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The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La... Jul 2024A 21-year-old retired polo Argentinian thoroughbred horse from a teaching herd was presented for a routine bronchoalveolar lavage demonstration, during which an...
A 21-year-old retired polo Argentinian thoroughbred horse from a teaching herd was presented for a routine bronchoalveolar lavage demonstration, during which an incidental finding of a granulomatous mass on the dorsal aspect of the epiglottis was made. was suspected from a histological section obtained from an initial biopsy, and the mass was removed laser surgery for cytology and PCR. Sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed the diagnosis of A treatment protocol of nebulized voriconazole for 10 d postoperatively was used. Long-term follow-up required 2 more laser surgeries plus oral fluconazole to resolve the remaining fungal spores. However, 2.5 y later, there was no evidence of remaining fungal spores. Key clinical message: Horses from endemic regions can potentially be exposed to Based on its travel history, this horse may have contracted the infection in South America, California, or Alberta. Treatments administered, including diode laser resection, voriconazole antifungal nebulization, and oral fluconazole administration, were successful but required repeated interventions.
Topics: Animals; Horses; Horse Diseases; Voriconazole; Antifungal Agents; Male; Rhinosporidiosis; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Laser Therapy; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Laryngeal Diseases
PubMed: 38952752
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024
Topics: Humans; India; Mass Drug Administration; Filariasis; Filaricides; Disease Eradication
PubMed: 38952727
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1384131 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024CRISPR/Cas system, an adaptive immune system with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, may interfere with exogenous nucleic acids and protect... (Review)
Review
CRISPR/Cas system, an adaptive immune system with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, may interfere with exogenous nucleic acids and protect prokaryotes from external damages, is an effective gene editing and nucleic acid detection tools. The CRISPR/Cas system has been widely applied in virology and bacteriology; however, there is relatively less knowledge about the application of the CRISPR/Cas system in parasitic diseases. The review summarizes the mechanisms of action of the CRISPR/Cas system and provides a comprehensive overview of their application in gene editing and nucleic acid detection of parasitic diseases, so as to provide insights into future studies on parasitic diseases.
Topics: CRISPR-Cas Systems; Gene Editing; Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Animals; Nucleic Acids
PubMed: 38952320
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024057 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the development and dynamic changes of cysts in the brain of mice following infection with different forms of , so as to provide insights into for...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the development and dynamic changes of cysts in the brain of mice following infection with different forms of , so as to provide insights into for toxoplasmosis prevention and control.
METHODS
ICR mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks, each weighing 20 to 25 g, were intraperitoneally injected with tachyzoites of the PRU strain at a dose of 1 × 10 tachyzoites per mouse, orally administered with cysts at a dose of 20 oocysts per mouse or oocysts at a dose of 200 oocysts per mouse for modeling chronic infection in mice, and the clinical symptoms and survival of mice were observed post-infection. Mice were orally infected with cysts at doses of 10 (low-dose group), 20 (medium-dose group), 40 cysts per mouse (high-dose group), and the effect of different doses of infections on the number of cysts was examined in the mouse brain. Mice were orally administered with cysts at a dose of 20 cysts per mouse, and grouped according to gender (female and male) and time points of infections (20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 days post-infection), and the effects of gender and time points of infections on the number of cysts was examined in the mouse brain. In addition, mice were divided into the tachyzoite group (Group T), the first-generation cyst group (Group C1), the second-generation cyst group (Group C2), the third-generation cyst (Group C3) and the fourth-generation cyst group (Group C4). Mice in the Group T were intraperitoneally injected with tachyzoites at a dose of 1 × 10 tachyzoites per mouse, and the cysts were collected from the mouse brain tissues 30 days post-infection, while mice in the Group C1 were orally infected with the collected cysts at a dose of 30 cysts per mouse. Continuous passage was performed by oral administration with cysts produced by the previous generation in mice, and the effect of continuous passage on the number of cysts was examined in the mouse brain.
