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Journal of Infection and Public Health May 2024COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can stimulate a systemic inflammatory response with severe lung involvement,...
COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can stimulate a systemic inflammatory response with severe lung involvement, multisystem dysfunction, and death in some cases. Immunosuppressive treatments have been proposed for management of COVID-19 patients, but these bring the risk of flare-up of pre-existing infections. Strongyloidiasis can become severe or fatal in immunocompromised individuals. This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of anti-Strongyloides IgG antibody in sera collected from SARS-CoV-2 infected persons in a tertiary-care Thai hospital from January 2021 to January 2022. The survey was conducted using a rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) kit based on a recombinant antigen of Strongyloides stercoralis known to be IgG-immunoreactive. High prevalence of anti-Strongyloides IgG antibody was found. Out of 297 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients 117 (39.4 %, 95 % CI 33.8-45.2 %) were positive for S. stercoralis according to the ICT kit. In areas where strongyloidiasis is endemic, we suggest using this point-of-care ICT kit for routine rapid screening in seriously ill COVID-19 patients who will be subjected to immunosuppressive treatment. Prompt anthelminthic treatment should be administered to prevent serious systemic strongyloidiasis in at-risk patients.
PubMed: 38879920
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.05.054 -
Journal of Nematology Mar 2024, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Like other...
, commonly known as the human threadworm, is a skin-penetrating gastrointestinal parasitic nematode that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Like other species, is capable of cycling through a single free-living generation. Although and the free-living nematode are evolutionarily distant, the free-living adults of are similar enough in size and morphology to adults that techniques for generating transgenics and knockouts in have been successfully adapted for use in . High-quality genomic and transcriptomic data are also available for . Thus, one can use a burgeoning array of functional genomic tools in to probe questions about parasitic nematode development, physiology, and behavior. Knowledge gained from will inform studies of other parasitic nematodes such as hookworms that are not yet amenable to genetic manipulation. This review describes the basic anatomy of .
PubMed: 38855080
DOI: 10.2478/jofnem-2024-0019 -
Parasites, Hosts and Diseases May 2024Strongyloidiasis is a chronic infection caused by the intestinal nematode parasite Strongyloides stercoralis and is characterized by a diverse spectrum of nonspecific...
Strongyloidiasis is a chronic infection caused by the intestinal nematode parasite Strongyloides stercoralis and is characterized by a diverse spectrum of nonspecific clinical manifestations. This report describe a case of disseminated strongyloidiasis with urination difficulty, generalized weakness, and chronic alcoholism diagnosed through the presence of worms in the urinary sediment. A 53-year-old man was hospitalized for severe abdominal distension and urinary difficulties that started 7-10 days prior. The patient also presented with generalized weakness that had persisted for 3 years, passed loose stools without diarrhea, and complained of dyspnea. In the emergency room, approximately 7 L of urine was collected, in which several free-living female adult and rhabditiform larvae of S. stercoralis, identified through their morphological characteristics and size measurements, were detected via microscopic examination. Rhabditiform larvae of S. stercoralis were also found in the patient's stool. During hospitalization, the patient received treatment for strongyloidiasis, chronic alcoholism, peripheral neurosis, neurogenic bladder, and megaloblastic anemia, and was subsequently discharged with improved generalized conditions. Overall, this report presents a rare case of disseminated strongyloidiasis in which worms were detected in the urinary sediment of a patient with urination difficulties and generalized weakness combined with chronic alcoholism, neurogenic bladder, and megaloblastic anemia.
Topics: Humans; Strongyloidiasis; Middle Aged; Male; Animals; Strongyloides stercoralis; Alcoholism; Feces; Urine; Female
PubMed: 38835264
DOI: 10.3347/PHD.23124 -
Cureus Apr 2024Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the nematode that presents with a variety of nonspecific symptoms. Diagnosis is challenging unless physicians...
Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the nematode that presents with a variety of nonspecific symptoms. Diagnosis is challenging unless physicians suspect this disease and perform sensitivity tests. We report a case of strongyloidiasis with protein-losing gastroenteropathy-like symptoms in a 92-year-old Japanese female with lower extremity edema and hypoalbuminemia. In this case, the patient refused invasive tests for a complete examination; however, an agar plate culture of a stool sample was used to diagnose strongyloidiasis. The patient was treated with ivermectin during the second visit. One month later, leg edema and hypoproteinemia improved. When the cause of the symptoms is unclear, physicians should be aware of the possibility of strongyloidiasis in a person residing in a tropical or subtropical environment, where human feces are used as fertilizer and individuals frequently go barefoot in agricultural settings.
PubMed: 38784335
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58851 -
PloS One 2024[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269080.].
Correction: Association of Strongyloides stercoralis infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus in northeastern Thailand: Impact on diabetic complication-related renal biochemical parameters.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269080.].
PubMed: 38723010
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303774 -
Iranian Journal of Parasitology 2024Uncovering the roles and characteristics of pathogenesis-related molecules can help us develop novel management methods in parasitology. In this study, we studied the...
BACKGROUND
Uncovering the roles and characteristics of pathogenesis-related molecules can help us develop novel management methods in parasitology. In this study, we studied the expression levels of heat shock protein70 (HSP70) () and astacin () as pathogenesis-related genes as well as the expression of HSP70 and HSP17.1 (, ) in the larvae and adult stages of .
METHODS
A hyperinfection isolate of from Gilan Province, northern Iran was cultivated on nutrient agar. After a couple of days, parasites in different stages of life were collected, and total RNA was extracted. The expression levels of astacin and HSP genes were compared by real-time PCR.
RESULTS
Statistically higher expression levels of , and genes in L3 larvae than in adults were observed. However, the expression level of was non-significantly lower in the larval stage than in adult worms.
CONCLUSION
Higher expression levels of , , and genes in the larval stages of suggest the potential role of these enzymes in parasite cutaneous invasion and pathogenesis. However, higher expression of in adult forms is probably involved in resistance and survival mechanisms. The similarity in gene expression between . and can provide helpful hints to better understand strongyloidiasis from various perspectives, including pathogenesis, proper diagnosis, and targeted treatment.
PubMed: 38654956
DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v19i1.15187 -
Case Reports in Pulmonology 2024. causes a helminthic infection that occurs via penetration of the skin with migration to the bloodstream, tracheobronchial tree, and gastrointestinal system. Pulmonary...
. causes a helminthic infection that occurs via penetration of the skin with migration to the bloodstream, tracheobronchial tree, and gastrointestinal system. Pulmonary manifestations are rare and are typically seen in immunosuppressed patients who have hyperinfection syndrome. Eosinophilic pleural effusions are rare in strongyloidiasis and only cited in a few case reports. . A 45-year-old male with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis, and end-stage renal disease presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and dyspnea. Imaging studies demonstrated large bilateral pleural effusions, and he subsequently underwent an ultrasound-guided thoracentesis on the right hemithorax, yielding an exudative eosinophilic pleural effusion. An extensive hematology, gastroenterology, and infectious work-up was pursued. Strongyloides immunoglobulin G was positive, and he was successfully treated with ivermectin. . Eosinophilic pleural effusions related to strongyloidiasis are exceedingly rare. Clinicians should consider infection as a part of the differential diagnosis when evaluating immunosuppressed patients with eosinophilic pleural effusions. Loculated abdominal fluid may also be a rare manifestation of hyperinfection syndrome.
PubMed: 38628651
DOI: 10.1155/2024/6652207 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Mar 2024Skin-penetrating nematodes infect nearly one billion people worldwide. The developmentally arrested infective larvae (iL3s) seek out hosts, invade hosts via skin...
