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BMC Veterinary Research Jun 2021Pentatrichomonas hominis inhabits the digestive tracts of several vertebrates, such as humans, monkeys, pigs, dogs, cats and rats. This protozoan was originally...
BACKGROUND
Pentatrichomonas hominis inhabits the digestive tracts of several vertebrates, such as humans, monkeys, pigs, dogs, cats and rats. This protozoan was originally considered a commensal of the digestive tract but has subsequently been identified as a potential zoonotic parasite and a causative agent of diarrhoea. Molecular techniques are considered more sensitive and specific to detect P. hominis. This study aimed to determine the presence and genetic diversity of P. hominis in animals in Thailand. A total of 403 faecal samples were collected from 119 cats, 55 dogs, 73 goats, 35 monkeys, 55 cattle and 66 pigs, and the presence of P. hominis was determined using the nested polymerase chain reaction method. Sequence analysis of small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes was used to determine the genotype of the organism.
RESULTS
Twenty-six samples (26/403, 6.45%) were positive for P. hominis. The highest prevalence was found in cats (21/119; 17.65%), followed by cattle (3/55; 5.45%) and dogs (2/55; 3.64%). Seven out of 26 nucleotides demonstrated 100% sequence identity with existing sequences; additionally, 16 novel sequence patterns were identified. All nucleotide sequences of P. hominis-positive samples were shown in the same branch with the previously described P. hominis sequences found in humans, dogs and goat.
CONCLUSION
This is the first study on P. hominis infections in animals in Thailand. Our findings revealed that the prevalence of P. hominis was significantly higher in cats than in cattle and dogs. Cats were the main reservoir host; however, P. hominis can infect several kinds of animals. Therefore, the proper waste management of animals is necessary to reduce and prevent infection in the community.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Cattle; Cercopithecidae; Dogs; Goats; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Swine; Thailand; Trichomonadida
PubMed: 34078384
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02904-y -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022is a parasitic trichomonads protozoa that parasitizes in the colon and cecum of humans and other animals. Our previous studies have demonstrated that infection with is...
is a parasitic trichomonads protozoa that parasitizes in the colon and cecum of humans and other animals. Our previous studies have demonstrated that infection with is associated with the incidence of colon cancer (37.93%). However, the mechanism by which infections increase the incidence of colon cancer remains unclear. Previous studies have suggested that certain parasites promote colon cancer by regulating gut microbiota. This study aimed to elucidate whether the association between infections and the increased incidence of colon cancer is related to changes in gut microbiota. Therefore, the gut microbiota patients with colon cancer who were infected with and uninfected patients with colon cancer were analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The results demonstrated that patients with colon cancer who were not infected with showed increased gut bacterial diversity, a higher relative abundance of sp., sp., sp., , and a significant reduction in the abundance of sp., compared to individuals without colon cancer. Additionally, the relative abundance of the and the groups was reduced, while the relative abundance of bacteria associated with colon cancer, including sp., sp., and the group, increased significantly in patients with colon cancer who were infected with , compared to those of uninfected patients with colon cancer. In conclusion, these results suggested that infections may aggravate the development of colon cancer and the findings provide new insights for subsequent in-depth studies on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of colon cancer.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Colonic Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36118043
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.961974 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2022Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming more common in both bacteria and pathogenic protozoa. Therefore, new solutions are being sought as alternatives to currently...
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming more common in both bacteria and pathogenic protozoa. Therefore, new solutions are being sought as alternatives to currently used agents. There are many new ideas and solutions, especially compounds of natural origin, including essential oils. In the present study, the antiprotozoal activity of a mixture of essential oils (eucalyptus, lavender, cedar and tea tree), organic acids (acetic acid, propionic acid and lactic acid) and metal ions (Cu, Zn, Mn) were tested. As a model, protozoans were selected: , , , , . The tested concentrations of mixtures were in the range of 0.001-1.5%. The analyses show unexpected, very strong protozoicidal activity of combinations, presenting the synergy of compounds via determination of LD and LD values. Obtained mixtures showed significantly higher activity against protozoans, compared to chloramphenicol and metronidazole. Most of the analyzed samples show high antiprotozoal activity at very low concentration, in the range of 0.001-0.009%. The most effective combinations for all analyzed protozoans were the cedar essential oil and tea tree essential oil with a mixture of acids and manganese or zinc ions. Innovative combinations of essential oils, organic acids and metal ions are characterized by very high antiprotozoal activity at low doses, which, after further investigation, can be applicable for control of protozoan pathogens.
