Parasitology International最新文献

{"title":"IL-10 is not required for the alleviation of collagen-induced arthritis by non-lethal malarial infection in mice.","authors":"Shoichi Shimizu, Junko Shin, Takuma Ota, Hirofumi Kondo, Susumu Nakae, Katsuko Sudo, Eman M Gaballah, Kentaro Morita, Yoshio Osada","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102993","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2024.102993","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We previously reported that Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL (Py), a non-lethal rodent malarial parasite, could suppress collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and increase the production of T cell-derived interleukin (IL)-10. However, it remained unclear whether IL-10 is essential for the Py-induced suppression of CIA. Male IL-10 knockout (KO) DBA/1 J mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen (CII) and subsequently infected with Py at one week post-immunization. The development of arthritis was evaluated by an arthritis score up to 6 weeks post-immunization. At 3 weeks post-immunization, cytokine production from splenocytes and serum anti-CII IgG/IgG1/IgG2a levels were compared between non-infected control mice and Py-infected mice. Py infection inhibited the development of CIA in IL-10KO mice until 4 weeks post-immunization, after which the arthritis score reached levels comparable with the control mice. Both pro-arthritic (IL-17 and TNF-α) and anti-arthritic (IFN-γ and IL-4) cytokines were down-regulated during the periods of parasitemia, while no significant differences were observed in levels of anti-CII IgG antibodies. Our findings indicate that Py alleviates CIA via IL-10-independent mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"102993"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Labelling of miracidium using fluorescent agents to visualize infection of schistosome in intermediate host snails.","authors":"Yukiteru Ouji, Megumi Hamasaki, Masayasu Misu, Masahide Yoshikawa, Shinjiro Hamano","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102994","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2024.102994","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. Schistosomes infect humans by cercariae penetrating the skin in a freshwater environment. Findings obtained more than 100 years prior showed that miracidium develops into cercaria in freshwater snails, though detailed development dynamics have not been elucidated. Although results of histological analyses of development of schistosomes in snails were presented in our previous studies, findings obtained with dynamic imaging have yet to be reported. In the present study, imaging of schistosome infection and dynamics in snails occuring within a short period was performed using fluorescent labeling agents. Labeling of S. mansoni cercariae with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) caused no toxicity, and allowed for monitoring of schistosome dynamics in snails for up to 10 days and release of infective cercariae without fluorescence in 40 days following infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"102994"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toxoplasma GRA15 expression on dendritic cells inhibits B cell differentiation and antibody production.","authors":"Yuki Nakayama, Fumiaki Ihara, Daisuke Okuzaki, Yoshifumi Nishikawa, Miwa Sasai, Masahiro Yamamoto","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102995","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the dense granule proteins named GRA15 in Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is known to support an innate immune response in host through activation of NF-κB. However, little is known about advantages of GRA15 for parasites. By examining the role of GRA15 in the host-parasite interactions, it was clarified that GRA15 in T. gondii suppressed acquired immune responses in host. Wild-type parasite infection to C57BL/6 mice resulted in lower titers of T. gondii antibody and lower plasma cell counts compared to Δgra15 T. gondii. To identify host cells in which GRA15 acts to suppress antibody production, we generated conditional knock-in mice that express GRA15 in specific cell lineages. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were not reduced in macrophages of conditional knock-in mice after infection with Δgra15 T. gondii, while the production of T. gondii antibody was suppressed in dendritic cells of the conditional knock-in mice (CD11c-Cre/GRA15cKI). In the CD11c-Cre/GRA15cKI immunized with ovalbumin (OVA), the titers of anti-OVA antibody were reduced compared to control mice. Furthermore, the number of OVA antigen-specific T cells was also decreased in CD11c-Cre/GRA15cKI. These data showed that GRA15 in dendritic cells suppressed T cell-mediated humoral immunity. These findings might implicate the pathological significance of GRA15 and facilitate Toxoplasma vaccines production.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"102995"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infection status of Baylisascaris transfuga in captive Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) from three bile farms in South Korea, with molecular analyses","authors":"Nari Kim ,&nbsp;Tilak Chandra Nath ,&nbsp;Taegyu Choi ,&nbsp;Sunmin Kim ,&nbsp;Seongjun Choe","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bears harbor various endoparasites that pose risks to humans and other animals. However, information on parasitic infections in Asiatic black bears in South Korea (Korea) is limited, and potential hazards still exist because of the close contact between bears and humans on bile farms. The present study was conducted to assess the gastrointestinal parasite infection status in captive Asiatic black bears (<em>Ursus thibetanus</em>) at bile farms in Korea. Additionally, we aimed to characterize the molecular aspects of <em>Baylisascaris transfuga</em> (Nematoda: Ascarididae), the sole species investigated throughout the study. Fecal examinations were performed on a total of 84 fecal samples collected from three bear farms in Hwacheon-gun (gun = County) and Donghae-si (si = City), Gangwon-do (do = Province), and Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do. Eggs were identified morphologically, and an adult worm expelled in the feces was analyzed molecularly using the