficacious scour worm vaccine(s) would be adopted similarly to "Barbervax™" within integrated parasite management schemes. Vaccines would therefore effectively parallel the use of resistant animals, and reduce the frequency of drenching and pasture contamination. These aspects of integration, efficacy and operation require updated models and validation in the field. The conclusion of this review outlines an approach to facilitate an integrated research program.
Topics: Animals; Ostertagia; Ostertagiasis; Parasitic Diseases, Animal; Ruminants; Trichostrongylosis; Trichostrongylus; Vaccines
PubMed: 32569640
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.04.003