-
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jul 2017European liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus, causing opisthorchiasis disease, is widespread in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and sporadically detected in the EU countries....
BACKGROUND
European liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus, causing opisthorchiasis disease, is widespread in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and sporadically detected in the EU countries. O. felineus infection leads to hepatobiliary pathological changes, cholangitis, fibrosis and, in severe cases, malignant transformation of bile ducts. Due to absence of specific symptoms, the infection is frequently neglected for a long period. The association of opisthorchiasis with almost incurable bile duct cancer and rising international migration of people that increases the risk of the parasitic etiology of liver fibrosis in non-endemic regions determine high demand for development of approaches to opisthorchiasis detection.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
In vivo magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) were applied for differential assessment of hepatic abnormalities induced by O. felineus in an experimental animal model. Correlations of the MR-findings with the histological data as well as the data of the biochemical analysis of liver tissue were found. MRI provides valuable information about the severity of liver impairments induced by opisthorchiasis. An MR image of O. felineus infected liver has a characteristic pattern that differs from that of closely related liver fluke infections. 1H and 31P MRS in combination with biochemical analysis data showed that O. felineus infection disturbed hepatic metabolism of the host, which was accompanied by cholesterol accumulation in the liver.
CONCLUSIONS
A non-invasive approach based on the magnetic resonance technique is very advantageous and may be successfully used not only for diagnosing and evaluating liver damage induced by O. felineus, but also for investigating metabolic changes arising in the infected organ. Since damages induced by the liver fluke take place in different liver lobes, MRI has the potential to overcome liver biopsy sampling variability that limits predictive validity of biopsy analysis for staging liver fluke-induced fibrosis.
Topics: Animals; Cholangitis; Cricetinae; Disease Models, Animal; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis
PubMed: 28708894
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005778 -
Trends in Parasitology Oct 2017The liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) is endemic in Southeast Asia where more than 10 million people are estimated to be infected. The infection is associated with... (Review)
Review
The liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) is endemic in Southeast Asia where more than 10 million people are estimated to be infected. The infection is associated with several hepatobiliary diseases, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Northeast Thailand is a hotspot for Ov transmission, and, despite extensive public health prevention campaigns led by the government, the prevalence of Ov infection is still high. High infection rates result from cultural and ecological complexities where wet-rice agrarian habitats, centuries-old raw-food culture, and the parasite's complex biology combine to create an ideal transmission arena. Here we review the state of our knowledge regarding the social-ecological determinants underlying Ov transmission. We also describe an integrative research rationale for liver fluke control better aligned with sustainable health development.
Topics: Animals; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis; Prevalence; Preventive Health Services; Socioeconomic Factors; Thailand
PubMed: 28754415
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.06.002 -
Clinical and Translational... Dec 2020Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a common hepatobiliary cancer in East and Southeast Asia. The data of microbiota contribution in CCA are still unclear. Current available... (Review)
Review
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a common hepatobiliary cancer in East and Southeast Asia. The data of microbiota contribution in CCA are still unclear. Current available reports have demonstrated that an Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) infection leads to dysbiosis in the bile duct. An increase in the commensal bacteria Helicobacter spp. in OV-infected CCA patients is associated with bile duct inflammation, severity of bile duct fibrosis, and cholangiocyte proliferation. In addition, secondary bile acids, major microbial metabolites, can mediate cholangiocyte inflammation and proliferation in the liver. A range of samples from CCA patients (stool, bile, and tumor) showed different degrees of dysbiosis. The evidence from these samples suggests that OV infection is associated with alterations in microbiota and could potentially have a role in CCA. In this comprehensive review, reports from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies that demonstrate possible links between OV infection, microbiota, and CCA pathogenesis are summarized and discussed. Understanding these associations may pave ways for novel potential adjunct intervention in gut microbiota in CCA patients.
Topics: Animals; Bile; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts; Carcinogenesis; Cholangiocarcinoma; Disease Models, Animal; Dysbiosis; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Helicobacter; Humans; Liver; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis
PubMed: 33464733
DOI: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000292 -
Parasitology International Mar 2012This review highlights the current status and control of liver fluke infections in the Mekong Basin countries where Opisthorchis and Clonorchis are highly endemic.... (Review)
Review
This review highlights the current status and control of liver fluke infections in the Mekong Basin countries where Opisthorchis and Clonorchis are highly endemic. Updated data on prevalence and distribution have been summarized from presentations in the "96 Years of Opisthorchiasis. International Congress of Liver Flukes". It is disturbing that despite treatment and control programs have been in place for decades, all countries of the Lower Mekong Basin are still highly endemic with O. viverrini and/or C. sinensis as well as alarmingly high levels of CCA incidence. A common pattern that is emerging in each country is the difference in transmission of O. viverrini between lowlands which have high prevalence versus highlands which have low prevalence. This seems to be associated with wetlands, flooding patterns and human movement and settlement. A more concerted effort from all community, educational, public health and government sectors is necessary to successfully combat this fatal liver disease of the poor.
