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World Journal of Gastroenterology Sep 2016Hepatobiliary and pancreatic ascariasis (HPA) was described as a clinical entity from Kashmir, India in 1985. HPA is caused by invasion and migration of nematode,... (Review)
Review
Hepatobiliary and pancreatic ascariasis (HPA) was described as a clinical entity from Kashmir, India in 1985. HPA is caused by invasion and migration of nematode, Ascaris lumbricoides, in to the biliary tract and pancreatic duct. Patients present with biliary colic, cholangitis, cholecystitis, hepatic abscesses and acute pancreatitis. Ascarides traverse the ducts repeatedly, get trapped and die, leading to formation of hepatolithiasis. HPA is ubiquitous in endemic regions and in Kashmir, one such region, HPA is the etiological factor for 36.7%, 23%, 14.5% and 12.5% of all biliary diseases, acute pancreatitis, liver abscesses and biliary lithiasis respectively. Ultrasonography is an excellent diagnostic tool in visualizing worms in gut lumen and ductal system. The rational treatment for HPA is to give appropriate treatment for clinical syndromes along with effective anthelmintic therapy. Endotherapy in HPA is indicated if patients continue to have symptoms on medical therapy or when worms do not move out of ductal lumen by 3 wk or die within the ducts. The worms can be removed from the ductal system in most of the patients and such patients get regression of symptoms of hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease.
Topics: Algorithms; Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Biliary Tract; Biliary Tract Diseases; Cholangitis; Cholecystitis; Humans; India; Liver Diseases, Parasitic; Pancreatitis; Prevalence
PubMed: 27672273
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i33.7507 -
The Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology... 2011Gallbladder ascariasis is rarely encountered. The causative agent is Ascaris lumbricoides. Presence of ascaris inside the gallbladder can incite acalculous...
BACKGROUND/AIMS
Gallbladder ascariasis is rarely encountered. The causative agent is Ascaris lumbricoides. Presence of ascaris inside the gallbladder can incite acalculous cholecystitis. We aimed in this report to study gallbladder ascariasis.
METHODS
This is a case study of 28 patients with a diagnosis of gallbladder ascariasis from 2005 to 2010 who were seen in the Department of General Surgery, SMHS Hospital.
RESULTS
Three patients with gallbladder ascariasis had associated worms in the common bile duct. On abdominal sonography, all patients showed worms as linear echogenic shadows or the worms showed 'belly dance' of worms when actively moving. Acute acalculous cholecystitis was present in 21 patients, and 7 had biliary colic. Dead worms in the gallbladder were seen in 4 patients, of which, one was fragmented and another had calcified form of parasite. Twenty-two patients had spontaneous exit of worms from the gallbladder with a time interval ranging from 1 hour to 144 hours from the time of a diagnosis. Six patients had cholecystectomy. Two patients were subjected to emergency cholecystectomy due to multiple impacted worms not exiting from the gallbladder after conservative treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on our experience, ultrasound diagnosis is advocated as a highly sensitive and noninvasive technique for suspected gallbladder ascariasis and it can be repeated frequently to monitor movement of worms in the gallbladder and common bile ducts.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Child, Preschool; Common Bile Duct; Female; Gallbladder; Gallbladder Diseases; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parasite Load; Young Adult
PubMed: 21796555
DOI: 10.4318/tjg.2011.0187 -
Parasites & Vectors Feb 2012Since the original description and naming of Ascaris lumbricoides from humans by Linnaeus in 1758 and later of Ascaris suum from pigs by Goeze 1782, these species have... (Review)
Review
Since the original description and naming of Ascaris lumbricoides from humans by Linnaeus in 1758 and later of Ascaris suum from pigs by Goeze 1782, these species have been considered to be valid. Four hypotheses relative to the conspecificity or lack thereof (and thus origin of these species) are possible: 1) Ascaris lumbricoides (usually infecting humans) and Ascaris suum (recorded mostly from pigs) are both valid species, with the two species originating via a speciation event from a common ancestor sometime before the domestication of pigs by humans, or 2) Ascaris lumbricoides in humans is derived directly from the species A. suum found in pigs with A. suum then existing as a persistent ancestor after formation of A. lumbricoides, or 3) Ascaris suum is derived directly from A. lumbricoides with the persistent ancestor being A. lumbricoides and A. suum being the newly derived species, and finally, 4) Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum are the same species, this hypothesis being supported by studies showing both low morphological and low genetic divergence at several genes. We present and discuss paleoparasitological and genetic evidence that complement new data to evaluate the origin and evolution of Ascaris spp. in humans and pigs, and the uniqueness of the species in both hosts. Finally, we conclude that Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum are a single species and that the name A. lumbricoides Linnaeus 1758 has taxonomic priority; therefore A. suum Goeze 1782 should be considered a synonym of A. lumbricoides.
