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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Feb 2014Relative contribution of these infections on anemia in pregnancy is not certain. While measures to protect pregnant women against malaria have been scaling up,... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Relative contribution of these infections on anemia in pregnancy is not certain. While measures to protect pregnant women against malaria have been scaling up, interventions against helminthes have received much less attention. In this study, we determine the relative impact of helminthes and malaria on maternal anemia.
METHODS
A prospective observational study was conducted in coastal Kenya among a cohort of pregnant women who were recruited at their first antenatal care (ANC) visit and tested for malaria, hookworm, and other parasitic infections and anemia at enrollment. All women enrolled in the study received presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, iron and multi-vitamins and women diagnosed with helminthic infections were treated with albendazole. Women delivering a live, term birth, were also tested for maternal anemia, fetal anemia and presence of infection at delivery.
PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Of the 706 women studied, at the first ANC visit, 27% had moderate/severe anemia and 71% of women were anemic overall. The infections with highest prevalence were hookworm (24%), urogenital schistosomiasis (17%), trichuria (10%), and malaria (9%). In adjusted and unadjusted analyses, moderate/severe anemia at first ANC visit was associated with the higher intensities of hookworm and P. falciparum microscopy-malaria infections. At delivery, 34% of women had moderate/severe anemia and 18% of infants' cord hemoglobin was consistent with fetal anemia. While none of the maternal infections were significantly associated with fetal anemia, moderate/severe maternal anemia was associated with fetal anemia.
CONCLUSIONS
More than one quarter of women receiving standard ANC with IPTp for malaria had moderate/severe anemia in pregnancy and high rates of parasitic infection. Thus, addressing the role of co-infections, such as hookworm, as well as under-nutrition, and their contribution to anemia is needed.
Topics: Adult; Ancylostomiasis; Anemia; Animals; Female; Fetal Blood; Hemoglobins; Humans; Kenya; Malaria; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Prospective Studies; Schistosomiasis; Young Adult
PubMed: 24587473
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002724 -
Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz May 2009To improve the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis, a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB-IgG) test was developed and evaluated using... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
To improve the serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis, a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB-IgG) test was developed and evaluated using Toxocara canislarvae excretory-secretory antigens for detecting anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies. The EITB-IgG profile of toxocariasis was characterized by comparing 27 sera from patients with toxocariasis, 110 sera from healthy subjects and 186 sera from patients with other helminth diseases (ascariasis, ancylostomiasis, trichuriasis, enterobiasis, strongyloidiasis, hymenolepiasis, diphyllobothriasis, taeniasis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis and fascioliasis). Antigenic bands of 24, 28, 30, 35, 56, 117, 136 and 152 kDa were predominantly recognized in sera from all patients with toxocariasis. However, only bands of 24-35 kDa were highly specific for Toxocara infection (98.3%), whereas other antigenic bands observed displayed cross-reactivity. Additionally, when the results of the EITB-IgG test were compared to those of the ELISA-IgG test, a 100% concordance was observed for positive results in human toxocariasis cases. The concordance for negative results between the two tests for healthy subjects and patients with other helminth diseases were 96.3% and 53.7%, respectively, showing that the EITB-IgG test has a higher specificity than ELISA. In conclusion, the EITB-IgG test is a very useful tool to confirm the serological diagnosis of human toxocariasis.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Helminth; Case-Control Studies; Child; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Immunoblotting; Immunoglobulin G; Predictive Value of Tests; Sensitivity and Specificity; Toxocara; Toxocariasis
PubMed: 19547865
DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762009000300003 -
BioMed Research International 2013Ancylostoma caninum is a blood-feeding parasitic intestinal nematode which infects dogs, cats, and other mammals throughout the world. A highly sensitive and...
Ancylostoma caninum is a blood-feeding parasitic intestinal nematode which infects dogs, cats, and other mammals throughout the world. A highly sensitive and species-specific PCR-RFLP technique was utilised to detect the prevalence of A. caninum in cats in Guangzhou, southern China. Of the 102 fecal samples examined, the prevalence of A. caninum in cats was 95.1% and 83.3% using PCR-RFLP and microscopy, respectively. Among them, the prevalence of single hookworm infection with A. caninum was 54.90%, while mixed infections with both A. caninum and A. ceylanicum were 40.20%. Comparative analysis of three complete ITS sequences obtained from cat-derived A. caninum showed the same length (738 bp) as that of dog-derived A. caninum. However, the sequence variation range was 98.6%-100%, where only one cat isolate (M63) showed 100% sequence similarity in comparison with two dog-derived A. caninum isolates (AM850106, EU159416) in the same studied area. The phylogenetic tree revealed A. caninum derived from both cats and dogs in single cluster. Results suggest that cats could be the main host of A. caninum in China, which may cause cross-infection between dogs and cats in the same area.