RESULTS
Following infection with tachyzoites, cysts and oocysts in mice, obvious clinical symptoms were observed on days 6 to 13 and mice frequently died on days 7 to 12. The survival rates of mice were 67.0%, 87.0% and 53.0%, and the mean numbers of cysts were (516.0 ± 257.2), (1 203.0 ± 502.0) and (581.0 ± 183.1) in the mouse brain ( = 11.94, < 0.01) on day 30 post-infection with tachyzoites, cysts and oocysts, respectively, and the numbers of cysts in the brain tissues were significantly lower in mice infected with tachyzoites and oocysts than in those infected with cysts (all values < 0.01). The survival rates of mice were 87.0%, 87.0% and 60.0%, and the mean numbers of cysts were (953.0 ± 355.5), (1 084.0 ± 474.3) and (1 113.0 ± 546.0) in the mouse brain in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups on day 30 post-infection, respectively ( = 0.42, > 0.05). The survival rates of male and female mice were 73.0% and 80.0%, and the mean numbers of cysts were (946.4 ± 411.4) and (932.1 ± 322.4) in the brain tissues of male and female mice, respectively ( = 1.63, > 0.05). Following continuous passage, the mean numbers of cysts were (516.0 ± 257.2), (1 203.0 ± 502.0), (896.8 ± 332.3), (782.5 ± 423.9) and (829.2 ± 306.0) in the brain tissues of mice in the T, C1, C2, C3 and C4 groups, respectively ( = 4.82, < 0.01), and the number of cysts was higher in the mouse brain in Group 1 than in Group T ( < 0.01). Following oral administration of 20 cysts in mice, cysts were found in the moues brain for the first time on day 20 post-infection, and the number of cysts gradually increased over time, peaked on days 30 and 90 post-infection and then gradually decreased; however, the cysts were still found in the mouse brain on day 180 post-infection.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a higher possibility of developing chronic infection in mice following infection with cysts than with oocysts or tachyzoites and the most severe chronic infection is seen following infection with cysts. The number of cysts does not correlate with the severity of chronic infection, and the number of cysts peaks in the mouse brain on days 30 and 90 post-infection.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Female; Male; Mice, Inbred ICR; Brain; Chronic Disease; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 38952318
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024044 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Apr 2024To evaluate the potential risk of transmission of angiostrongyliasis by common freshwater snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide...
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the potential risk of transmission of angiostrongyliasis by common freshwater snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into local surveillance of angiostrongyliasis.
METHODS
Common freshwater snails were collected from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province from March to April, 2020, and identified and bred in laboratory. SD rats were infected with third-stage larvae of that were isolated from commercially available snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and freshwater snails were infected with the first-stage larvae of that were isolated from the feces of SD rats 39 days post-infection at room temperature. The developmental process and morphological characteristics of worms in hosts were observed, and the percentages of infections in different species of freshwater snails were calculated. Then, SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of that were isolated from -infected freshwater snails, and the larval development and reproduction was observed.
RESULTS
More than 3 000 freshwater snail samples were collected from farmlands, ditches and wetlands around Erhai Lake in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and , , , , , , , spp., spp. and spp. were morphologically identified. A total of 105 commercially available snails were tested for infections, and 2 snails were found to be infected with , in which the third-stage larvae of were isolated. Ten species of freshwater snails were artificially infected with the third-stage larvae of , and all 10 species of freshwater snails were found to be infected with , with the highest positive rate of infections in spp. (62.3%, 137/204), and the lowest in (35.5%, 11/31). After SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of isolated from different species of freshwater snails, mature adult worms of were yielded.
CONCLUSIONS
Multiple species of freshwater snails may serve as intermediate hosts of under laboratory conditions in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Further investigations on natural infection of in wild snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture seem justified.
Topics: Animals; Snails; China; Angiostrongylus cantonensis; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats; Fresh Water; Larva; Strongylida Infections
PubMed: 38952317
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2022245 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... May 2024To investigate the family aggregation of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province and to identify its influencing factors, so as to provide insights into management...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the family aggregation of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province and to identify its influencing factors, so as to provide insights into management of hookworm infections.
