PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Association between serum ferritin and mortality in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Wenyan Xiao, Liangliang Zhang, Yang Zhang, Juanjuan Hu, Jin Zhang, Tianfeng Hua, Min Yang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013104","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of serum ferritin, an acute-phase inflammatory marker, in predicting mortality in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum ferritin levels and inpatient mortality in patients with SFTS. We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from patients diagnosed with SFTS at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between May 2017 and September 2024. The association between serum ferritin levels and in-hospital mortality in patients with SFTS was assessed using Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal serum ferritin cut-off value for predicting mortality risk. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared for survival rates, and propensity score matching with linear trend testing was applied to ensure robustness. This study included 390 patients with SFTS, of whom 312 survived and 78 did not, yielding an in-hospital mortality rate of 20.0%. Cox regression and RCS analyses demonstrated a significant linear association between higher serum ferritin levels and increased in-hospital mortality in patients with SFTS, indicating that the predicted mortality of patients with SFTS increased with elevated serum ferritin levels beyond a certain threshold. ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.830, with an optimal serum ferritin cut-off of 3.975 (lg, ng/ml), sensitivity of 0.731, and specificity of 0.830. Clinically, serum ferritin levels above 4 (lg ng/ml), were associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of these results. Serum ferritin levels are linearly associated with mortality risk in patients with SFTS, with mortality significantly increasing when serum ferritin levels exceed 10,000 ng/ml. Serum ferritin level may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for mortality risk in patients with SFTS.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013104"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12129351/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128792","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":"Dynamic changes of activated partial thromboplastin time and correlation with mortality in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Huan Wang, Sisi Fang, Hua Wang, Xin Zheng","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013106","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013106","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hemorrhagic manifestations are highly prevalent in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) patients and are significantly associated with fatal outcomes. In this study, we investigated the dynamic changes of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and their association with mortality in SFTS patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective study analyzing clinical data from SFTS patients admitted to our hospital between April 2017 and June 2024. The dynamic changes of APTT and their association with clinical outcomes were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 788 SFTS patients were enrolled in this study, among whom 96 (12.18%) died during hospitalization. Multivariate logistic regression identified prolonged APTT as an independent predictor of mortality, along with older age, neurological symptoms, higher viral load, and elevated creatinine levels. Prolonged APTT was observed in 568(72.08%) patients upon admission and was associated with the development of neurological symptoms, bleeding, intensive care unit (ICU) transfer, and mortality. APTT≥2.0 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) was associated with significantly higher mortality (55%) and an increased likelihood of ICU transfer (10%). Restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis revealed that when the APTT level exceeded specific thresholds (49.86s upon admission and 53.61s at the peak during hospitalization), the predicted mortality of patients with SFTS increased with rising APTT levels. Kinetic analysis showed that APTT levels exhibited a declining trend during hospitalization and returned to the normal range by the 6th day in the survival group, while it gradually increased, reaching its peak on the 3rd day and then gradually decreased in the non-survival group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prolonged APTT was prevalent among SFTS patients and was significantly associated with higher mortality. Monitoring APTT upon admission and its dynamic changes during hospitalization is recommended to enhance the management of SFTS patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013106"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12140419/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128958","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":"Things you wanted to know about fungal extracellular vesicles (but were afraid to ask).","authors":"Flavia C G Reis, Marcio L Rodrigues","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013038","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013038","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013038"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12097630/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128964","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":"Population genetic analysis of Aedes aegypti reveals evidence of emerging admixture populations in coastal Kenya.","authors":"Francis Mulwa, Dario Balcazar, Solomon Langat, James Mutisya, Betty Chelangat, Carolyn S McBride, Noah Rose, Jeffrey Powell, Rosemary Sang, Armanda Bastos, Andrea Gloria-Soria, Joel Lutomiah","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013041","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Aedes aegypti mosquito is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. There are two recognized subspecies; the invasive Aedes aegypti aegypti (Aaa) and the ancestral Aedes aegypti formosus (Aaf). Aaf is common throughout Kenya whereas Aaa, which was historically confined to coastal regions, has undergone a range expansion. In areas of sympatry, gene flow may lead to admixed populations with potential differences in vectorial capacity. We hypothesize that coastal Ae. aegypti populations have a higher proportion of Aaa ancestry than those from inland locations of Kenya, influenced by their distance to the coast.