-
PLoS Pathogens May 2024The eggs of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni are the main cause of the clinical manifestations of chronic schistosomiasis. After laying, the egg "winners" attach to...
The eggs of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni are the main cause of the clinical manifestations of chronic schistosomiasis. After laying, the egg "winners" attach to the endothelium of the mesenteric vein and, after a period of development, induce the growth of a small granuloma, which facilitates their passage to the intestinal lumen. Egg "losers" carried by the bloodstream to non-specific tissues also undergo full development and induce large granuloma formation, but their life ends there. Although these trapped eggs represent a dead end in the parasite life cycle, the vast majority of studies attempting to describe the biology of the S. mansoni eggs have studied these liver-trapped "losers" instead of migrating intestinal "winners". This raises the fundamental question of how these eggs differ. With robust comparative transcriptomic analysis performed on S. mansoni eggs isolated 7 weeks post infection, we show that gene expression is critically dependent on tissue localization, both in the early and late stages of development. While mitochondrial genes and venom allergen-like proteins are significantly upregulated in mature intestinal eggs, well-described egg immunomodulators IPSE/alpha-1 and omega-1, together with micro-exon genes, are predominantly expressed in liver eggs. In addition, several proteases and protease inhibitors previously implicated in egg-host interactions display clear tissue-specific gene expression patterns. These major differences in gene expression could be then reflected in the observed different ability of liver and intestinal soluble egg antigens to elicit host immune responses and in the shorter viability of miracidia hatched from liver eggs. Our comparative analysis provides a new perspective on the biology of parasite's eggs in the context of their development and tissue localization. These findings could contribute to a broader and more accurate understanding of parasite eggs interactions with the host, which have historically been often restricted to liver eggs and sometimes inaccurately generalized.
PubMed: 38814989
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012268 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger May 2024
Topics: Humans; Male; Testicular Diseases; Schistosomiasis; Anthelmintics; Praziquantel; Adult
PubMed: 38808760
DOI: 10.61409/V72026 -
International Journal For Parasitology.... Aug 2024The municipality of Sumidouro in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, is considered an area with low endemicity of . In this municipality, the wild water...
The municipality of Sumidouro in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, is considered an area with low endemicity of . In this municipality, the wild water rat is a wild reservoir of . A helminth community survey was carried out on populations in Sumidouro from 1997 to 1999. In the present study, we compared the helminth fauna and the helminth community structure of with a recent survey after a 22-year time interval, considering that the prevalence of infection in humans remained stable and that the area showed the same environmental characteristics. Seventy-three host specimens of collected between 1997 and 1999 and 21 specimens collected in 2021 were analyzed in this study. Seven helminth species were found in each collection period. The nematode was recorded for the first time in in 2021. was the most abundant species in both periods and the most prevalent in 2021. During the period from 1997 to 1999, the most prevalent species was . Significant differences in prevalence and abundance in relation to host sex were observed only for in 1997-1999. Significant differences in the abundance of the helminth species over time were observed only in , and were the dominant species in both periods. and became dominant, codominant and subordinate, respectively, over time. In conclusion, the helminth community of remained stable, with similar species richness, prevalence and abundance values and low beta-diversity over time. The occurrence of in the water rat has remained stable for decades, highlighting its importance for schistosomiasis control.
PubMed: 38807751
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100941 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024is a protozoan that may both reveal aspects of animal evolution and also curtail the spread of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease. exhibits a chemically...
is a protozoan that may both reveal aspects of animal evolution and also curtail the spread of schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease. exhibits a chemically regulated aggregative behavior that resembles cellular aggregation in some animals. This behavior may have played a key role in the evolution of animal multicellularity. Additionally, this aggregative behavior may be important for 's ability to colonize the intermediate host of parasitic schistosomes and potentially prevent the spread of schistosomiasis. Both applications demand elucidation of the molecular mechanism of aggregation. Toward this goal, we first determined the necessary chemical properties of lipid cues that activate aggregation. We found that a wide range of abundant zwitterionic lipids induced aggregation, revealing that the aggregative behavior could be activated by diverse lipid-rich conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrated that aggregation in requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis, highlighting the potential significance of endocytosis-linked cellular signaling in recent animal ancestors. Finally, we found that aggregation was initiated by post-translational activation of cell-cell adhesion-not transcriptional regulation of cellular adhesion machinery. Our findings illuminate the chemical, molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate aggregative behavior-with implications for the evolution of animal multicellularity and the transmission of parasites.
PubMed: 38798415
DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.593945 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024Silybin (SIB) is a hepatoprotective drug known for its poor oral bioavailability, attributed to its classification as a class IV drug with significant metabolism during...