partial cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit 1 and 2 (<em>cox1</em> and <em>cox2</em>) gene markers. The prevalence of helminthic eggs was 10.7 %, identified as <em>B</em>. <em>transfuga</em> based on morphological characteristics. The eggs, which were oval and brown with thick shells, had a mean length of 87.3 ± 8.9 μm on the long axis and 70.7 ± 6.1 μm on the short axis (<em>n</em> = 30). An adult female roundworm found in the feces of one individual, measuring 27 cm in length and 0.4 cm in width, was also identified as same species through genetic methods. Herein, we described the prevalence of <em>B. transfuga</em> in captive bears in Korea and its molecular characteristics for the first time. Additionally, we reviewed the sequences of the genus <em>Baylisascaris</em> available in the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collection, noting that many of these sequences often have ambiguous or potentially incorrect identifications, complicating the understanding of their phylogenetic status. This investigation is part of disease screening efforts aimed at enhancing the welfare of captive bears prior to their imminent relocation to sanctuaries. Health monitoring and endoparasite control in farmed bears should be carried out in both veterinary and public health contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102992"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142625977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emergence of genetic diversity of Enterocytozoon bieneusi from snakes in China","authors":"Guodong Xiao ,&nbsp;Yilei Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhouchun Li ,&nbsp;Lingru He ,&nbsp;Lijie Tian ,&nbsp;Ayanniyi Olalekan Opeyemi ,&nbsp;Xinglong Song ,&nbsp;Qingxun Zhang ,&nbsp;Congshan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</em> belongs to the phylum Microsporidia, a parasite reported to infect various domestic animals, wildlife and humans, thereby causing an intestinal disease characterized by severe or chronic diarrhea and malabsorption. The typical mode of transmission is contaminated water and food. Few studies on <em>E. bieneusi</em> infections have been reported in reptiles, however, our report focuses on the molecular characterization of <em>E. bieneusi</em> infection in snakes in China. We collected a total of 603 fecal samples from snakes in China. The samples were tested for the presence of <em>E. bieneusi</em> through PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) locus. Our analysis showed <em>E. bieneusi</em> overall prevalence rate of 15.59 %, the highest prevalence was recorded in Eastern rat snake (21.99 %), followed by Corn snake (19.63 %) while the prevalence of 18.39 %, 15.79 %, 13.56 % were recorded in Common garter snake, Pine snake, Hognose snake respectively. Eastern kingsnake has the lowest infection rate of 5.71 %. Genotype analysis identified 26 distinct genotypes: 8 known and 18 novel. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 25 genotypes belonged to Group 1, which includes isolates from various animal hosts and humans. However, genotype GX29 was classified under Group 9. Our study indicates that pet snakes are one of the potential sources of transmission of zoonotic microsporidiosis in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102991"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142625983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunomodulation by Leishmania parasites: Potential for controlling other diseases","authors":"Yasuyuki Goto","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the mammalian hosts, <em>Leishmania</em> parasites survive and proliferate within phagolysosomes of macrophages. To avoid being killed by the immune cells, <em>Leishmania</em> parasites utilize their molecules to manipulate macrophages' functions for survival. Targets of such immunomodulatory molecules are not limited to macrophages, as <em>Leishmania</em>-derived molecules sometimes show influence on other immune cells such as neutrophils, dendritic cells, T cells and B cells. This review covers research on immunomodulation of host immunity by <em>Leishmania</em> parasites and introduces some examples of parasite-derived molecules participating in the immunomodulation. For example, <em>Leishmania</em> cell surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG) can modulate TLR2 signaling and PI3K/Akt axis in macrophages leading to induction of Th2 cells. Because chronic secretion of inflammatory cytokines is one of the causes of immune-mediated diseases such as atherosclerosis, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, LPG may be useful as a drug to suppress the inflammatory conditions. The unique characteristics of leishmanial molecules pose a promise as a source of immunomodulatory drugs for controlling diseases other than leishmaniasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102987"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142625985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel chemokine binding protein 1-like gene is vital for the blood pool development and engorgement of the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis","authors":"Sana Sasaki ,&nbsp;Yuki Koike ,&nbsp;Kei Jimbo ,&nbsp;Takahiro Inoue ,&nbsp;Keiko Mizutani ,&nbsp;Kofi Dadzie Kwofie ,&nbsp;Hayato Kawada ,&nbsp;Fusako Mikami ,&nbsp;Hirotomo Kato ,&nbsp;Makoto Matsubayashi ,&nbsp;Md. Abdul Alim ,&nbsp;Anisuzzaman ,&nbsp;Naotoshi Tsuji ,&nbsp;Takeshi Hatta","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick saliva modulates host responses during a blood feeding process. We identified a novel chemokine binding protein 1-like (<em>HLCBP1-like</em>) gene from the salivary glands of the Asian longhorned tick, <em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>. The HLCBP1-like protein, lacking a well-defined conserved domain, showed structural similarity to evasin, a chemokine binding protein from the brown dog tick, <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em>. A preliminary knockdown study of HLCBP1-like revealed that ticks with reduced expression of this gene, halted feeding in the early feeding phase, and did not fully-engorge, unlike the control dsRNA (malE) injected ticks. Also, knockdown ticks induced cellular immune responses in the host skin, similar to control dsmalE-injected ticks, but did not show hemorrhage. These