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Adult Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were collected using Biogent (BG) sentinel traps baited with carbon-dioxide (CO2) from cities and towns along the Kenyan northern transport corridor. Aedes aegypti population structure, genetic diversity, and isolation by distance were analyzed using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) datasets generated with an Ae. aegypti microarray chip targeting ≈50,000 SNPs. Kenyan Aedes aegypti populations were placed into a global context within a phylogenetic tree, by combining the Kenyan dataset with a previously published global database.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 67 Ae. aegypti mosquitoes population from Kenya were genotyped, we found that western Kenya Ae. aegypti constitute a genetically homogenous population that clusters with African Aaf, whereas coastal mosquitoes showed evidence of admixture between the two subspecies. There was a positive correlation (Observation = 0.869, p = 0.0023) between genetic distance (FST) and geographic distance, suggesting isolation by distance. The phylogenetic analysis and the genetic structure analysis suggest that an Asian Aaa population is the source of Aaa invasion into Kenya.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results provide evidence of an emerging admixed population of Ae. aegypti in coastal Kenya between the sylvatic Aaf and the domesticated-human preferring Aaa. The observed gene flow from Aaa into Kenya may positively influence Ae. aegypti vectorial capacity, potentially increasing human feeding preference, biting rates and vector competence and could be promoting the observed dengue and chikungunya outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013041"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12140423/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112328","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":"Correction: Schistosoma mansoni x S. haematobium hybrids frequently infecting sub-Saharan migrants in southeastern Europe: Egg DNA genotyping assessed by RD-PCR, sequencing and cloning.","authors":"","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013121","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013121","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012942.].</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013121"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12091724/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112322","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":"Prevalence and novel genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents in the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains, southeast Henan Province, China.","authors":"Mengyao Yang, Yin Fu, Pitambar Dhakal, Zi Yan, Jiashu Lang, Chaofeng Ma, Yuhong Jiang, Congzhou Wang, Longxian Zhang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013117","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cryptosporidium spp. are prevalent zoonotic pathogens that affect both humans and animals. The pathogens are spread through feces and represent a major cause of diarrhea. As they are both abundant and widely distributed, wild rodents play a significant role in the transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. The Dabie Mountains in southeast Henan Province are rich in wildlife resources as well as various species of livestock. However, the epidemiological characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. among local wild rodents remain poorly understood. Therefore, the infection rate and genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents within this region should be determined.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between March 2023 and April 2024, a total of 267 wild rodents were captured in the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains, and fecal samples were collected from their intestines for DNA extraction. Species identification of wild rodents was conducted using PCR amplification of the universal vertebrate cytochrome b (cytb) gene. Nested PCR was subsequently used to amplify the small subunit (SSU) rRNA, actin, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes for the analysis of Cryptosporidium species, genotypes, and subtypes in the fecal samples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents from the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains was 21.3% (57/267). Seven species of wild rodents were identified, and the infection rates for Cryptosporidium spp. varied among host species. In particular, the infection rate was 21.4% (25/117) in Niviventer lotipes, 22.4% (22/98) in Apodemus agrarius, 17.2% (5/29) in Rattus nitidus, 22.2% (4/18) in Apodemus draco, and 33.3% (1/3) in Rattus tanezumi. The identification results indicated the presence of five Cryptosporidium species: Cryptosporidium apodemi (n = 12), C. ubiquitum (n = 11), C. viatorum (n = 7), C. ratti (n = 2), and C. occultus (n = 2). Moreover, two novel genotypes were identified: Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype VI (n = 8) and Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype VII (n = 15). Notably, a new subtype of C. viatorum designated as XVgA4 was discovered.