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Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024Monogeneans are flatworm parasites that infest fish gills primarily but can also infect various other vertebrates, including amphibians, aquatic reptiles, mammals like... (Review)
Review
Monogeneans are flatworm parasites that infest fish gills primarily but can also infect various other vertebrates, including amphibians, aquatic reptiles, mammals like hippos, and occasionally invertebrates like copepods, isopods, and cephalopods. Despite their remarkable diversity, our knowledge of monogenean parasites in Peru remains significantly limited, resulting in substantial gaps in our comprehension of their taxonomic identities, host associations, and geographic distribution. To address these knowledge deficits, we present an extensively curated checklist of monogeneans associated with aquatic vertebrates in Peru. This comprehensive compilation is derived from meticulous literature surveys, the examination of specimens deposited in both international and national collections, and the inclusion of additional freshly collected specimens. The checklist offers a thorough repository of data encompassing the diversity, host associations, and geographical distribution of these parasites. Taxonomic discrepancies are addressed through a critical review of the existing literature, supplemented by the direct examination of specimens, including type or voucher specimens, deposited within scientific collections. Additionally, we provide data on the DNA sequences of individual taxa. The compiled list comprises records of 358 monogenean species, including 270 valid species and 88 taxa identified at the family or generic level, all reported across 145 host species in Peru. Predominantly, these parasitic species exhibit associations within fish, with 335 infecting teleosts and 20 affecting chondrichthyans. Three monogenean species have been documented as infecting amphibians, namely , sp. and . Among the monogeneans reported, 141 were found in marine environments and 214 in freshwater environments. The most diverse families were Dactylogyridae and Diplectanidae, comprising 217 and 24 species, respectively. The hosts that harbored the highest number of monogeneans were (with 23 species), followed by (13 spp.) and (11 spp.). We detected many species that do not have any material deposited in a scientific collection due to the loss or deactivation of the collection. These findings represent only a fraction of the potential diversity, considering the wide variety of aquatic vertebrate hosts inhabiting the tropical and subtropical regions of Peru.
PubMed: 38891589
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111542 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports Jun 2024Schistosomiasis is one of the endemic parasitic diseases in many developing countries. Despite this, appendicitis secondary to schistosomiasis is an uncommon condition...
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is one of the endemic parasitic diseases in many developing countries. Despite this, appendicitis secondary to schistosomiasis is an uncommon condition even in some endemic areas. Schistosomal appendicitis, an incidentally discovered appendicitis associated with schistosomiasis histological findings, affects young males predominantly. Timely diagnosis and treatment, including appendectomy and anti-helminthic therapy, are crucial.
CASE REPORT
A 24-year-old Sudanese male patient presented with abdominal pain. Diagnosed with acute appendicitis, he underwent appendectomy, revealing appendix inflammation with Schistosoma ova in histopathology. Abdominal ultrasound detected no complications. Weakly positive Schistosoma serology was noted, but stool and urine analysis showed no infection evidence. Prescribed praziquantel, patient had 3-year post-op follow-up without complications.
CONCLUSIONS
This case report underscores the significance of including schistosomiasis in the differential diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in regions where the disease is endemic. It underscores the necessity of histopathological evaluations for accurate diagnosis, emphasizing the potential implications for clinical practice in similar settings.
Topics: Humans; Appendicitis; Male; Young Adult; Praziquantel; Appendectomy; Anthelmintics; Schistosomiasis; Diagnosis, Differential; Abdominal Pain; Ultrasonography; Animals; Treatment Outcome; Appendix
PubMed: 38890741
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-024-04610-3 -
BMC Medical Imaging Jun 2024Leishmaniasis is a vector-born neglected parasitic disease belonging to the genus Leishmania. Out of the 30 Leishmania species, 21 species cause human infection that...