Skin-penetrating nematodes infect nearly one billion people worldwide. The developmentally arrested infective larvae (iL3s) seek out hosts, invade hosts via skin penetration, and resume development inside the host in a process called activation. Activated infective larvae (iL3as) traverse the host body, ending up as parasitic adults in the small intestine. Skin-penetrating nematodes respond to many chemosensory cues, but how chemosensation contributes to host seeking, intra-host development, and intra-host navigation - three crucial steps of the parasite-host interaction - remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of carbon dioxide (CO) in promoting parasite-host interactions in the human-infective threadworm . We show that exhibits life-stage-specific preferences for CO: iL3s are repelled, non-infective larvae and adults are neutral, and iL3as are attracted. CO repulsion in iL3s may prime them for host seeking by stimulating dispersal from host feces, while CO attraction in iL3as may direct worms toward high-CO areas of the body such as the lungs and intestine. We also identify sensory neurons that detect CO; these neurons are depolarized by CO in iL3s and iL3as. In addition, we demonstrate that the receptor guanylate cyclase -GCY-9 is expressed specifically in CO-sensing neurons and is required for CO-evoked behavior-GCY-9 also promotes activation, indicating that a single receptor can mediate both behavioral and physiological responses to CO. Our results illuminate chemosensory mechanisms that shape the interaction between parasitic nematodes and their human hosts and may aid in the design of novel anthelmintics that target the CO-sensing pathway.
PubMed: 38585813
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.587273 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Apr 2024Numerous studies indicate a potential protective role of helminths in diabetes mellitus (DM) progression. The complement system, vital for host defense, plays a crucial...
BACKGROUND
Numerous studies indicate a potential protective role of helminths in diabetes mellitus (DM) progression. The complement system, vital for host defense, plays a crucial role in tissue homeostasis and immune surveillance. Dysregulated complement activation is implicated in diabetic complications. We aimed to investigate the influence of the helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss) on complement activation in individuals with type 2 DM (T2D).
METHODOLOGY
We assessed circulating levels of complement proteins (C1q, C2, C3, C4, C4b, C5, C5a, and MBL (Lectin)) and their regulatory components (Factor B, Factor D, Factor H, and Factor I) in individuals with T2D with (n = 60) or without concomitant Ss infection (n = 58). Additionally, we evaluated the impact of anthelmintic therapy on these parameters after 6 months in Ss-infected individuals (n = 60).
RESULTS
Ss+DM+ individuals demonstrated reduced levels of complement proteins (C1q, C4b, MBL (Lectin), C3, C5a, and C3b/iC3b) and complement regulatory proteins (Factor B and Factor D) compared to Ss-DM+ individuals. Following anthelmintic therapy, there was a partial reversal of these levels in Ss+DM+ individuals.
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that Ss infection reduces complement activation, potentially mitigating inflammatory processes in individuals with T2D. The study underscores the complex interplay between helminth infections, complement regulation, and diabetes mellitus, offering insights into potential therapeutic avenues.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Strongyloides stercoralis; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Complement Factor B; Complement Factor D; Complement C1q; Strongyloidiasis; Complement Activation; Anthelmintics; Helminths; Lectins
PubMed: 38564496
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012048 -
Indian Journal of Pathology &... Mar 2024Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic nematode that infects millions of people worldwide. It primarily infects humans but can also be found in domestic animals and...
Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic nematode that infects millions of people worldwide. It primarily infects humans but can also be found in domestic animals and primates. The severity of infection varies from asymptomatic to life-threatening complications. We present a case of a 56-year-old male with a known case of angiosarcoma liver with massive ascites and low-grade fever. He was clinically diagnosed as having malignant ascites and was planned for chemotherapy. During therapeutic cum diagnostic ascitic tap, cell block sections revealed the presence of cross sections of nematode S. stercoralis gravid uterus with eggs. Later, stool for ova and cysts also revealed multiple larval forms of the nematode. S. stercoralis hyperinfection is often accompanied by sepsis or meningitis with enteric organisms. Patient was started on tab. ivermectin 12 mg once a day for two days (in the standard dosage of 200 mcg/kg) was then repeated in the same dosage for another two days after two weeks, and gradually the ascites settled. Post-treatment ascitic tap cell block preparations did not show any parasites. Patient has been on follow-up for 6 months, and he remains asymptomatic.
PubMed: 38563713
DOI: 10.4103/ijpm.ijpm_801_23