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study revealed the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents in the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains and identified two novel Cryptosporidium genotypes, along with a new subtype, C. viatorum-XVgA4. The findings highlight the genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp., underscoring the increased risk of Cryptosporidium spp. transmission posed by local wild rodents population. It suggests that host-specific factors should be considered in epidemiological surveillance and control strategies of Cryptosporidium spp., which is of great significance for the prevention and control of Cryptosporidiosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12091789/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112333","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":"Clinical characteristics and trends in the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Streptococcus suis infections in a large tertiary hospital, Thailand, 2007-2023.","authors":"Chittamas Panpaeng, Witchuda Kamolvit, Khemajira Karaketklang, Anupop Jitmuang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013110","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Streptococcus suis is an emerging pathogen causing invasive zoonotic infections in humans. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to penicillin, macrolides, and tetracyclines has emerged in S. suis-infected swine. AMR among zoonotic S. suis strains causes a critical concern for human infection and antimicrobial treatment options. Thus, the study aims to delineate the clinical characteristics and to explore the changing pattern of the antimicrobial susceptibility (AST) of S. suis infection in humans.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a chart review of adult patients with culture-confirmed S. suis infection in any body sites at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, between May 2007 and May 2023. We also reviewed the AST profile of S. suis isolates during the study period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over 16 years, 86 adult patients with S. suis infection were identified (59.3% male, mean age 59.29 ± 14.46 years). Of them, 60.5% had comorbidities (hypertension 43%, dyslipidemia 23.3%, diabetes mellitus 20.9%, alcoholism 19.8%), and 35.0% had swine contact a median of 1 (0.0-6.5) days before onset. Clinical presentations included septicemia (91.9%), meningitis (30.2%), endocarditis (26.7%), and septic arthritis (9.3%), leading to multiorgan dysfunction (32.5%), cardiopulmonary failure (26.8%), renal failure (17.4%), and septic shock (14.0%). Mortality was 7%. Definitive therapy primarily used ceftriaxone (76.7%) or penicillin (8.1%) as a basis regimen. Among S. suis isolates tested, 48.2% were susceptible to penicillin (median MIC 0.064 [0.047-0.094] µg/mL), 96.5% were susceptible to ceftriaxone (median MIC 0.380 [0.110-0.500] µg/mL), and susceptibility to vancomycin, ofloxacin, tetracyclines, and clindamycin was 100%, 96.4%, 4.8%, and 1.2%, respectively. Penicillin MICs increased significantly (p < 0.001), while other agents' profiles remained stable.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>S. suis can cause severe human infection, leading to fatal complications. S. suis displayed an upward trend of penicillin MICs and resistance to several antimicrobial agents. These findings underscore the need to monitor emerging resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013110"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12124857/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144103174","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":"Clinical and molecular evidences of HTLV-1 infection in inpatients diagnosed with diseases previously described as associated to this infection: A case series in Gabon, Central Africa.","authors":"Eldridge Fedricksen Oloumbou, Léonie Ledaga Lentombo, Judicaël Obame-Nkoghe, Josaphat Iba-Ba, Jeordy Dimitri Engone Ondo, Christ Ognari Ayoumi, Moussa Yaro, Abdoulaye Diané, Philomène Kouna Ndouongo, Jean-Bruno Boguikouma, Ivan Mfouo-Tynga, Augustin Mouinga-Ondémé","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013075","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is endemic in Gabon, and despite the high prevalence, very few cases of HTLV-1 associated diseases are sporadically described. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the main teaching hospital of Gabon. Using serological and molecular techniques, plasma samples were tested and nucleic materials of all positive samples extracted from the buffy coat, then a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect fragments of 220 and 522-base-pairs of HTLV-1 Tax/Rex and Env genes, respectively. From March to September 2022, a total of 352 participants (51 median age, IQR 36-62) were recruited, consisting of 290 (82.4%) patients and 65 (17.6%) patients' family members. Of them, 36 (10.2%) samples were ELISA seropositive, and according to WB criteria, 22 were HTLV-1 positive (6.3%), 7 indeterminate (2%), 5 seronegative (1.4%) and 2 had HTLV seroreactivity (0.6%). The HTLV-1 infection was confirmed in 26 individuals (22 patients and 4 among their family members) with an overall prevalence estimated at 7.39% (26/352), and 3.7% (10/272) prevalence for diseases associated to HTLV-1, obtained from all clinical diagnoses. The link assessment between HTLV-1 infection and diseases' occurrence revealed 10.5% of cases of Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (2/19), 55.6% of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (5/9) and 60% of inflammatory myopathies (3/5). Most of the detected genotypes of HTLV-1 strains belonged to the central African HTLV-1b, four defined as HTLV-1a including a-Na, a-Wa and a-TC subclades, and one belonging to the HTLV-1d. Then, assessment of HTLV-1 intrafamilial transmission and risk factors reported one case of mother-to-child HTLV-1 transmission, and significant impacts of association between HTLV-1 infection with the gender and birthplaces were observed. Here, we discussed both the prevalence of HTLV-1 infection among patients and diseases previously described as