Topics: Animals; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; Cholangiocarcinoma; Clonorchiasis; Clonorchis sinensis; Environment; Humans; Incidence; Mekong Valley; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis; Prevalence; Species Specificity
PubMed: 21893213
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2011.08.014 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology May 2014Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a devastating malignant tumor arising from the peripheral intrahepatic bile duct epithelium. The incidence and mortality of ICC... (Review)
Review
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a devastating malignant tumor arising from the peripheral intrahepatic bile duct epithelium. The incidence and mortality of ICC is markedly increasing over the past two decades worldwide, though the cause for this rise in incidence is unclear, thus intensifying the search for alternative etiological agents and pathogenetic mechanisms. Hepatolithiasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, parasitic infection (Opisthorchis viverrini or Clonorchis sinensis), fibropolycystic liver disease, and chemical carcinogen exposure are thought to be the risk factors for ICC. Nevertheless, the majority of ICC patients do not have any of these risk factors, and none of the established risk factors can explain the recent increasing trend of ICC. Therefore, identifying other risk factors may lead to the prevention and early detection of ICC. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the predominant cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV-endemic areas. This review discusses the evidence implicating chronic HBV infection as a likely etiology of ICC and the pathogenetic mechanisms that might be involved.
Topics: Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cholangiocarcinoma; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus; Humans; Inflammation; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Stem Cells; Trans-Activators; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
PubMed: 24914333
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i19.5721 -
Allergy Jul 2017Most studies on the relationship between helminth infections and atopic disorders have been conducted in (sub)tropical developing countries where exposure to multiple...
BACKGROUND
Most studies on the relationship between helminth infections and atopic disorders have been conducted in (sub)tropical developing countries where exposure to multiple parasites and lifestyle can confound the relationship. We aimed to study the relationship between infection with the fish-borne helminth Opishorchis felineus and specific IgE, skin prick testing, and atopic symptoms in Western Siberia, with lifestyle and hygiene standards of a developed country.
METHODS
Schoolchildren aged 7-11 years were sampled from one urban and two rural regions. Skin prick tests (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) against food and aeroallergens were measured, and data on allergic symptoms and on demographic and socioeconomic factors were collected by questionnaire. Diagnosis of opisthorchiasis was based on PCR performed on stool samples.
RESULTS
Of the 732 children included, 34.9% had opisthorchiasis. The sensitization to any allergen when estimated by positive SPT was 12.8%, while much higher, 24.0%, when measured by sIgE. Atopic symptoms in the past year (flexural eczema and/or rhinoconjunctivitis) were reported in 12.4% of the children. SPT was positively related to flexural eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis, but not to wheezing. Opisthorchiasis showed association with lower SPT response, as well as borderline association with low IgE reactivity to any allergen. However, the effect of opisthorchiasis on SPT response was not mediated by IgE, suggesting that opisthorchiasis influences SPT response through another mechanism. Opisthorchiasis also showed borderline association with lower atopic symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a negative association between a chronic helminth infection and skin prick test reactivity even in a developed country.
Topics: Animals; Antibody Specificity; Child; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Immunoglobulin E; Male; Odds Ratio; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Russia; Skin Tests; Symptom Assessment
PubMed: 28032359
DOI: 10.1111/all.13120 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Opisthorchiasis due to infection continues to be a significant public healthcare concern in various subregions of Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Laos,... (Review)
Review
Opisthorchiasis due to infection continues to be a significant public healthcare concern in various subregions of Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The main mode of transmission is via consumption of raw or undercooked fish, which is deeply embedded in the culture and tradition of the people living near the Mekong River. After ingestion, the flukes migrate to the bile ducts, potentially causing many hepatobiliary complications, including cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, advanced periductal fibrosis and cholangiocarcinoma. Several mechanisms of opisthorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinogenesis have been proposed and elucidated in the past decade, providing insight and potential drug targets to prevent the development of the sinister complication. The gold standard for diagnosing opisthorchiasis is still via stool microscopy, but the advent of novel serological, antigen, and molecular tests shows promise as more convenient, alternative diagnostic methods. The mainstay of treatment of opisthorchiasis is praziquantel, while treatment of opisthorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma depends on its anatomic subtype and resectability. Thus far, the most successful fluke control programme is the Lawa model based in Thailand, which raised awareness, incorporated education, and frequent surveillance of intermediate hosts to reduce transmission of opisthorchiasis. Development of vaccines using tetraspanins shows promise and is currently ongoing.
PubMed: 37375485
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060795 -
Current Research in Parasitology &... 2023The liver fluke is a clinically important food-borne parasite of humans. Infection with in mammals is associated with liver morbidities such as periductal fibrosis,...