METHODS
Three to four counties (districts) were sampled from basins, hilly regions and mountainous regions around the basins in Sichuan Province from 2017 to 2022 as fixed survey sites, and 17 to 30 counties (districts) were selected as mobile survey sites. At least 1 000 permanent residents at ages of 3 years and older were sampled from each survey site, and hookworm eggs were detected in human stool samples using the Kato-Katz technique. Subjects with 2 and more family members and at least 2 individuals diagnosed with hookworm infections in the county (district) where they lived were selected, and the familial aggregation of hookworm infections was analyzed using the test of goodness of fit for binomial distribution. In addition, the knowledge and practice of hookworm disease control were investigated among residents in Hejiang County and Wutongqiao District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province in 2021 and 2022, and the difference in the knowledge and practice of hookworm disease control was compared between members with and without familial aggregation of hookworm infections.
RESULTS
A total of 66 812 residents from 25 196 households were sampled from main endemic areas of hookworm diseases in Sichuan Province from 2017 to 2022 for detection of hookworm infections, and 4 403 infections were identified (6.59% prevalence). The distribution of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province did not fit the binomial distribution, and showed family aggregations (χ = 2 116.759, < 0.001). Family aggregation of human hookworm infections was found in endemic areas with 1% and higher prevalence of human hookworm infections (χ = 136.006 to 428.738, all values < 0.001), and family aggregation of human hookworm infections was identified in different years (χ = 87.615 to 471.838, all values < 0.001) and in different terrains of endemic areas (χ = 8.423 to 1 144.176, all values < 0.001). The members with hookworm infections had median eggs per gram of 180 (interquartile range, 780) in aggregated families and 72 (102) in non-aggregated families ( = -2.686, < 0.05). The proportion of members in families with aggregation of hookworm infections who knew the preventive measures of hookworm disease was significantly lower than in non-aggregated families (24.49% vs. 51.72%; χ = 10.262, < 0.05), and the proportion of members in families with aggregation of hookworm infections who often worked barefoot on the ground was significantly higher than in non-aggregated families (30.61% vs. 13.25%; χ = 6.289, < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
There is a familial aggregation of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province, and awareness of preventive measures for hookworm disease and frequent working barefoot on the ground are associated with familial aggregation of hookworm infections.
Topics: Humans; Hookworm Infections; China; Male; Female; Adult; Middle Aged; Child; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Animals; Young Adult; Family Characteristics
PubMed: 38952316
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2023166 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the involvement of the high mobility group box protein B1 (HMGB1)-Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/TLR4-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the intestinal...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the involvement of the high mobility group box protein B1 (HMGB1)-Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/TLR4-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the intestinal mucosal injury induced by infection, and to examine the effect of oxymatrine (OMT) on in mice.
METHODS
Forty SPF 4-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, including the control group, infection group, glycyrrhizin (GA) group and OMT group. Each mouse was orally administered with 1 × 10 oocysts one week in the infection, GA and OMT groups following dexamethasone-induced immunosuppression to model intestinal infections in mice. Upon successful modeling, mice in the GA group were intraperitoneally injected with GA at a daily dose of 25.9 mL/kg for successive two weeks, and animals in the OMT group were orally administered OMT at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for successive two weeks, while mice in the control group were given normal food and water. All mice were sacrificed two weeks post-treatment, and proximal jejunal tissues were sampled. The pathological changes of mouse intestinal mucosal specimens were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the mouse intestinal villous height, intestinal crypt depth and the ratio of intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth were measured. The occludin and zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO1) expression was determined in mouse intestinal epithelial cells using immunohistochemistry, and the relative expression of , , , myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 () and was quantified in mouse jejunal tissues using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay.