associated to this retrovirus in Gabon. Our findings highlight the necessity to develop strategies to prevent and properly manage this infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013075"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12101779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144081506","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":"Cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis in people from Mocuba district, Zambézia province: A Mozambican community-based study.","authors":"Janny Mucavele, Noémia Nhancupe, Gaby Ermelindo Roberto Monteiro, Regina Daniel Miambo, Lídia Gouveia, Alberto Pondja, Irina Mendes Sousa, Stephen W Bickler, Constance A Benson, Robert T Schooley, Veronika Schmidt, Charlotte Ruether, Dominik Stelzle, Clarissa Prazeres da Costa, Ladino Suade, Milton L Wainberg, Maria A Oquendo, Andrea S Winkler, Emilia Virginia Noormahomed","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013083","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Taenia solium cysticercosis represents a significant public health concern, especially in low-income countries such as Mozambique, where especially the sub form neurocysticercosis can be associated with acute symptomatic seizures, epilepsy and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. solium cysticercosis, neurocysticercosis, seizures and chronic headaches in the Mocuba district, Zambézia province, Mozambique, and to assess their associations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The overall study combined both a community-based and a clinic-based segment, including epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and neuroradiological approaches, to investigate the prevalence and the association of cysticercosis, neurocysticercosis, seizure activity and chronic headaches in the Mocuba district. The community-based study involved 6,932 participants who were asked a questionnaire related to signs/symptoms of neurocysticercosis and who were asked to provide a blood sample for serological testing. Serological tests (Antigen-ELISA and Western blot) were used to detect cysticerci specific antigens and antibodies, respectively, in the participants. The clinic-based study included cerebral computed tomography (CT) of 233 individuals - a subset of those recruited from the community (with and without seizure activity and with and without cysticercosis based on serology).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of seizures and chronic headaches in the community-based study was 6.5% and 46.2% respectively, and the cysticercosis seroprevalence was 9.6%. Seizures and chronic headaches presented significant associations with cysticercosis seropositivity (p < 0.05). The clinic-based study revealed 9 (3.9%) of 233 individuals with neurocysticercosis-typical lesions on CT-scan of whom one case was negative on serology and on screening for seizure activity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The community-based prevalence of seizure activity and cysticercosis was high in the Mocuba district. There was also a significant association of seizure activity and chronic headaches with the seroprevalence of cysticercosis and 8 out of 9 people with neurocysticercosis had seizure activity. This highlights the importance of increased awareness and the need for building health literacy within the healthcare workforce and the communities as well as the implementation of targeted interventions, both for people with seizure activity with and without neurocysticercosis. Future research should also assess the impact of preventive measures in reducing disease burden caused by T. solium.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013083"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12119002/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143989253","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":"Clonorchis sinensis extracellular vesicles associated with Csi-let-7a-5p activate pro-inflammatory macrophages to induce biliary injury.","authors":"Beibei Zhang, Xing Li, Qian-Yang Zhou, Chen Zhang, Zheng-Rui Bian, Xin-Xin Ren, Qian Yu, Hui Hua, Zhihua Jiang, Bo Zhang, Xiang-Yang Li, Mu-Xin Chen, Kui-Yang Zheng, Chao Yan","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013080","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) infection, pro-inflammatory macrophages (M1 macrophages) are highly activated, yet their role in the disease remains poorly understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracellular vesicles from C. sinensis (CsEVs) can activate these macrophages, and inhibiting a specific miRNA (Csi-let-7a-5p) in CsEVs (InCsEVs) can reduce this activation. In the present study, liver macrophages in mice were removed using clodronate liposomes (Clodlip). Subsequently, different types of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were adoptively transferred into the mice lacking liver macrophages: untreated (PBS-BMDM), treated with CsEVs (CsEVs-BMDM), treated with a control (ScrCsEVs-BMDM), or treated with InCsEVs (InCsEVs-BMDM). Biliary damages were then evaluated. The results indicated that the transferred macrophages successfully repopulated the mice. CsEVs-BMDM led to significant inflammation and bile duct damage, accompanied by higher levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β). However, when macrophages were treated with InCsEVs, the damage and inflammation were alleviated, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β decreased. These findings suggest that pro-inflammatory macrophages activated by CsEVs, especially through Csi-let-7a-5p, play a crucial role in biliary damage during C. sinensis infection. Although other immune cells may also be involved, this study emphasizes the significance of pro-inflammatory macrophages in clonorchiasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013080"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12074333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144048109","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}