Topics: Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Cat Diseases; Cats; China; Dogs; Feces; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Prevalence; RNA, Helminth; Species Specificity
PubMed: 24175305
DOI: 10.1155/2013/868050 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2020Hookworms are intestinal parasites that cause major public health problems, especially in developing countries. To differentiate eggs from different hookworm species, it...
Hookworms are intestinal parasites that cause major public health problems, especially in developing countries. To differentiate eggs from different hookworm species, it is necessary to use molecular methodologies, since the eggs are morphologically similar. Here, we performed the molecular identification of single hookworm eggs from six Brazilian states. Of the 634 eggs individually analyzed, 98.1% (622/634) represented Necator americanus, and surprisingly, 1.9% (12/634 eggs from the same patient) represented Ancylostoma caninum. DNA analysis of the A. caninum-positive stool sample revealed no contamination with animal feces. This is the first report of the presence of A. caninum eggs in human feces, which may have a direct implication for the epidemiology of hookworm infection caused by this species. This suggests the need for special attention regarding prophylaxis, as different reservoirs, previously not described, may have great relevance for the spread of A. caninum.
Topics: Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Brazil; DNA, Helminth; Feces; Genotype; Humans; Intestines; Necator americanus; Necatoriasis
PubMed: 32080267
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59874-8 -
Transactions of the Royal Society of... Aug 2007Geophagia may be harmful as a method for the transmission of geohelminths. In this study, we pose two questions in a representative sample of 970 pregnant women from...
Geophagia may be harmful as a method for the transmission of geohelminths. In this study, we pose two questions in a representative sample of 970 pregnant women from Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Can consumed earth be a vector for geohelminth infection? And do geophagists have differential parasitic infection? The parasitological content of 59 non-food substance samples was analysed. Cross-sectional data regarding pica behaviour were collected through interviews conducted by local researchers. Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm status was ascertained through Kato-Katz smears. The prevalence of geophagia at baseline was 5.6% and the overall prevalence of Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm infection was 5.6%, 33.2% and 32.9%, respectively. No consumed soil samples contained infectious parasitic stages, and only one of the consumed pica substances (charcoal) contained parasites of potential risk to human health. In bivariate analyses, neither the prevalence nor the intensity of infection with Ascaris, Trichuris or hookworm differed significantly by geophagia status. Furthermore, in multivariate models, geophagia was not a significant predictor of helminth infection status. We conclude that geophagia is not a source of Trichuris or hookworm infection among pregnant women in Pemba (insufficient power to evaluate the effect of Ascaris), which is in contrast to existing findings of helminth infection and geophagia.
Topics: Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Pica; Pregnancy; Soil Microbiology; Tanzania; Trichuriasis
PubMed: 17568644
DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.04.016 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Feb 2017Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis is an ocular infectious disease caused by several distinct nematodes. Definite identification of the involved nematodes is...
Diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis is an ocular infectious disease caused by several distinct nematodes. Definite identification of the involved nematodes is rarely achieved. We report on the molecular-based genetic identification of an Ancylostoma ceylanicum hookworm implicated in a case of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in a child.
Topics: Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Antibodies, Helminth; Child; DNA, Helminth; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Genes, Helminth; Humans; Male; Ophthalmoscopes; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Retinitis
PubMed: 28098549
DOI: 10.3201/eid2302.142064 -
Releve Epidemiologique Hebdomadaire Mar 2015
Topics: Adolescent; Albendazole; Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Child, Preschool; Databases, Factual; Global Health; Humans; Infant; Mebendazole; Necator americanus; Necatoriasis; Primary Prevention; Soil; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 25745677
DOI: No ID Found -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Jun 2016Hookworm infections as well as other intestinal nematodiases are endemic in China. In this case, a 70-year-old male showed symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of...