RESULTS
HE staining showed that the mouse intestinal villi were obviously atrophic, shortened, and detached, and the submucosal layer of the mouse intestine was edematous in the infection group as compared with the control group, while the mouse intestinal villi tended to be structurally intact and neatly arranged in the GA and OMT groups. There were significant differences among the four groups in terms of the mouse intestinal villous height ( = 6.207, = 0.000 5), intestinal crypt depth ( = 6.903, = 0.000 3) and the ratio of intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth ( = 37.190, < 0.000 1). The mouse intestinal villous height was lower in the infection group than in the control group [(321.9 ± 41.1) μm vs. (399.5 ± 30.9) μm; = 4.178, < 0.01] and the GA group [(321.9 ± 41.1) μm vs. (383.7 ± 42.7) μm; = 3.130, < 0.01], and the mouse intestinal crypt depth was greater in the infection group [(185.0 ± 35.9) μm] than in the control group [(128.4 ± 23.6) μm] ( = 3.877, < 0.01) and GA group [(143.3 ± 24.7) μm] ( = 2.710, < 0.05). The mouse intestinal villous height was greater in the OMT group [(375.3 ± 22.9) μm] than in the infection group ( = 3.888, < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in mouse intestinal villous height between the OMT group and the control group ( = 1.989, > 0.05). The mouse intestinal crypt depth was significantly lower in the OMT group [(121.5 ± 27.3) μm] than in the infection group ( = 4.133, < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in mouse intestinal crypt depth between the OMT group and the control group ( = 0.575, > 0.05). The ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth was significantly lower in the infection group (1.8 ± 0.2) than in the control group (3.1 ± 0.3) ( = 10.540, < 0.01) and the GA group (2.7 ± 0.3) ( = 7.370, < 0.01), and the ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth was significantly higher in the OMT group (3.1 ± 0.2) than in the infection group ( = 15.020, < 0.01); however, there was no significant difference in the ratio of the mouse intestinal villous height to intestinal crypt depth between the OMT group and the control group ( = 0.404, > 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed significant differences among the four groups in terms of occludin ( = 28.031, < 0.000 1) and ZO1 expression ( = 14.122, < 0.000 1) in mouse intestinal epithelial cells. The proportion of positive occluding expression was significantly lower in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the infection group than in the control group [(14.3 ± 4.5)% vs. (28.3 ± 0.5)%; = 3.810, < 0.01], and the proportions of positive occluding expression were significantly higher in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the GA group [(30.3 ± 1.3)%] and OMT group [(25.8 ± 1.5)%] than in the infection group ( = 7.620 and 5.391, both values < 0.01); however, there was no significant differences in the proportion of positive occluding expression in mouse intestinal epithelial cells between the GA or OMT groups and the control group ( = 1.791 and 2.033, both values > 0.05). The proportion of positive ZO1 expression was significantly lower in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the infection group than in the control group [(14.4 ± 1.8)% vs. (24.2 ± 2.8)%; = 4.485, < 0.01], and the proportions of positive ZO1 expression were significantly higher in mouse intestinal epithelial cells in the GA group [(24.1 ± 2.3)%] ( = 5.159, < 0.01) and OMT group than in the infection group [(22.5 ± 1.9)%] ( = 4.441, < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in the proportion of positive ZO1 expression in mouse intestinal epithelial cells between the GA or OMT groups and the control group ( = 0.037 and 0.742, both values > 0.05). qPCR assay showed significant differences among the four groups in terms of ( = 21.980, < 0.000 1), ( = 20.630, < 0.000 1), ( = 17.000, = 0.000 6), ( = 8.907, = 0.000 5) and expression in mouse jejunal tissues ( = 8.889, = 0.000 7). The relative expression of [(5.97 ± 1.07) vs. (1.05 ± 0.07); = 6.482, < 0.05] 、 [(5.92 ± 1.29) vs. (1.10 ± 0.14); = 5.272, < 0.05] 、 [(5.96 ± 1.50) vs. (1.02 ± 0.03); = 4.644, < 0.05] 、 [(3.00 ± 1.26) vs. (1.02 ± 0.05); = 2.734, < 0.05] and [(2.33 ± 0.72) vs. (1.04 ± 0.06); = 2.665, < 0.05] was all significantly higher in mouse jejunal tissues in the infection group than in the control group. A significant reduction was detected in the relative expression of (0.63 ± 0.01), (0.42 ± 0.10), (0.35 ± 0.07), (0.70 ± 0.11) and (0.75 ± 0.01) in mouse jejunal tissues in the GA group relative to the control group ( = 8.629, 5.830, 11.500, 4.729 and 6.898, all values < 0.05), and the relative expression of , , , and significantly reduced in mouse jejunal tissues in the GA group as compared to the infection group ( = 7.052, 6.035, 4.084, 3.165 and 3.274, all values < 0.05). In addition, the relative expression of (1.14 ± 0.60), (1.00 ± 0.24), (1.14 ± 0.07), (0.96 ± 0.25) and N (1.12 ± 0.17) was significantly lower in mouse jejunal tissues in the OMT group than in the infection group ( = 7.059, 5.320, 3.510, 3.466 and 3.273, all values < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences between the OMT and control groups in terms of relative expression of , , , or in mouse jejunal tissues ( = 0.239, 0.518, 1.887, 0.427 and 0.641, all values > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
infection causes intestinal inflammatory responses and destruction of intestinal mucosal barrier through up-regulating of the HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB pathway. OMT may suppress the intestinal inflammation and repair the intestinal mucosal barrier through inhibiting the activity of the HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4-NF-κB pathway.