Silybin (SIB) is a hepatoprotective drug known for its poor oral bioavailability, attributed to its classification as a class IV drug with significant metabolism during the first-pass effect. This study explored the potential of solid lipid nanoparticles with (SLN-SIB-U) or without (SLN-SIB) ursodeoxycholic acid and polymeric nanoparticles (PN-SIB) as delivery systems for SIB. The efficacy of these nanosystems was assessed through in vitro studies using the GRX and Caco-2 cell lines for permeability and proliferation assays, respectively, as well as in vivo experiments employing a murine model of infection in BALB/c mice. The mean diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the nanosystems were as follows: SLN-SIB (252.8 ± 4.4 nm, 90.28 ± 2.2%), SLN-SIB-U (252.9 ± 14.4 nm, 77.05 ± 2.8%), and PN-SIB (241.8 ± 4.1 nm, 98.0 ± 0.2%). In the proliferation assay with the GRX cell line, SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U exhibited inhibitory effects of 43.09 ± 5.74% and 38.78 ± 3.78%, respectively, compared to PN-SIB, which showed no inhibitory effect. Moreover, SLN-SIB-U demonstrated a greater apparent permeability coefficient (25.82 ± 2.2) than PN-SIB (20.76 ± 0.1), which was twice as high as that of SLN-SIB (11.32 ± 4.6) and pure SIB (11.28 ± 0.2). These findings suggest that solid lipid nanosystems hold promise for further in vivo investigations. In the murine model of acute-phase infection, both SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U displayed hepatoprotective effects, as evidenced by lower alanine amino transferase values (22.89 ± 1.6 and 23.93 ± 2.4 U/L, respectively) than those in control groups I (29.55 ± 0.7 U/L) and I+SIB (34.29 ± 0.3 U/L). Among the prepared nanosystems, SLN-SIB-U emerges as a promising candidate for enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of SIB.
PubMed: 38794280
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050618 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Urine filtration microscopy (UFM) lacks sensitivity in detecting low-intensity infections. In pursuit of a superior alternative, this study evaluated the performance of...
Urine filtration microscopy (UFM) lacks sensitivity in detecting low-intensity infections. In pursuit of a superior alternative, this study evaluated the performance of FlukeCatcher microscopy (FCM) at detecting eggs in human urine samples. Urine samples were collected from 572 school-age children in Afar, Ethiopia in July 2023 and examined using UFM and FCM approaches. Using the combined UFM and FCM results as a reference, the sensitivity, negative predictive value, and agreement levels for the two testing methods in detecting eggs in urine samples were calculated. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of detecting eggs in urine samples for FCM was 84% and 97%, respectively, compared to 65% and 93% for UFM. The FCM test results had an agreement of 61% with the UFM results, compared to 90% with the combined results of FCM and UFM. However, the average egg count estimates were lower when using FCM (6.6 eggs per 10 mL) compared to UFM (14.7 eggs per 10 mL) ( < 0.0001). Incorporating FCM into specimen processing could improve the diagnosis of infection but may underperform in characterizing the intensity of infection.
PubMed: 38786335
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14101037 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty May 2024Natural, geographical barriers have historically limited the spread of communicable diseases. This is no longer the case in today's interconnected world, paired with its...
Natural, geographical barriers have historically limited the spread of communicable diseases. This is no longer the case in today's interconnected world, paired with its unprecedented environmental and climate change, emphasising the intersection of evolutionary biology, epidemiology and geography (i.e. biogeography). A total of 14 articles of the special issue entitled "Geography and health: role of human translocation and access to care" document enhanced disease transmission of diseases, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, COVID-19 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona 2) and Oropouche fever in spite of spatiotemporal surveillance. High-resolution satellite images can be used to understand spatial distributions of transmission risks and disease spread and to highlight the major avenue increasing the incidence and geographic range of zoonoses represented by spill-over transmission of coronaviruses from bats to pigs or civets. Climate change and globalization have increased the spread and establishment of invasive mosquitoes in non-tropical areas leading to emerging outbreaks of infections warranting improved physical, chemical and biological vector control strategies. The translocation of pathogens and their vectors is closely connected with human mobility, migration and the global transport of goods. Other contributing factors are deforestation with urbanization encroaching into wildlife zones. The destruction of natural ecosystems, coupled with low income and socioeconomic status, increase transmission probability of neglected tropical and zoonotic diseases. The articles in this special issue document emerging or re-emerging diseases and surveillance of fever symptoms. Health equity is intricately connected to accessibility to health care and the targeting of healthcare resources, necessitating a spatial approach. Public health comprises successful disease management integrating spatial surveillance systems, including access to sanitation facilities. Antimicrobial resistance caused, e.g. by increased use of antibiotics in health, agriculture and aquaculture, or acquisition of resistance genes, can be spread by horizontal gene transfer. This editorial reviews the key findings of this 14-article special issue, identifies important gaps relevant to our interconnected world and makes a number of specific recommendations to mitigate the transmission risks of infectious diseases in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
Topics: Humans; Health Services Accessibility; Animals; Zoonoses; COVID-19; Communicable Diseases; SARS-CoV-2; Geography
PubMed: 38783378
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-024-01205-4 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Jun 2024A fecal survey in Tamil Nadu, India, revealed 2 persons passed schistosome eggs, later identified as Schistosoma incognitum, a parasite of pigs, dogs, and rats. We... (Review)
Review
A fecal survey in Tamil Nadu, India, revealed 2 persons passed schistosome eggs, later identified as Schistosoma incognitum, a parasite of pigs, dogs, and rats. We investigated those cases and reviewed autochthonous schistosomiasis cases from India and Nepal. Whether the 2 new cases represent true infection or spurious passage is undetermined.