Hookworm infections as well as other intestinal nematodiases are endemic in China. In this case, a 70-year-old male showed symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath, and both lower extremities edema. The diagnostic result was chronic renal insufficiency, chronic kidney disease (5th stage), and renal anemia at first. Then, he received treatment with traditional drugs. However, this treatment did not help to alleviate the symptoms of the patient significantly. The results of gastroendoscopy showed hookworms in the duodenum, also confirmed by pathology examination. Anemia was markedly ameliorated after eliminating the parasites. The results mentioned above suggested that ancylostomiasis was the leading causes of anemia in this patient, and the etiology of anemia in uremic patients should be systematically considered. Especially when anemia could not be cured by regular treatments, rare diseases should be investigated.
Topics: Aged; Ancylostomatoidea; Ancylostomiasis; Anemia; Animals; China; Duodenum; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; Humans; Male; Peritoneal Dialysis
PubMed: 27417086
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.3.315 -
Infection and Immunity Feb 2006Infective larvae (L3) of nematodes secrete macromolecules that are critical to infection and establishment of the parasite in the host. The dog hookworm Ancylostoma...
Infective larvae (L3) of nematodes secrete macromolecules that are critical to infection and establishment of the parasite in the host. The dog hookworm Ancylostoma caninum secretes an astacin-like metalloprotease, Ac-MTP-1, upon activation in vitro with host serum. Recombinant Ac-MTP-1 was expressed in the baculovirus/insect cell system as a secreted protein and was purified from culture medium by two separate methods, cation-exchange fast-performance liquid chromatography and gelatin-affinity chromatography. Recombinant MTP-1 was catalytically active and digested a range of native and denatured connective tissue substrates, including gelatin, collagen, laminin, and fibronectin. A dog was immunized with recombinant Ac-MTP-1 formulated with AS03 adjuvant, and the antiserum was used to immunolocalize the anatomic sites of expression within A. caninum L3 to secretory granules in the glandular esophagus and the channels that connect the esophagus to the L3 surface and to the cuticle. Antiserum inhibited the ability of recombinant MTP-1 to digest collagen by 85% and inhibited larval migration through tissue in vitro by 70 to 75%, in contrast to just 5 to 10% inhibition obtained with preimmunization serum. The metalloprotease inhibitors EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline also reduced the penetration of L3 through skin in vitro by 43 to 61%. The data strongly suggest that Ac-MTP-1 is critical for the invasion process of hookworm larvae, and moreover, that antibodies against the enzyme can neutralize its function and inhibit migration.
Topics: Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Connective Tissue; Dogs; Host-Parasite Interactions; Larva; Male; Metalloendopeptidases; Recombinant Proteins; Skin
PubMed: 16428741
DOI: 10.1128/IAI.74.2.961-967.2006 -
Infection and Immunity Oct 2005We report the cloning and expression of Ac-GST-1, a novel glutathione S-transferase from the adult hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, and its possible role in parasite blood...
We report the cloning and expression of Ac-GST-1, a novel glutathione S-transferase from the adult hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, and its possible role in parasite blood feeding and as a vaccine target. The predicted Ac-GST-1 open reading frame contains 207 amino acids (mass, 24 kDa) and exhibited up to 65% amino acid identity with other nematode GSTs. mRNA encoding Ac-GST-1 was detected in adults, eggs, and larval stages, but the protein was detected only in adult hookworm somatic extracts and excretory/secretory products. Using antiserum to the recombinant protein, Ac-GST-1 was immunolocalized to the parasite hypodermis and muscle tissue and weakly to the intestine. Recombinant Ac-GST-1 was enzymatically active, as determined by conjugation of glutathione to a model substrate, and exhibited a novel high-affinity binding site for hematin. The possible role of Ac-GST-1 in parasite heme detoxification during hemoglobin digestion or heme uptake prompted interest in evaluating it as a potential vaccine antigen. Vaccination of dogs with Ac-GST-1 resulted in a 39.4% reduction in the mean worm burden and 32.3% reduction in egg counts compared to control dogs following larval challenge, although the reductions were not statistically significant. However, hamsters vaccinated with Ac-GST-1 exhibited statistically significant worm reduction (53.7%) following challenge with heterologous Necator americanus larvae. These studies suggest that Ac-GST-1 is a possible drug and vaccine target for hookworm infection.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Ancylostoma; Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Carrier Proteins; Cloning, Molecular; Cricetinae; Dogs; Glutathione Transferase; Heme-Binding Proteins; Hemeproteins; Larva; Molecular Sequence Data; RNA, Messenger; Vaccines
PubMed: 16177370
DOI: 10.1128/IAI.73.10.6903-6911.2005