Topics: Animals; Cryptosporidiosis; Quinolizines; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Cryptosporidium parvum; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Mice; Toll-Like Receptor 2; NF-kappa B; Alkaloids; HMGB1 Protein; Signal Transduction; Male; Intestinal Mucosa; Matrines
PubMed: 38952315
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024019 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the origin of in China, so as to provide insights into assessment of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission risk and control.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the origin of in China, so as to provide insights into assessment of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission risk and control.
METHODS
Guanlan River, Dasha River, Shenzhen Reservoir, upper and lower reaches of Kuiyong River, and Xinzhen River in Shenzhen, China, were selected as sampling sites. Ten samples were collected from each site, and genomic DNA was extracted from samples. DNA samples were obtained from 15 sampled from 5 sampling sites in Minas Gerais State, Pará State, Federal District, Pernambuco State, and Sao Paulo State in Brazil, South America. Cytochrome c oxidase I () and mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA () genes were sampled using the above DNA templates, and the amplified products were sequenced. The and gene sequences were downloaded from GenBank, and the sampling sites were acquired. All and 1 gene sequences were aligned and evolutionary trees of were created based on and gene sequences to identify the genetic similarity and evolutionary relationship between samples from China and South America.
RESULTS
A total of 60 gene sequences with a length of 529 bp and 3 haplotypes were obtained from sampled from China. There were 165 gene sequences of retrieved from GenBank, and following alignment with the above 60 gene sequences, a total of 33 haplotypes were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the three haplotypes of from China were clustered into one clade, among which the haplotype China11 and three samples from Brazil retrieved from GenBank belonged to the same haplotype. Geographical evolution analysis showed that the samples from three sampling sites along eastern coasts of Brazil had the same haplotype with China11, and samples from other two sampling sites were closely, genetically related to China11. A total of 60 gene sequences with approximately 322 bp in length were amplified from in China, with 2 haplotypes identified. A total of 70 gene sequences of were captured from GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that snails collected from China were clustered into a clade, and the haplotype China64 and the haplotype 229BS from Brazil shared the same haplotype. The 49 gene sequences of from 25 sampling sites in southern Brazil, which were captured from GenBank, were included in the present analysis, and the from 3 sampling sites shared the same haplotype with China64 in China. Geographical evolution analysis based on and gene sequences showed that sampled from eastern coastal areas of Brazil shared the same haplotypes in two gene fragment sequences with snails collected from China.
CONCLUSIONS
The snails in China are characterized as , which have a low genetic diversity. The snails in China have a high genetic similarity with sampled from eastern coastal areas of Brazil, which may have originated from the eastern coastal areas of Brazil.
Topics: Animals; China; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Biomphalaria; Electron Transport Complex IV; Haplotypes
PubMed: 38952313
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024069 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the feasibility of constructing the risk index of infection based on the classification of echinococcosis lesions, so as to provide insights into the...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility of constructing the risk index of infection based on the classification of echinococcosis lesions, so as to provide insights into the management of echinococcosis.
METHODS
The imaging data of echinococcosis cases were collected from epidemiological surveys of echinococcosis in China from 2012 to 2016, and the detection of incident echinococcosis cases was captured from the annual echinococcosis prevention and control reports across provinces (autonomous regions) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China from 2017 to 2022. After echinococcosis lesions were classified, a risk index of infection was constructed based on the principle of discrete distribution marginal probability and multi-group classification data tests. The correlation between the risk index of infection and the detection of incident echinococcosis cases was evaluated in the provinces (autonomous regions and corps) from 2017 to 2022, and the correlations between the short and medium-term risk indices and between the medium and long-term risk indices of infection were examined using a univariate linear regression model.