Topics: Animals; India; Humans; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Feces; Male; Female; Dogs; Adult; Swine; Rats; Nepal; Middle Aged; Asia, Southern
PubMed: 38782022
DOI: 10.3201/eid3006.231641 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Schistosomiasis is a common cause of pulmonary hypertension (PH) worldwide. Type 2 inflammation contributes to the development of Schistosoma-induced PH. Specifically,...
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is a common cause of pulmonary hypertension (PH) worldwide. Type 2 inflammation contributes to the development of Schistosoma-induced PH. Specifically, interstitial macrophages (IMs) derived from monocytes play a pivotal role by producing thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which in turn activates TGF-β, thereby driving the pathology of PH. Resident and recruited IM subpopulations have recently been identified. We hypothesized that in Schistosoma-PH, one IM subpopulation expresses monocyte recruitment factors, whereas recruited monocytes become a separate IM subpopulation that expresses TSP-1.
METHODS
Mice were intraperitoneally sensitized and then intravenously challenged with S. mansoni eggs. Flow cytometry on lungs and blood was performed on wildtype and reporter mice to identify IM subpopulations and protein expression. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) was performed on flow-sorted IMs from unexposed and at day 1, 3 and 7 following Schistosoma exposure to complement flow cytometry based IM characterization and identify gene expression.
RESULTS
Flow cytometry and scRNAseq both identified 3 IM subpopulations, characterized by CCR2, MHCII, and FOLR2 expression. Following exposure, the CCR2 IM subpopulation expanded, suggestive of circulating monocyte recruitment. exposure caused increased monocyte-recruitment ligand CCL2 expression in the resident FOLR2 IM subpopulation. In contrast, the vascular pathology-driving protein TSP-1 was greatest in the CCR2 IM subpopulation.
CONCLUSION
-induced PH involves crosstalk between IM subpopulations, with increased expression of monocyte recruitment ligands by resident FOLR2 IMs, and the recruitment of CCR2 IMs which express TSP-1 that activates TGF-β and causes PH.
Topics: Animals; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Mice; Macrophages; Phenotype; Schistosoma mansoni; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Schistosomiasis; Disease Models, Animal; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Thrombospondin 1; Monocytes; Receptors, CCR2; Female; Schistosoma; Lung
PubMed: 38779688
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1372957 -
Microbial Cell Factories May 2024Recombinant multiepitope proteins (RMPs) are a promising alternative for application in diagnostic tests and, given their wide application in the most diverse diseases,... (Review)
Review
Recombinant multiepitope proteins (RMPs) are a promising alternative for application in diagnostic tests and, given their wide application in the most diverse diseases, this review article aims to survey the use of these antigens for diagnosis, as well as discuss the main points surrounding these antigens. RMPs usually consisting of linear, immunodominant, and phylogenetically conserved epitopes, has been applied in the experimental diagnosis of various human and animal diseases, such as leishmaniasis, brucellosis, cysticercosis, Chagas disease, hepatitis, leptospirosis, leprosy, filariasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and COVID-19. The synthetic genes for these epitopes are joined to code a single RMP, either with spacers or fused, with different biochemical properties. The epitopes' high density within the RMPs contributes to a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The RMPs can also sidestep the need for multiple peptide synthesis or multiple recombinant proteins, reducing costs and enhancing the standardization conditions for immunoassays. Methods such as bioinformatics and circular dichroism have been widely applied in the development of new RMPs, helping to guide their construction and better understand their structure. Several RMPs have been expressed, mainly using the Escherichia coli expression system, highlighting the importance of these cells in the biotechnological field. In fact, technological advances in this area, offering a wide range of different strains to be used, make these cells the most widely used expression platform. RMPs have been experimentally used to diagnose a broad range of illnesses in the laboratory, suggesting they could also be useful for accurate diagnoses commercially. On this point, the RMP method offers a tempting substitute for the production of promising antigens used to assemble commercial diagnostic kits.
Topics: Escherichia coli; Recombinant Proteins; Humans; Epitopes; Immunologic Tests; Animals; COVID-19
PubMed: 38778337
DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02418-w