Topics: Animals; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Ascaris suum; Biological Evolution; Genetic Speciation; Humans; Swine; Swine Diseases
PubMed: 22348306
DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-42 -
Parasites & Vectors Dec 2022Ascaris lumbricoides causes human ascariasis, the most prevalent helminth disease, infecting approximately 1 billion individuals globally. In 2019 the global disease...
BACKGROUND
Ascaris lumbricoides causes human ascariasis, the most prevalent helminth disease, infecting approximately 1 billion individuals globally. In 2019 the global disease burden was estimated to be 754,000 DALYs and resulted in 2090 deaths. In the absence of a vaccination strategy, treatment of ascariasis has relied on anthelminthic chemotherapy, but drug resistance is a concern. The propensity for reinfection is also a major challenge to disease control; female worms lay up to 200,000 eggs daily, which contaminate surrounding environments and remain viable for years, resulting in high transmission rates. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of reproductive processes, including control of egg production, spermatogenesis, oogenesis and embryogenesis, will drive the development of new drugs and/or vaccine targets for future ascariasis control.
METHODS
Transcriptome profiles of discrete reproductive and somatic tissue samples were generated from adult male and female worms using Illumina HiSeq with 2 × 150 bp paired-end sequencing. Male tissues included: testis germinal zone, testis part of vas deferens, seminal vesicle and somatic tissue. Female tissues included: ovary germinal zone, ovary part of the oviduct, uterus and somatic tissue. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the fragments per kilobases per million reads (FPKM) profiles. Hierarchical analysis was performed to identify tissue-specific genes. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were employed to identify significant terms and pathways for the DEGs.
RESULTS
DEGs involved in protein phosphorylation and adhesion molecules were indicated to play a crucial role in spermatogenesis and fertilization, respectively. Those genes associated with the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway and small GTPase-mediated signal transduction pathway play an essential role in cytoskeleton organization during oogenesis. Additionally, DEGs associated with the SMA genes and TGF-β signaling pathway are crucial in adult female embryogenesis. Some genes associated with particular biological processes and pathways that were identified in this study have been linked to defects in germline development, embryogenesis and reproductive behavior. In the enriched KEGG pathway analysis, Hippo signaling, oxytocin signaling and tight junction pathways were identified to play a role in Ascaris male and female reproductive systems.
CONCLUSIONS
This study has provided comprehensive transcriptome profiles of discrete A. lumbricoides reproductive tissue samples, revealing the molecular basis of these functionally important tissues. The data generated from this study will provide fundamental knowledge on the reproductive biology of Ascaris and will inform future target identification for anti-ascariasis drugs and/or vaccines.
Topics: Animals; Male; Female; Humans; Ascaris lumbricoides; Gene Expression Profiling; Transcriptome; Ascariasis; Ovary
PubMed: 36539906
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05602-2 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2022The most frequent intestinal helminth infections in humans are attributed to Ascaris lumbricoides, and there are concerns over the anthelminthic resistance of this...