findings suggest that HLCBP1-like may play a modulatory role in the slow feeding phase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102990"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142625980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invisible burden: Prevalence of Chagas disease in Latin American migrants in Turin, North-Western Italy – A STROBE compliant-cross-sectional study","authors":"Elisa Burdino ,&nbsp;Andrea Bernardi ,&nbsp;Francesco Cerutti ,&nbsp;Alessia Di Vincenzo ,&nbsp;Silvia Faraoni ,&nbsp;Gabriella Gregori ,&nbsp;Tiziano Allice ,&nbsp;Maria Grazia Milia ,&nbsp;Cristina Bobba ,&nbsp;Margherita Busso ,&nbsp;Guido Calleri ,&nbsp;Valeria Ghisetti","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Chagas disease (CD), or American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>, primarily transmitted by triatomine bugs. Increased travels and migrations introduced CD to non-endemic regions, including Europe. In Italy, the disease has raised public attention mainly in northern regions, where Latin American migrant population is larger.</div><div>This study aims to describe a CD screening initiative in Turin, Piedmont, during the World Chagas disease Day. We focused on migrants from CD endemic countries of Latin America.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 63 serum samples from Latin American migrants were collected and tested for CD with a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for initial screening, followed by Western Blot (WB) for confirmation, analyzing demographic data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of the 63 individuals screened, two tested positive for CD. Both positive cases were from Bolivia. Seropositive individuals were 54 and 72 years-old, and lived in Bolivia for 31 and 69 years.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The screening initiative suggests an underestimated prevalence of CD among Latin American migrants in Turin, underscoring the need of targeted public health interventions and emphasizing the importance of CD screening and awareness programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102988"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142605813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seroprevalence and associated risk factors for Fasciola hepatica in sheep in Nile Delta of Egypt","authors":"Abdelfattah Selim ,&nbsp;Mohamed Marzok ,&nbsp;Hattan S. Gattan ,&nbsp;Mohammed H. Alruhaili ,&nbsp;Omar A. AlJabr ,&nbsp;Mohamed Salem","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fascioliasis is a globally distributed zoonotic parasitic disease that affects ruminants, including sheep. This study conducted from January to December 2023, aimed to determine the prevalence of <em>Fasciola hepatica</em> in sheep across three governorates in Egypt's Nile Delta and to assess associated risk factors. A total of 455 serum samples were analyzed using a commercial ELISA kit, revealing antibodies against <em>F. hepatica</em> in 22.2 % of the tested sheep. There was no significant association between locality or sex and the seroprevalence of <em>F. hepatica</em> in sheep; however, the highest prevalence was observed in Kafr ElSheikh and in female sheep.</div><div>Concerning risk factors, poor conditioned sheep aged between 1 and 2 years showed 2.1 and 3.8 times higher of infection probability than others. In addition, the risk of <em>F. hepatica</em> infection in sheep increased significantly in winter season (OR = 6.6, 95 %CI: 2.6–16.8), in absence of prophylactic treatment (OR = 2.2, 95 %CI: 1.3–3.3) and in presence of snail (OR = 3, 95 %CI: 3–5.4). The existence of antibodies against <em>F. hepatica</em> in examined sheep raising in Nile Delta indicating that the disease is reported in the studied areas and needs to be managed on farms through control and preventative measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102989"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142605824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shape variability and morphological discrimination of haptoral attachment structures in Urocleidoides spp. Mizelle et Price, 1964 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) parasitizing fish from neotropical rivers in southern Mexico","authors":"Abril Rodríguez-González ,&nbsp;Edgar F. Mendoza-Franco ,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Caspeta-Mandujano ,&nbsp;Guillermo Salgado-Maldonado","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102984","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102984","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The morphology of attachment organs in Monogenea is an essential source of evidence for taxonomic assessments and understanding of ecology and evolutionary history. It has been demonstrated that geometric morphometry analysis of the haptoral attachment organs provides rich and precise information about monogeneans morphology. In this study, we consider three monogenean species of <em>Urocleidoides</em>, <em>U. simonae</em>, <em>U. vaginoclaustrum</em>, <em>U</em>. <em>vaginoclaustroides</em>, and the <em>incertae sedis</em> species <em>U. strombicirrus</em> that parasitize fish of the Poeciliidae, Profundulidae and Characidae in neotropical rivers in southern Mexico. We aimed to identify new morphological characteristics that can be used to describe these populations with greater certainty and to test whether these characteristics present geographic variation. Anchor shape data (<em>n</em> = 69) were generated using geometric morphometric methods. We discriminated species using principal components and canonical variate analysis of shape data. Our results showed that there was discernible interspecific variation. The four species contributed four new morphological characteristics: anchor point length, short versus long anchor roots, elongated versus wide anchor shape, and the relative length of inner versus outer roots. Intraspecific variation was relatively low compared to interspecific anchor shape variation in <em>Urocleidoides</em> spp. These new morphological characteristics may also be useful for delimiting other similar species in Monogenea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"104 ","pages":"Article 102984"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142584032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}