PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Cutaneous disseminated sporotrichosis associated with diabetes: A case report and literature review.","authors":"Xiujiao Xia,&nbsp;Huilin Zhi,&nbsp;Zehu Liu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011647","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011647","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cutaneous disseminated sporotrichosis (CDS), also called hematogenous sporotrichosis, is a rare condition that usually affects immunocompromised patients. The current work presents the case of a woman with diabetes mellitus associated with CDS.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 59-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus presented with a two-year history of ulcerated rashes on the left ankle and both sides of the jaw. Physical examination revealed three annular areas of erythematous and raised plaque with an ulcer over the left ankle and both sides of the jaw. Based on laboratory findings, elevated blood glucose concentration and decreased white cell count were observed. Sporothrix globosa was identified in the mycological culture of biopsied tissue from the three lesions and this was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The skin lesions healed after two-month itraconazole therapy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Diabetes is a risk factor for disseminated sporotrichosis, which may be induced by hematogeneous spread, repeated inoculation, or autoinoculation. This study raises awareness among clinicians, with regard to the notion that people with possibly altered immune function are potentially vulnerable to severe clinical forms of sporotrichosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10538719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10310582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extensive genetic diversity of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus circulating in Hubei Province, China, 2018-2022.","authors":"Yu-Ting Ren,&nbsp;Hong-Pan Tian,&nbsp;Jia-le Xu,&nbsp;Man-Qing Liu,&nbsp;Kun Cai,&nbsp;Shu-Liang Chen,&nbsp;Xue-Bing Ni,&nbsp;Yi-Rong Li,&nbsp;Wei Hou,&nbsp;Liang-Jun Chen","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011654","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011654","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), an etiological agent causing febrile human disease was identified as an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus. The clinical disease characteristics and case fatality rates of SFTSV may vary across distinct regions and among different variant genotypes. From 2018 to 2022, we surveyed and recruited 202 severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) patients in Hubei Province, a high-incidence area of the epidemic, and conducted timely and systematic research on the disease characteristics, SFTSV diversity, and the correlation between virus genome variation and clinical diseases. Our study identified at least 6 genotypes of SFTSV prevalent in Hubei Province based on the analysis of the S, M, and L genome sequences of 88 virus strains. Strikingly, the dominant genotype of SFTSV was found to change during the years, indicating a dynamic shift in viral genetic diversity in the region. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the genetic exchange of Hubei SFTSV strains was relatively frequent, including 3 reassortment strains and 8 recombination strains. Despite the limited sample size, SFTSV C1 genotype may be associated with higher mortality compared to the other four genotypes, and the serum amyloid A (SAA) level, an inflammatory biomarker, was significantly elevated in these patients. Overall, our data summarize the disease characteristics of SFTSV in Hubei Province, highlight the profound changes in viral genetic diversity, and indicate the need for in-depth monitoring and exploration of the relationship between viral mutations and disease severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10538666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10308914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-informed investigation of the molecular evolution and genetic reassortment of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus.","authors":"Kyuyoung Lee,&nbsp;Jong Hyeon Seok,&nbsp;Hyunbeen Kim,&nbsp;Sejik Park,&nbsp;Sohyun Lee,&nbsp;Joon-Yong Bae,&nbsp;Kyeongseok Jeon,&nbsp;Jun-Gu Kang,&nbsp;Jeong Rae Yoo,&nbsp;Sang Taek Heo,&nbsp;Nam-Hyuk Cho,&nbsp;Keun Hwa Lee,&nbsp;Kisoon Kim,&nbsp;Man-Seong Park,&nbsp;Jin Il Kim","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011630","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011630","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a viral pathogen causing significant clinical signs from mild fever with thrombocytopenia to severe hemorrhages. World Health Organization has paid special attention to the dramatic increase in human SFTS cases in China, Japan, and South Korea since the 2010s. The present study investigated the molecular evolution and genetic reassortment of SFTSVs using complete genomic sequences.</p><p><strong>Methods/principal finding: </strong>We collected the complete genome sequences of SFTSVs globally isolated until 2019 (L segment, n = 307; M segment, n = 326; and S segment, n = 564) and evaluated the evolutionary profiles of SFTSVs based on phylogenetic and molecular selection pressure analyses. By employing a time-scaled Bayesian inference method, we found the geographical heterogeneity of dominant SFTSV genotypes in China, Japan, and South Korea around several centuries before and locally spread by tick-born spillover with infrequent long-distance transmission. Purifying selection predominated the molecular evolution of SFTSVs with limited gene reassortment and fixed substitution, but almost all three gene segments appeared to harbor at least one amino acid residue under positive selection. Specifically, the nonstructural protein and glycoprotein (Gn/Gc) genes were preferential selective targets, and the Gn region retained the highest number of positively selected residues.