The most frequent intestinal helminth infections in humans are attributed to Ascaris lumbricoides, and there are concerns over the anthelminthic resistance of this species. The gut microbiota has essential roles in host physiology. Therefore, discovering host-parasite-microbiota interactions could help develop alternative helminthiasis treatments. Additionally, these interactions are modulated by functional metabolites that can reveal the mechanisms of infection and disease progression. Thus, we aimed to investigate bacteriomes in the gut of helminths and fecal samples of patients via next-generation sequencing. Our results showed that infection intensity was associated with the bacterial composition of helminth guts but not with the intestinal bacteriome of human hosts. Moreover, the metabolomes of A. lumbricoides in the heavy and light ascariasis cases were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Increased levels of essential biomolecules, such as amino acids, lipids, and nucleotide precursors, were found in the guts of helminths isolated from heavily infected patients, implying that these metabolites are related to egg production and ascariasis pathogenicity. These findings are the first step towards a more complete understanding of the mechanisms by which the bacteriome of helminth guts affect their colonization and may reveal novel and more effective approaches to parasitic disease therapy.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Ascaris lumbricoides; Ascariasis; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Helminthiasis; Helminths; Feces; Metabolome
PubMed: 36376367
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23608-9 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Jan 2000
Topics: Aged; Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Ecuador; Female; Humans; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 10629158
DOI: 10.5858/2000-124-0174-AL -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2020To analyze the impact of infection on the pathogenesis and diagnosis of allergic diseases, new allergens should be identified. We report the identification of a new...
To analyze the impact of infection on the pathogenesis and diagnosis of allergic diseases, new allergens should be identified. We report the identification of a new allergen, Asc l 5. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and immunological features of the Asc l 5 allergen. We constructed an cDNA library and Asc l 5 was identified by immunoscreening. After purification, rAsc l 5 was physicochemically characterized. Evaluation of its allergenic activity included determination of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding frequency (in two populations: 254 children and 298 all-age subjects), CD203c based-basophil activation tests (BAT) and a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) mouse model. We found by amino acid sequence analysis that Asc l 5 belongs to the SXP/RAL-2 protein family of nematodes. rAsc l 5 is a monomeric protein with an alpha-helical folding. IgE sensitization to rAsc l 5 was around 52% in general population; positive BAT rate was 60%. rAsc l 5 induced specific IgE production in mice and a positive PCA reaction. These results show that Asc l 5 has structural and immunological characteristics to be considered as a new allergen from .
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Allergens; Animals; Antibodies, Helminth; Antigens, Helminth; Ascaris lumbricoides; Asthma; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Immunoglobulin E; Infant; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 33371317
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249761 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Jan 2014The worldwide prevalence of geohelminths and their unique place in evolutionary biology have attracted research focus. These major soil-transmitted intestinal nematodes... (Review)
Review
The worldwide prevalence of geohelminths and their unique place in evolutionary biology have attracted research focus. These major soil-transmitted intestinal nematodes that cause human diseases are the nematode roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the two hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus), often collectively referred as geohelminths. Studies of geohelminthiasis in poorly nourished children in developing regions report that geohelminths contribute to stunted growth and cognitive impairment. Insights into immunology have shed light on the modulatory role of the parasite on the host immune system and have defined the role of T cells in controlling geohelminthic infection. Recent molecular biological techniques have created an opportunity to analyse the interaction between parasites and their hosts at the molecular level. This paper is a review of the recent literature that examined the prevalence of geohelminthiasis in developing countries, the association between geohelminths in relation to public health, parasitological/diagnostic features, and therapeutic and preventive aspects of these major soil-transmitted helminth (STH) pathogens in humans.
Topics: Ancylostomatoidea; Animals; Ascaris lumbricoides; Developing Countries; Developmental Disabilities; Helminthiasis; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Prevalence; Trichuris
PubMed: 24423707
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.3183 -
Parasitology Nov 2021Due to the presence of artefacts in stool samples, the copromicroscopic diagnosis of Ascaris lumbricoides is not always straightforward, particularly in the case of...