PubMed: 35884167
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11070913 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2022The parabasalid Pentatrichomonas hominis is generally considered to represent a symbiotic component of the gastrointestinal microbiota in a wide variety of vertebrate...
The parabasalid Pentatrichomonas hominis is generally considered to represent a symbiotic component of the gastrointestinal microbiota in a wide variety of vertebrate hosts including humans. Nevertheless, a limited number of studies have raised the possibility that it may act as a pathogen of humans, dogs, and pigs and that some human infections may have a zoonotic origin. Data from North America revealed an association between P. hominis and the bovine urogenital tract, principally in bulls and rarely in cows. The importance of this observation is linked to possible interference in the accurate diagnosis of the economically important venereal pathogen Tritrichomonas foetus. The current study employed culture-based and molecular methods to examine the preputial cavities of four breeding bulls, raised in open pasture in southeastern Brazil, for the presence of trichomonads. Motile protozoa were isolated from three of the bulls and were definitively identified as P. hominis based on nucleotide sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons derived from the ribosomal RNA operon (ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2) of the parasite. The potential implications of these findings for bovine and human health are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Male; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Swine; Swine Diseases; Trichomonas; Tritrichomonas foetus
PubMed: 35792757
DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612022034 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Sep 2022() is a large intestinal flagellated protozoan infecting humans. Little is known about the epidemiology of in Egypt, its association with gastrointestinal symptoms and...
() is a large intestinal flagellated protozoan infecting humans. Little is known about the epidemiology of in Egypt, its association with gastrointestinal symptoms and the co-infection with other parasites. Demographic and clinical data were collected from 180 school-aged children. Parasitological examination of fecal samples was done using direct wet mount, formalin ethyl-acetate, Kato-Katz and cultivation on Jones' medium to detect and associated parasitic infection. The diagnosis of was confirmed using Giemsa stain and scanning electron microscopy. The prevalence of was 13.8% (25 out of 180 children). The prevalence of parasitic co-infection was significantly higher in infected (84%, 21 participants) than in non-infected children (56%, 87 participants). The presence of abdominal pain and diarrhea in infected children was higher than in non-infected children (84% and 32% vs. 76% and 18%), respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. This is the first report of in Egypt. The significant association between and other intestinal parasites need more investigations. Further studies are needed to understand the epidemiology and pathogenicity of .
PubMed: 36091265
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01506-1 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology Nov 2023is a trichomonad protozoan that infects the cecum and colon of humans and other mammals. It is a zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrhea in both animals and humans. As...
is a trichomonad protozoan that infects the cecum and colon of humans and other mammals. It is a zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrhea in both animals and humans. As companion animals, dogs infected with pose a risk of transmitting it to humans. Current methods, such as direct smears and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), used for detection have limitations, including low detection rates and the need for specialized equipment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop rapid, sensitive, and simple detection methods for clinical application. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) has emerged as a technology for rapid pathogen detection. In this study, we developed a lateral flow dipstick (LFD)-RPA method based on the highly conserved gene for detecting infection by optimizing the primers, probes, and reaction conditions, and evaluating cross-reactivity with genomes of and other parasites. The LFD-RPA method was then used to test 128 dog fecal samples collected from Changchun. The results confirmed the high specificity of the method with no cross-reactivity with the five other parasites. The lowest detection limit of the method was 10 copies/µL, and its sensitivity was 10 times higher than that of the conventional PCR method. Consistent with the positivity rate observed using nested PCR, 12 samples (out of 128) tested positive using this method (positivity rate, 9.38%). In conclusion, the LFD-RPA method developed in this study represents a simple and sensitive assay that allows for the rapid detection of infection in dogs, especially in this field.
PubMed: 37998756
DOI: 10.3390/cimb45110579 -
Parasites & Vectors Aug 2019Pentatrichomonas hominis is a flagellated protozoan that inhabits the large intestine of humans. Although several protozoans have been proposed to have a role in cancer...
BACKGROUND
Pentatrichomonas hominis is a flagellated protozoan that inhabits the large intestine of humans. Although several protozoans have been proposed to have a role in cancer progression, little is known about the epidemiology of P. hominis infection in cancer patients.
METHODS
To determine the prevalence of P. hominis in patients with digestive system malignancies, we collected 195 and 142 fecal samples from gastrointestinal cancer patients and residents without any complaints related to the digestive system, respectively. Each sample was detected for the presence of P. hominis by nested PCR amplifying the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial 18S rRNA gene.