</p><p><strong>Conclusion/significance: </strong>Here, the large-scale genomic analyses of SFTSVs improved prior knowledge of how this virus emerged and evolved in China, Japan, and South Korea. Our results highlight the importance of SFTSV surveillance in both human and non-human reservoirs at the molecular level to fight against fatal human infection with the virus.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10529592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10263050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strasseriolides display in vitro and in vivo activity against trypanosomal parasites and cause morphological and size defects in Trypanosoma cruzi.","authors":"Cristina Bosch-Navarrete,&nbsp;Guiomar Pérez-Moreno,&nbsp;Frederick Annang,&nbsp;Rosario Diaz-Gonzalez,&nbsp;Raquel García-Hernández,&nbsp;Hedy Rocha,&nbsp;Francisco Gamarro,&nbsp;Carlos Cordón-Obras,&nbsp;Miguel Navarro,&nbsp;Ana Rodriguez,&nbsp;Olga Genilloud,&nbsp;Fernando Reyes,&nbsp;Francisca Vicente,&nbsp;Luis M Ruiz-Pérez,&nbsp;Dolores González-Pacanowska","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011592","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011592","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neglected diseases caused by kinetoplastid parasites are a health burden in tropical and subtropical countries. The need to create safe and effective medicines to improve treatment remains a priority. Microbial natural products are a source of chemical diversity that provides a valuable approach for identifying new drug candidates. We recently reported the discovery and bioassay-guided isolation of a novel family of macrolides with antiplasmodial activity. The novel family of four potent antimalarial macrolides, strasseriolides A-D, was isolated from cultures of Strasseria geniculata CF-247251, a fungal strain obtained from plant tissues. In the present study, we analyze these strasseriolides for activity against kinetoplastid protozoan parasites, namely, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma cruzi. Compounds exhibited mostly low activities against T. b. brucei, yet notable growth inhibition and selectivity were observed for strasseriolides C and D in the clinically relevant intracellular T. cruzi and L. donovani amastigotes with EC50 values in the low micromolar range. Compound C is fast-acting and active against both intracellular and trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi. While cell cycle defects were not identified, prominent morphological changes were visualized by differential interference contrast microscopy and smaller and rounded parasites were visualized upon exposure to strasseriolide C. Moreover, compound C lowers parasitaemia in vivo in acute models of infection of Chagas disease. Hence, strasseriolide C is a novel natural product active against different forms of T. cruzi in vitro and in vivo. The study provides an avenue for blocking infection of new cells, a strategy that could additionally contribute to avoid treatment failure.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10529594/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10316525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Better efficacy of triple antibiotics therapy for human brucellosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Shanjun Huang,&nbsp;Hao Wang,&nbsp;Fande Li,&nbsp;Lanping Du,&nbsp;Wenqi Fan,&nbsp;Meifang Zhao,&nbsp;Hua Zhen,&nbsp;Yuke Yan,&nbsp;Menghan Lu,&nbsp;Xin Han,&nbsp;Zhuo Li,&nbsp;Mujinyan Li,&nbsp;Shuqi An,&nbsp;Xinyao Zhang,&nbsp;Qing Zhen,&nbsp;Tiejun Shui","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011590","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011590","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The treatment of brucellosis suffers from a high recurrence rate and drug resistance. Our study researched the differences in efficacy and side effects between triple antibiotics therapy and dual antibiotics therapy in the treatment of brucellosis through a systematic review and meta-analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched 4 English electronic databases and 2 Chinese electronic databases for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies published through September 2022 on the use of triple antibiotics versus dual antibiotics in the treatment of brucellosis. Overall outcome indicators were therapeutic failure rate, relapse rate, overall therapeutic failure rate, and side effect rate. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used as summary statistics. A fixed-effects model was used to combine the overall effect sizes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The meta-analysis included 15 studies consisting of 11 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies. Triple antibiotics showed better efficacy than dual antibiotics in a comparison of 3 overall outcome indicators (therapeutic failure rate (RR 0.42; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.59 heterogeneity P = 0.29, I2 = 15%), relapse rate (RR 0.29; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.45 heterogeneity P = 0.88, I2 = 0%), and overall therapeutic failure rate (RR 0.37; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.48 heterogeneity P = 0.35, I2 = 9%)). The incidence of side effects in patients with brucellosis treated with triple antibiotics was not significantly different from that in brucellosis patients treated with dual antibiotics (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.67 to 1.06 heterogeneity P = 0.1, I2 = 35%). Sensitivity analyses showed robust results and Peter's test showed no publication bias. The results of subgroup analyses for the research type, drugs, and type of brucellosis were largely consistent with the overall outcome indicators, indicating the reliability and robustness of the overall