Due to the presence of artefacts in stool samples, the copromicroscopic diagnosis of Ascaris lumbricoides is not always straightforward, particularly in the case of fertilized decorticated eggs. A total of 286 stool samples from 115 schoolchildren in India and 171 adult immigrants in Italy were screened for the presence of A. lumbricoides eggs by both Kato-Katz thick smear and Mini-FLOTAC. If the outer layer of A. lumbricoides eggs was absent, two aliquots of each stool sample were preserved: one for coproculture to identify larvae after development and one to compose a pool of stool for molecular analysis. A total of 64 stool samples (22.4%) were positive for A. lumbricoides using the Kato-Katz thick smear; 36 (56.3%) of these showed mammillated A. lumbricoides eggs, 25 (39.1%) showed elements resembling fertilized decorticated eggs, while three samples (4.7%) showed both mammillated and decorticated eggs. By Mini-FLOTAC, 39 stool samples (13.6%) were positive, while decorticated A. lumbricoides-like eggs were identified as artefacts. These results were confirmed by negative coprocultures and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Mini-FLOTAC can be used for a reliable diagnosis of A. lumbricoides, thanks to the flotation and translation features which allow a clearer view, resulting in the correct identification of A. lumbricoides eggs.
Topics: Animals; Artifacts; Ascaris lumbricoides; Feces; Helminthiasis; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 34250886
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021001256 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2022Preventive chemotherapy (PC) that remains the main control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization to achieve the elimination of soil-transmitted helminth...
Preventive chemotherapy (PC) that remains the main control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization to achieve the elimination of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections as a public health problem must be strengthened by identifying the remaining transmission hot-spots for the deployment of appropriate control measures. This study was designed to assess the prevalence and infections intensities of soil-transmitted helminths and perform micro scale mapping in order to identify transmission hot-spots for targeted control operations. Stool samples were collected from 1775 children in ten primary schools of eight sub-districts of Makenene in Cameroon. Kato Katz technique was used to process and examine stool samples to detect the eggs of soil-transmitted nematodes. The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth species as well as the infection intensities was compared. Data visualizations in forms of maps were made using Quantum geographic information system (QGIS) software. The overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections was 4.8% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 3.8-5.9%: 3.0% (95% CI 2.2-3.9) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 1.4% (95% CI 0.9-2.0) for Trichuris trichiura and 0.8% (95% CI 0.5-1.4) for hookworms. The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth species differ significantly between schools and sub-districts. The intensity of infections was light (2.4%, 1.1% and 0.8%), moderate (0.4%, 0.1% and 0.1%) and heavy (0.2%, 0.2% and 0%) for A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and hookworm respectively. The mean intensity of infections was 7255 EPG for A. lumbricoides, 2900 EPG for T. trichiura and 298 EPG for hookworm. Between schools, significant difference was recorded in the means of infection intensities of T. Trichiura and hookworms but not for A. lumbricoides. This difference was also significant for T. Trichiura when comparison were between sex. No significant difference were recorded when the comparison were between age. Fine mapping revealed that children harbouring heavy infections were clustered in the same sub-districts; highlighting the presence of high endemicity sub-districts and hot-spots for the transmission of different soil-transmitted helminth species. This study showed a diversity in the prevalence and transmission of different soil-transmitted helminth species. It also hightlighted the need for micro scale mapping to enable the localisation of high endemicity sub-districts and transmission hot-spot sites where targeted control operations must be deployed to achieve STH elimination.
Topics: Ancylostomatoidea; Animals; Ascaris lumbricoides; Child; Feces; Helminthiasis; Helminths; Hookworm Infections; Humans; Prevalence; Soil; Trichuris
PubMed: 35978014
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18285-7