RESULTS
A significantly higher prevalence of P. hominis was found in cancer patients than that in the control population (41.54 vs 9.15%, χ = 42.84, df = 1, P < 0.001), resulting in a 6.75-fold risk of gastrointestinal cancers (OR: 6.75, 95% CI: 3.55-12.83, P < 0.001). The highest prevalence of P. hominis infection was detected in small intestine cancer patients (60%, OR: 14.88, 95% CI: 0.82-4.58, P = 0.009) followed by liver (57.14%, χ = 10.82, df = 1, P = 0.001) and stomach cancer patients (45.1%, χ = 31.95, df = 1, P < 0.001). In addition, phylogenetic analysis provided some evidence supporting that human P. hominis infection might derive from animal sources.
CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this study is the first report presenting the high association between P. hominis and gastrointestinal cancers. Nevertheless, whether there is any possible pathological role of P. hominis infection in cancer patients needs to be further elucidated.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; China; DNA, Intergenic; Feces; Female; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Genetic; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Trichomonadida
PubMed: 31462294
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3684-4 -
Integrative Zoology Jul 2022The overall infection rate of Pentatrichomonas hominis in Siberian tigers in northeast China is 31.3%. All the P. hominis identified in Siberian tigers belonged to...
The overall infection rate of Pentatrichomonas hominis in Siberian tigers in northeast China is 31.3%. All the P. hominis identified in Siberian tigers belonged to genotype CC1.
Topics: Animals; China; Prevalence; Tigers
PubMed: 35064641
DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12629 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2024Pentatrichomonas hominis, a flagellated parasitic protozoan, predominantly infects the mammalian digestive tract, often causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and...
Pentatrichomonas hominis, a flagellated parasitic protozoan, predominantly infects the mammalian digestive tract, often causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. However, studies investigating its pathogenicity are limited, and the mechanisms underlying P. hominis-induced diarrhea remain unclear. Establishing an in vitro cell model for P. hominis infection is imperative. This study investigated the interaction between P. hominis and IPEC-J2 cells and its impact on parasite growth, adhesion, morphology, and cell viability. Co-cultivation of P. hominis with IPEC-J2 cells resulted in exponential growth of the parasite, with peak densities reaching approximately 4.8 × 10 cells/mL and 1.2 × 10 cells/mL at 48 h for initial inoculation concentrations of 10 cells/mL and 10 cells/mL, respectively. The adhesion rate of P. hominis to IPEC-J2 cells reached a maximum of 93.82% and 86.57% at 24 h for initial inoculation concentrations of 10 cells/mL and 10 cells/mL, respectively. Morphological changes in IPEC-J2 cells co-cultivated with P. hominis were observed, manifesting as elongated and irregular shapes. The viability of IPEC-J2 cells exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing P. hominis concentration and co-cultivation time. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were upregulated, whereas those of CAT and CuZn-SOD were downregulated. These findings provide quantitative evidence that P. hominis can promote its growth by adhering to IPEC-J2 cells, inducing morphological changes, reducing cell viability, and triggering inflammatory responses. Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm these results and enhance our understanding of P. hominis infection.
Topics: Animals; Trichomonas; Cell Proliferation; Abdominal Pain; Diarrhea; Gene Expression; Mammals
PubMed: 38530211
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024014 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022spp., , , , , and are enteric protozoan parasites and fungal species in humans and animals. Père David's deer is an endangered species in China, but the prevalence of...
spp., , , , , and are enteric protozoan parasites and fungal species in humans and animals. Père David's deer is an endangered species in China, but the prevalence of enteric protozoans in this species still needs to be further studied. Thus, we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of zoonotic parasites in Père David's deer during the period of 2018-2021. Among the 286 fecal samples collected from Père David's deer in the Nanhaizi Nature Reserve, 83 (29.0%) were positive for , 70 (24.5%) were positive for , while other protozoan parasites were negative. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, three subtypes (ST10, ST14, and ST21) and ten genotypes (Genotype D, MWC_d1, HLJD-V, Peru6, BEB6, BJED-I to BJED-I V) were identified. In addition, the subtype ST14 and the genotype D and Peru6 were first detected in Père David's deer. Our study first reports the presence of two enteric protozoans in Père David's deer during a 4-year active surveillance and provides more information about zoonotic subtypes/genotypes of and in deer.
PubMed: 36364973
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111223