RESULTS
A total of 4 014 echinococcosis cases in China from 2012 to 2016 were included in this study. The short-, medium- and long-term risk indices of infection varied in echinococcosis-endemic provinces (autonomous regions and corps) of China (χ = 4.12 to 708.65, all values < 0.05), with high short- (0.058), medium- (0.137) and long-term risk indices (0.104) in Tibet Autonomous Region, and the short-, medium- and long-term risk indices of infection varied in echinococcosis-endemic provinces (autonomous regions and corps) of China (χ = 6.74 to 122.60, all values < 0.05), with a high short-term risk index in Sichuan Province (0.016) and high medium- (0.009) and long-term risk indices in Qinghai Province (0.018). There were no significant correlations between the risk index of infection and the detection of incident cystic echinococcosis cases during the study period ( = -0.518 to 2.265, all values > 0.05), and strong correlations were found between the risk indices of infection and the detection of incident alveolar echinococcosis cases (including mixed type) in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, during the period from 2017 through 2020, from 2017 through 2021, from 2017 through 2022 (all values > 0.7, = 2.521 to 3.692, all values < 0.05). Linear regression models were established between the risk index of infection and the detection of alveolar echinococcosis cases (including mixed type), and the models were all statistically significant ( = 0.214 to 2.168, = 2.458 to 3.692, = 6.044 to 13.629, all values < 0.05). The regression coefficients for the correlations between the medium- and short-term, and between the long- and medium-term risk indices of infection were 2.339 and 0.765, and the regression coefficients for the correlations between the medium- and short-term, and between the long- and medium-term risk indices of infection were 0.280 and 1.842, with statistical significance seen in both the regression coefficients and regression models ( = 16.479 to 197.304, = 271.570 to 38 928.860, all values < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The risk index of infection has been successfully established based on the classification of echinococcosis lesions, which may provide insights into the prevention and control, prediction, diagnosis and treatment, and classified management of echinococcosis.
Topics: Echinococcosis; Humans; China; Echinococcus; Risk Factors; Animals
PubMed: 38952312
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024068 -
Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za... Jun 2024To investigate the feasibility of developing a grading diagnostic model for schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis based on B-mode ultrasonographic images and clinical...
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility of developing a grading diagnostic model for schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis based on B-mode ultrasonographic images and clinical laboratory indicators.
METHODS
Ultrasound images and clinical laboratory testing data were captured from schistosomiasis patients admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Duchang County, Jiangxi Province from 2018 to 2022. Patients with grade I schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 1, and patients with grade II and III schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 2. The machine learning binary classification tasks were created based on patients'radiomics and clinical laboratory data from 2018 to 2021 as the training set, and patients'radiomics and clinical laboratory data in 2022 as the validation set. The features of ultrasonographic images were labeled with the ITK-SNAP software, and the features of ultrasonographic images were extracted using the Python 3.7 package and PyRadiomics toolkit. The difference in the features of ultrasonographic images was compared between groups with test or Mann-Whitney test, and the key imaging features were selected with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm. Four machine learning models were created using the Scikit-learn repository, including the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), linear regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The optimal machine learning model was screened with the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and features with the greatest contributions to the differentiation features of ultrasound images in machine learning models with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method.
RESULTS
The ultrasonographic imaging data and clinical laboratory testing data from 491 schistosomiasis patients from 2019 to 2022 were included in the study, and a total of 851 radiomics features and 54 clinical laboratory indicators were captured. Following statistical tests ( = -5.98 to 4.80, = 6 550 to 20 994, all values < 0.05) and screening of key features with LASSO regression, 44 features or indicators were included for the subsequent modeling. The areas under ROC curve (AUCs) were 0.763 and 0.611 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on clinical laboratory indicators, 0.951 and 0.892 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on radiomics, and 0.960 and 0.913 for the training and validation sets of the multimodal SVM model. The 10 greatest contributing features or indicators in machine learning models included 2 clinical laboratory indicators and 8 radiomics features.
CONCLUSIONS
The multimodal machine learning models created based on ultrasound-based radiomics and clinical laboratory indicators are feasible for intelligent identification of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis, and are effective to improve the classification effect of one-class data models.
Topics: Humans; Schistosomiasis; Liver Cirrhosis; Machine Learning; Ultrasonography; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Support Vector Machine; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Radiomics
PubMed: 38952311
DOI: 10.16250/j.32.1374.2024110