BACKGROUND
Leishmaniasis is a vector-born neglected parasitic disease belonging to the genus Leishmania. Out of the 30 Leishmania species, 21 species cause human infection that affect the skin and the internal organs. Around, 700,000 to 1,000,000 of the newly infected cases and 26,000 to 65,000 deaths are reported worldwide annually. The disease exhibits three clinical presentations, namely, the cutaneous, muco-cutaneous and visceral Leishmaniasis which affects the skin, mucosal membrane and the internal organs, respectively. The relapsing behavior of the disease limits its diagnosis and treatment efficiency. The common diagnostic approaches follow subjective, error-prone, repetitive processes. Despite, an ever pressing need for an accurate detection of Leishmaniasis, the research conducted so far is scarce. In this regard, the main aim of the current research is to develop an artificial intelligence based detection tool for the Leishmaniasis from the Geimsa-stained microscopic images using deep learning method.
METHODS
Stained microscopic images were acquired locally and labeled by experts. The images were augmented using different methods to prevent overfitting and improve the generalizability of the system. Fine-tuned Faster RCNN, SSD, and YOLOV5 models were used for object detection. Mean average precision (MAP), precision, and Recall were calculated to evaluate and compare the performance of the models.
RESULTS
The fine-tuned YOLOV5 outperformed the other models such as Faster RCNN and SSD, with the MAP scores, of 73%, 54% and 57%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The currently developed YOLOV5 model can be tested in the clinics to assist the laboratorists in diagnosing Leishmaniasis from the microscopic images. Particularly, in low-resourced healthcare facilities, with fewer qualified medical professionals or hematologists, our AI support system can assist in reducing the diagnosing time, workload, and misdiagnosis. Furthermore, the dataset collected by us will be shared with other researchers who seek to improve upon the detection system of the parasite. The current model detects the parasites even in the presence of the monocyte cells, but sometimes, the accuracy decreases due to the differences in the sizes of the parasite cells alongside the blood cells. The incorporation of cascaded networks in future and the quantification of the parasite load, shall overcome the limitations of the currently developed system.
Topics: Deep Learning; Humans; Microscopy; Azure Stains; Leishmaniasis; Leishmania
PubMed: 38890604
DOI: 10.1186/s12880-024-01333-1 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Jun 2024The present study aimed to assess the anti-leishmanial effects of curcumin nanoemulsion (CUR-NE) against Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in both in vitro and in vivo...
The present study aimed to assess the anti-leishmanial effects of curcumin nanoemulsion (CUR-NE) against Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. CUR-NE was successfully prepared via the spontaneous emulsification method. The in vitro effect of various concentrations of CUR-NE against L. major promastigotes was assessed using the flow cytometry method. In vivo experiments were carried out in BALB/c mice inoculated subcutaneously with 2 × 10L. major promastigotes. Mice were treated with topical CUR-NE (2.5 mg/ml), intra-lesion injection of CUR-NE (2.5 mg/ml), topical CUR suspension (CUR-S, 2.5 mg/ml), topical NE without CUR (NE-no CUR), amphotericin B as the positive control group, and infected untreated mice as the negative control group. In vitro exposure of promastigotes to CUR-NE showed a dose-dependent anti-leishmanial effect, with a 67.52 ± 0.35% mortality rate at a concentration of 1250 µg/ml and an IC50 of 643.56 µg/ml. In vivo experiments showed that topical CUR-NE and CUR-S significantly decreased the mean lesion size in mice after four weeks from 4.73 ± 1.28 to 2.78 ± 1.28 mm and 4.45 ± 0.88 to 3.23 ± 0.59 mm, respectively (p = 0.001). Furthermore, CUR-NE significantly decreased the parasite load in treated mice compared with the negative control group (p = 0.001). Results from the current study demonstrated the promising activity of CUR-NE against L. major in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, CUR-NE was more efficient than CUR-S in healing and reducing parasite burden in mouse models. Future studies should aim to identify molecular mechanisms as well as the pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic aspects of CUR-NE.