results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the treatment of brucellosis, triple antibiotics have better efficacy than dual antibiotics and do not increase the incidence of side effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10501551/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10283452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paracoccidioidomycosis and pregnancy: A 40-year single-center cohort study in the endemic area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.","authors":"Lorena Macedo Pestana Benko,&nbsp;Mariana Evangelista de Souza Vieira da Silva,&nbsp;Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão,&nbsp;Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas,&nbsp;Guilherme Amaral Calvet,&nbsp;Marcos de Abreu Almeida,&nbsp;Rodrigo Almeida-Paes,&nbsp;Rosely Maria Zancopé-Oliveira,&nbsp;Antonio Carlos Francesconi do Valle,&nbsp;Priscila Marques de Macedo","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011645","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The occurrence of acute paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in urban areas of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, has emerged in recent years. Therefore, young populations, including pregnant women, are at a higher risk of infection. Furthermore, young women undergoing itraconazole treatment for PCM have increased chances to get pregnant because this medication may reduce the effectiveness of contraceptives. Acute PCM is invasive, reaching abdominal organs, posing a maternal-fetal risk. PCM treatment in pregnant women is also challenging due to the teratogenicity associated with the currently available oral drugs. There are scarce studies on PCM and pregnancy, mainly consisting of case reports and experimental murine models that highlight the severity of this association. We conducted a database research at a PCM reference center in Rio de Janeiro state from 1980 to 2020. We included patients diagnosed with PCM who were pregnant shortly before, at admission, or at any moment of their PCM follow-up care. Data related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn were obtained from the Brazilian official public databases. We also reviewed the epidemiological and clinical features of these patients. During the study period, we identified 18 pregnant patients, with a median age of 26 years (range: 16-38). Among these cases, six (33.3%) were detected in the last 5 years, and 14 (77.8%) presented acute PCM, supporting the recent shift in the epidemiological profile towards acute PCM. Most pregnancies occurred during PCM treatment (n = 11, 61.1%), which led to challenges in the therapeutic management. Maternal-fetal complications occurred in some of these cases, including vaginal bleeding (n = 1), preeclampsia (n = 1), prematurity (n = 2), low birth weight (n = 4), and fetal deaths (n = 2). PCM during pregnancy presents a significant public health concern in the context of the emergence of acute PCM in urban areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10522026/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10240248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How to find a forgotten disease like yaws: Lessons from the Philippine experience.","authors":"Belen Lardizabal Dofitas","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011515","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011515","url":null,"abstract":"Yaws is a highly infectious, chronic, and disabling neglected tropical disease of the skin and bones that is caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue and mainly affects children in tropical countries. A yaws eradication campaign from the 1950s to the early 1960s was successful in reducing cases by 95% worldwide, but a resurgence was noted in the 1970s. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) targeted eradication of yaws through a mass administration of one-dose azithromycin. Nevertheless, in 2021, a total of 123,866 cases were reported from 13 countries, and 1,102 cases from nine countries were confirmed. Confirmed cases were largely from the Western Pacific region, although most cases from this region were not laboratory confirmed [1].","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10501607/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10276839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reporting delays of chikungunya cases during the 2017 outbreak in Lazio region, Italy.","authors":"Mattia Manica,&nbsp;Giovanni Marini,&nbsp;Angelo Solimini,&nbsp;Giorgio Guzzetta,&nbsp;Piero Poletti,&nbsp;Paola Scognamiglio,&nbsp;Chiara Virgillito,&nbsp;Alessandra Della Torre,&nbsp;Stefano Merler,&nbsp;Roberto Rosà,&nbsp;Francesco Vairo,&nbsp;Beniamino Caputo","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011610","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011610","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Emerging arboviral diseases in Europe pose a challenge due to difficulties in detecting and diagnosing cases during the initial circulation of the pathogen. Early outbreak detection enables public health authorities to take effective actions to reduce disease transmission. Quantification of the reporting delays of cases is vital to plan and assess surveillance and control strategies. Here, we provide estimates of reporting delays during an emerging arboviral outbreak and indications on how delays may have impacted onward transmission.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>Using descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meyer curves we analyzed case reporting delays (the period between the date of symptom onset and the date of notification to the public health authorities) during the 2017 Italian chikungunya outbreak. We further investigated the effect of outbreak detection on reporting delays by means of a Cox proportional hazard model. We estimated that the overall median reporting delay was 15.5 days, but this was reduced to 8 days after the notification of the first case. Cases with symptom onset after outbreak detection had about a 3.5 times higher reporting rate, however only 3.6% were notified within 24h from symptom onset. Remarkably, we found that 45.9% of identified cases developed symptoms before the detection of the outbreak.