The liver fluke is a clinically important food-borne parasite of humans. Infection with in mammals is associated with liver morbidities such as periductal fibrosis, bile duct neoplasia, and chronic inflammation. Previously we have shown that excretory-secretory products (ESP) can stimulate the healing of skin wounds in mice, which may be due to stimulated angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling. However, there are no studies analyzing the angiogenic character of , and its effects on angiogenesis, vascularity, and vascular endothelium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of ESP and extracellular vesicles (EVs) of to stimulate angiogenesis and the formation of pseudo-capillaries We also aimed at the assessment of the angiogenesis during the infection , and estimation of the endothelial cell type abundances from heterogeneous bulk liver transcriptome between uninfected and infected animals with single-cell information. The study revealed significant alterations in vascularity in the hamster liver and significant involvement of portal endothelial cells at the transcriptome level. We also demonstrated that the ESP and EVs of have the capacity to stimulate the formation of pseudo-capillaries . Both ESP and EVs appeared to have similar effects on all four parameters, increasing node formation and total master segments length, and significantly decreasing total isolated branches length and number of isolated segments of pseudo-capillaries. The liver flukes manipulate the host's angiogenic response, a fact that has been related to the pathogenesis caused by these parasites. Understanding these pathogenic mechanisms may uncover new therapeutic targets to relieve or prevent the most severe complications of opisthorchiasis.
PubMed: 38045538
DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100153 -
BioMed Research International 2020A functional interplay between BAs and microbial composition in gut is a well-documented phenomenon. In bile, this phenomenon is far less studied, and with this report,...
BACKGROUND
A functional interplay between BAs and microbial composition in gut is a well-documented phenomenon. In bile, this phenomenon is far less studied, and with this report, we describe the interactions between the BAs and microbiota in this complex biological matrix. . Thirty-seven gallstone disease patients of which twenty-one with infection were enrolled in the study. The bile samples were obtained during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease operative treatment. Common bile acid composition was measured by LC-MS/MS. Gallbladder microbiota were previously analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing on Illumina MiSeq platform. The associations between bile acid composition and microbiota were analyzed.
RESULTS
Bile acid signature and infection status exert influence on beta-diversity of bile microbial community. Direct correlations were found between taurocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid concentrations, and alpha-diversity of bile microbiota. Taurocholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid both show positive associations with the presence of Chitinophagaceae family, Microbacterium and Lutibacterium genera, and Prevotella intermedia. Also, direct associations were identified for taurocholic acid concentration and the presence of Actinomycetales and Bacteroidales orders, Lautropia genus, Jeotgalicoccus psychrophilus, and Haemophilus parainfluenzae as well as for taurochenodeoxycholic acid and Acetobacteraceae family and Sphingomonas genus. There were no differences in bile acid concentrations between infected and noninfected patients. . Associations between diversity, taxonomic profile of bile microbiota, and bile acid levels were evidenced in patients with cholelithiasis. Increase of taurochenodeoxycholic acid and taurocholic acid concentration correlates with bile microbiota alpha-diversity and appearance of opportunistic pathogens.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Bile Acids and Salts; Bile Ducts; Biodiversity; Cholelithiasis; Female; Gallbladder; Humans; Male; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Opisthorchiasis; Opisthorchis
PubMed: 32714973
DOI: 10.1155/2020/1242364 -
Annals of Global Health 2014Infection is one of the main risk factors for cancer. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Infection is one of the main risk factors for cancer.
OBJECTIVES
Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and disease burden of infection-related cancers were reviewed by infectious agents.
FINDINGS
Chronic infection with Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1, human papillomavirus (HPV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, Helicobacter pylori, Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, and Schistosoma haematobium are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma; lymphoma and leukemia, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma; hepatocellular carcinoma; Kaposi sarcoma; oropharyngeal carcinoma; cervical carcinoma and carcinoma of other anogential sites; adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma; gastric carcinoma; cholangiocarcinoma; and urinary bladder cancer. In 2008, approximately 2 million new cancer cases (16%) worldwide were attributable to infection. If these infections could be prevented and/or treated, it is estimated that there would be about 23% fewer cancers in less developed regions of the world, and about 7% fewer cancers in more developed regions.
CONCLUSION
Widespread application of existing public health methods for the prevention of infection, such as vaccination, safer injection practices, quality-assured screening of all donated blood and blood components, antimicrobial treatments, and safer sex practices, including minimizing one's lifetime number of sexual partners and condom use, could have a substantial effect on the future burden of cancer worldwide.
Topics: Clonorchiasis; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; HIV Infections; HTLV-I Infections; Helicobacter Infections; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Humans; Neoplasms; Opisthorchiasis; Papillomavirus Infections; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Trematode Infections; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 25512154
DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2014.09.013