Topics: Animals; Curcumin; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Leishmania major; Mice; Emulsions; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Antiprotozoal Agents; Female; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 38890586
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04522-1 -
Communications Biology Jun 2024Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) play a central role in the translation of genetic code, serving as attractive drug targets. Within this family, the lysyl-tRNA...
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) play a central role in the translation of genetic code, serving as attractive drug targets. Within this family, the lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) constitutes a promising antimalarial target. ASP3026, an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor was recently identified as a novel Plasmodium falciparum LysRS (PfLysRS) inhibitor. Here, based on cocrystal structures and biochemical experiments, we developed a series of ASP3026 analogues to improve the selectivity and potency of LysRS inhibition. The leading compound 36 showed a dissociation constant of 15.9 nM with PfLysRS. The inhibitory efficacy on PfLysRS and parasites has been enhanced. Covalent attachment of L-lysine to compound 36 resulted in compound 36K3, which exhibited further increased inhibitory activity against PfLysRS but significantly decreased activity against ALK. However, its inhibitory activity against parasites did not improve, suggesting potential future optimization directions. This study presents a new example of derivatization of kinase inhibitors repurposed to inhibit aaRS.
Topics: Plasmodium falciparum; Lysine-tRNA Ligase; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; Antimalarials; Structure-Activity Relationship; Humans; Protozoan Proteins
PubMed: 38890421
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06455-4 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Resistance to clinical malaria takes years to develop even in hyperendemic regions and sterilizing immunity has rarely been observed. To evaluate the maturation of the...
Resistance to clinical malaria takes years to develop even in hyperendemic regions and sterilizing immunity has rarely been observed. To evaluate the maturation of the host response against controlled repeat exposures to P. falciparum (Pf) NF54 strain-infected mosquitoes, we systematically monitored malaria-naïve participants through an initial exposure to uninfected mosquitoes and 4 subsequent homologous exposures to Pf-infected mosquitoes over 21 months (n = 8 males) (ClinicalTrials.gov# NCT03014258). The primary outcome was to determine whether protective immunity against parasite infection develops following repeat CHMI and the secondary outcomes were to track the clinical signs and symptoms of malaria and anti-Pf antibody development following repeat CHMI. After two exposures, time to blood stage patency increases significantly and the number of reported symptoms decreases indicating the development of clinical tolerance. The time to patency correlates positively with both anti-Pf circumsporozoite protein (CSP) IgG and CD8 + CD69+ effector memory T cell levels consistent with partial pre-erythrocytic immunity. IFNγ levels decrease significantly during the participants' second exposure to high blood stage parasitemia and could contribute to the decrease in symptoms. In contrast, CD4-CD8 + T cells expressing CXCR5 and the inhibitory receptor, PD-1, increase significantly after subsequent Pf exposures, possibly dampening the memory response and interfering with the generation of robust sterilizing immunity.
Topics: Humans; Malaria, Falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum; Male; Protozoan Proteins; Animals; Adult; Antibodies, Protozoan; Interferon-gamma; Female; Immunoglobulin G; Young Adult; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Mosquito Vectors; Anopheles
PubMed: 38890271
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49041-2 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jun 2024Diarrheal diseases with infectious etiology remain a major cause of death globally, particularly in low-income countries. is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that is the...