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>These results suggest that efforts should be undertaken to improve the early detection and identification of arboviral cases, as well as the management of vector species to mitigate the impact of long reporting delays.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10501639/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10276833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The genomes of the yaws bacterium, Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue, of nonhuman primate and human origin are not genomically distinct.","authors":"Klára Janečková,&nbsp;Christian Roos,&nbsp;Pavla Fedrová,&nbsp;Nikola Tom,&nbsp;Darina Čejková,&nbsp;Simone Lueert,&nbsp;Julius D Keyyu,&nbsp;Idrissa S Chuma,&nbsp;Sascha Knauf,&nbsp;David Šmajs","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011602","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011602","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue (TPE) is the causative agent of human yaws. Yaws is currently reported in 13 endemic countries in Africa, southern Asia, and the Pacific region. During the mid-20th century, a first yaws eradication effort resulted in a global 95% drop in yaws prevalence. The lack of continued surveillance has led to the resurgence of yaws. The disease was believed to have no animal reservoirs, which supported the development of a currently ongoing second yaws eradication campaign. Concomitantly, genetic evidence started to show that TPE strains naturally infect nonhuman primates (NHPs) in sub-Saharan Africa. In our current study we tested hypothesis that NHP- and human-infecting TPE strains differ in the previously unknown parts of the genomes.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>In this study, we determined complete (finished) genomes of ten TPE isolates that originated from NHPs and compared them to TPE whole-genome sequences from human yaws patients. We performed an in-depth analysis of TPE genomes to determine if any consistent genomic differences are present between TPE genomes of human and NHP origin. We were able to resolve previously undetermined TPE chromosomal regions (sequencing gaps) that prevented us from making a conclusion regarding the sequence identity of TPE genomes from NHPs and humans. The comparison among finished genome sequences revealed no consistent differences between human and NHP TPE genomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion/significance: </strong>Our data show that NHPs are infected with strains that are not only similar to the strains infecting humans but are genomically indistinguishable from them. Although interspecies transmission in NHPs is a rare event and evidence for current spillover events is missing, the existence of the yaws bacterium in NHPs is demonstrated. While the low risk of spillover supports the current yaws treatment campaign, it is of importance to continue yaws surveillance in areas where NHPs are naturally infected with TPE even if yaws is successfully eliminated in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10499264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10232645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary characterization of Plasmodium vivax sporozoite antigens as pre-erythrocytic vaccine candidates.","authors":"Justin Nicholas,&nbsp;Sai Lata De,&nbsp;Pongsakorn Thawornpan,&nbsp;Awtum M Brashear,&nbsp;Surendra Kumar Kolli,&nbsp;Pradeep Annamalai Subramani,&nbsp;Samantha J Barnes,&nbsp;Liwang Cui,&nbsp;Patchanee Chootong,&nbsp;Francis Babila Ntumngia,&nbsp;John H Adams","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011598","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0011598","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plasmodium vivax pre-erythrocytic (PE) vaccine research has lagged far behind efforts to develop Plasmodium falciparum vaccines. There is a critical gap in our knowledge of PE antigen targets that can induce functionally inhibitory neutralizing antibody responses. To overcome this gap and guide the selection of potential PE vaccine candidates, we considered key characteristics such as surface exposure, essentiality to infectivity and liver stage development, expression as recombinant proteins, and functional immunogenicity. Selected P. vivax sporozoite antigens were surface sporozoite protein 3 (SSP3), sporozoite microneme protein essential for cell traversal (SPECT1), sporozoite surface protein essential for liver-stage development (SPELD), and M2 domain of MAEBL. Sequence analysis revealed little variation occurred in putative B-cell and T-cell epitopes of the PE candidates. Each antigen was tested for expression as refolded recombinant proteins using an established bacterial expression platform and only SPELD failed. The successfully expressed antigens were immunogenic in vaccinated laboratory mice and were positively reactive with serum antibodies of P. vivax-exposed residents living in an endemic region in Thailand. Vaccine immune antisera were tested for reactivity to native sporozoite proteins and for their potential vaccine efficacy using an in vitro inhibition of liver stage development assay in primary human hepatocytes quantified on day 6 post-infection by high content imaging analysis. The anti-PE sera produced significant inhibition of P. vivax sporozoite invasion and liver stage development. This report provides an initial characterization of potential new PE candidates for a future P. vivax vaccine.</p>","PeriodicalId":20260,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10519608/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10579266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}