Diarrheal diseases with infectious etiology remain a major cause of death globally, particularly in low-income countries. is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of amebiasis. Amebiasis has a wide presentation in clinical severity with many factors, including the bacterial microbiota, contributing to this variation. The innate immune response also plays a critical role in regulating the severity of infection, with neutrophils reported to have a protective role. Despite this, the precise mechanism of how neutrophils mediate amebic killing is poorly understood. Thus, modern platforms that allow for inquiry of granulocyte-ameba interactions will increase our understanding of this disease. Herein, we describe an assay for neutrophil killing of by utilizing high-dimensional spectral flow cytometry. Neutrophils were isolated from wild-type 5-week-old C57BL/6 mice and co-cultured with at various multiplicity of infections (MOIs). After co-culture, neutrophils and were stained for spectral flow cytometry. Cell populations were identified using surface markers and fluorescence minus one (FMO) controls. We have previously shown that animals colonized with a component of the human microbiota, , were protected from . This protection was associated with elevated neutrophil count. Here, we explored amebic killing capacity and observed that neutrophils from animals with possessed heightened amebic killing compared with controls. Thus, this study establishes a novel platform that can provide an in-depth analysis of granulocyte-parasite interactions in various contexts, including during alteration of the intestinal microbiota.IMPORTANCEThe tools for studying host immune cell interactions are limited. Factors, such as parasite heterogeneity, infectivity, and difficulties with culture systems and animal models, make interrogation of these interactions challenging. Thus, researchers can benefit from next-generation models that allow for the analysis of both host and parasite cells. Here, we demonstrate the use of a novel platform that allows for the determination of parasite-host cell interactions and customizable high-dimensional phenotyping of both populations. Indeed, spectral flow cytometry can approach >40 markers on a single panel and can be paired with custom-developed parasite antibodies that can be conjugated to fluorochromes via commercially available kits. This platform affords researchers the capability to test highly precise hypotheses regarding host-parasite interactions.
PubMed: 38888326
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00472-24 -
Cureus May 2024Ascariasis is one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. It is mostly asymptomatic; however, rarely when the worms migrate to the biliary tract, they can...
Ascariasis is one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. It is mostly asymptomatic; however, rarely when the worms migrate to the biliary tract, they can cause biliary ascariasis. It typically presents with pain abdomen, jaundice, and fever. This case report is about a patient who presented with fever, icterus, breathlessness, loose stools, and altered sensorium but had no abdominal pain. The patient was diagnosed with biliary ascariasis using ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The patient was treated with endoscopic sphincterotomy and albendazole. The patient remained stable after 10 days. The absence of abdominal pain highlights the variability of the presentation of biliary ascariasis.
PubMed: 38887340
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60537 -
Scientific Data Jun 2024As an economically important plant parasitic nematode (PPN), Heterodera filipjevi causes great damage on wheat, and now it was widely recorded in many countries. While...
As an economically important plant parasitic nematode (PPN), Heterodera filipjevi causes great damage on wheat, and now it was widely recorded in many countries. While multiple genomes of PPNs have been published, high-quality genome assembly and annotation on H. filipjevi have yet to be performed. This study presents a chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation for H. filipjevi, utilizing a combination of Illumina short-read, PacBio long-read, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The genome consists of 9 pseudo-chromosomes that contain 134.19 Mb of sequence, with a scaffold N50 length of 11.88 Mb. In total, 10,036 genes were annotated, representing 75.20% of the total predicted protein-coding genes. Our study provides the first chromosome-scale genome for H. filipjevi, which is also the inaugural high-quality genome of cereal cyst nematodes (CCNs). It provides a valuable genomic resource for further biological research and pest management of cereal cyst nematodes disease.
Topics: Animals; Chromosomes; Edible Grain; Genome, Helminth; Molecular Sequence Annotation; Plant Diseases; Triticum; Tylenchoidea
PubMed: 38886380
DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03487-7 -
ACG Case Reports Journal Jun 2024Giardiasis is the most common intestinal parasitic disease worldwide. Clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and iron deficiency...
Giardiasis is the most common intestinal parasitic disease worldwide. Clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and iron deficiency anemia. Treatment modalities include tinidazole, metronidazole, and paromomycin. We present a case of an adult man with anemia and suspected gastrointestinal bleeding who was found to have a duodenal nodule consistent with Brunner gland hyperplasia, and biopsy also showed . Limited case reports of diagnosed by duodenal biopsy are found in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of giardiasis presenting as Brunner gland hyperplasia.
PubMed: 38883578
DOI: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001386