Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"A decade apart: stability in wing morphology of brazilian mosquitoes","authors":"Emili Bortolon dos Santos ,&nbsp;Mario Arthur Favretto ,&nbsp;Mario Antônio Navarro-Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phenotypic variation is a key factor in how organisms adapt to their environments, with important consequences for disease vector dynamics. In mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), such variation can influence vectorial capacity, potentially altering the spread of pathogens. This study investigated whether wing size and shape of two potential vector species, <em>Anopheles cruzii</em> and <em>Psorophora ferox</em>, exhibited temporal variation over a decade in a preserved Atlantic Forest area in southern Brazil. Using geometric morphometrics on 80 female specimens per species (40 from 2005 to 40 from 2014 to 2015), we found no significant differences in wing shape or size between the two sampling periods. However, we did observe high intra-annual variability within each year, suggesting seasonal phenotypic plasticity rather than long-term shifts. These findings highlight the remarkable stability of mosquito populations in conserved environments over long timescales, even while seasonal changes continue to drive short-term phenotypic fluctuations. Understanding these dynamics is essential for refining vector surveillance and control strategies in diverse habitats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107962"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145861704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging role of Candida species virulence factors and antifungal resistance in ureteral stent colonization and encrustation","authors":"Nargis Khan ,&nbsp;Rani Faryal","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Ureteral stents are susceptible to colonization by <em>Candida</em> species, leading to stent-associated infections that are often difficult to treat. This study aimed to identify the <em>Candida</em> species colonizing ureteral stents and to assess the potential impact of their virulence factors on ureteral stent encrustation.</div></div><div><h3>Material and methods</h3><div><em>Candida</em> species and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> were isolated and identified from urine and ureteral stent samples. Phenotypic and genotypic detection of virulence factors and antifungal resistance was performed. In addition, the anticandidal activity of <em>Pseudomonas</em> species was evaluated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 25/95 patients, 32 <em>Candida</em> isolates were identified, of which 17 (53.1 %) were from ureteral stents and 15(46.8 %) were from urine samples. <em>Candida albicans</em> and non-<em>albicans</em> were significantly associated with stent colonization (<em>p</em> = 0.00001 and <em>p</em> = 0.000092). A significant association was observed between <em>Candida</em>-positive ureteral stents and concurrent urine culture positivity (<em>p</em> = 0.0153). <em>P. aeruginosa</em> was isolated in 29.5 % of patients, and all exhibited anticandidal activity. A significant inverse association (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) was observed between the presence of <em>P. aeruginosa</em> and <em>Candida</em> colonization. Biofilm formation was detected in 51.8 % of stent-derived isolates. Urease activity was higher in ureteral stent isolates (94.1 %) (<em>p</em> = 0.04). Fluconazole and voriconazole resistance was 70 % and 53 % in ureteral stent isolates, and 47 % and 53 % in urine. The <em>ALS1</em> and <em>Hwp1</em> genes were detected in 78 % and 93 % of isolates, while the <em>Erg11</em> gene was detected in 47 % isolates. <em>C. albicans</em> predominated in stent colonization, exhibiting enhanced virulence traits and antifungal resistance<em>.</em> These findings suggest that <em>Candida</em> species associated with ureteral stents contribute to encrustation, potentially complicating treatment and highlighting the need for targeted therapeutic strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107979"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of recombinant Toxoplasma gondii matrix antigen MAG1 for toxoplasmosis screening in HIV/AIDS patients","authors":"Ruenruetai Udonsom ,&nbsp;Charoonluk Jirapattharasate ,&nbsp;Supaluk Popruk ,&nbsp;Sumonmal Uttayamakul ,&nbsp;Intira Tantawiwattananon ,&nbsp;Manas Kotepui ,&nbsp;Sukhontha Siri ,&nbsp;Hirotake Mori ,&nbsp;Yoshifumi Nishikawa ,&nbsp;Aongart Mahittikorn","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Timely serodiagnosis of <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is critical for HIV/AIDS patients, in whom latent infection can reactivate into life-threatening toxoplasmic encephalitis. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a novel recombinant <em>T. gondii</em> matrix antigen 1 (TgMAG1)-based indirect ELISA and a commercial latex agglutination test (LAT) for detecting anti-<em>T. gondii</em> IgG in HIV/AIDS patients, using the Sabin-Feldman dye test (DT) as the reference standard. A secondary objective was to determine the current prevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in this population in Thailand. We conducted a comparative serological evaluation using 348 residual clinical specimens collected from 2016 to 2019 from HIV/AIDS patients. All samples were tested using the in-house TgMAG1 ELISA, a commercial LAT, and the DT. The sensitivity, specificity, and agreement (kappa statistic) of each index test were calculated against the DT. The DT identified a <em>T. gondii</em> seroprevalence of 12.36% (43/348; 95% CI: 8.94–16.64). Compared to the DT, the TgMAG1-ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 72.09% and a specificity of 93.11%, with moderate agreement (κ = 0.598). The LAT showed a similar sensitivity of 69.76% but a higher specificity of 97.04%, achieving substantial agreement with the DT (κ = 0.696). In conclusion, both the TgMAG1-based ELISA and LAT demonstrated high specificity but moderate sensitivity compared to the reference standard. Consequently, while these assays are valuable screening tools in settings lacking the DT, their results require careful interpretation and potential confirmation in high-risk populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107983"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145994070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bile acid alterations in biliary obstruction patients with clonorchiasis","authors":"Shiwen Hua ,&nbsp;Xiang Li ,&nbsp;Zhenli Xu ,&nbsp;Rui Chen ,&nbsp;Qinghua Wu ,&nbsp;Wenge Yang ,&nbsp;Yun Tao ,&nbsp;Shanshan Duan ,&nbsp;Jian Ding ,&nbsp;Jie Wan ,&nbsp;Jingjie Lei ,&nbsp;Yang Cheng ,&nbsp;Yifan Sun ,&nbsp;Youyi Liu ,&nbsp;Su Han","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Clonorchiasis is a significant foodborne zoonotic parasitic disease that leads to severe complications such as cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, and biliary obstruction (BO). Abnormalities in bile acids (BAs) play a crucial role in BO progression. Nevertheless, the abnormalities in BAs and their role in BO patients with <em>Clonorchis sinensis</em> (<em>C. sinensis</em>) infection remain inadequately understood.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study included BO patients with or without <em>C. sinensis</em> infection. Bile samples were collected via Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and bile acid (BA) profiles were analyzed by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Biliary microbiota was analyzed through high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. Spearman correlation assessed associations between BA, biochemical markers, and biliary microbiota.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Metabolomic analysis revealed that the levels of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA), and 3β-cholic acid (βCA) were significantly reduced in <em>C. s</em>-infected group and positively correlated with <em>Enterococcus</em> abundance. Furthermore, the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) demonstrated a strong positive correlation with CA (cholic acid)/CDCA (<em>r</em> = 0.74, <em>P</em> = 0.01) and (CA+deoxycholic acid [DCA])/(CDCA+lithocholic acid [LCA]) (<em>r</em> = 0.75, <em>P</em> = 0.01) in the <em>C. s</em>-infected group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>BO patients infected with <em>C. sinensis</em> displayed BA profiles, with reduced CDCA, UDCA, HDCA, and β-CA levels correlating with <em>Enterococcus</em> abundance. These preliminary findings suggest an interaction among BA metabolism, the biliary microbiota, and liver damage associated with parasitic infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107989"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Repurposing of FDA-approved drugs to identify potential ns2b/ns3 protease inhibitors against dengue virus: In silico and in vitro evaluation","authors":"Adiba,&nbsp;Alia Uzma,&nbsp;Mustafeez Mujtaba Babar,&nbsp;Muhammad Armaghan Khalid,&nbsp;Muhammad Tariq Navid,&nbsp;Liaqat Ali,&nbsp;Deeba Amraiz","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dengue virus (DENV) poses a significant global health burden, affecting many countries and regions worldwide, with no specific antiviral therapy currently available. The NS2B/NS3 protease is a crucial enzyme in viral replication, making it a promising target for the development of antiviral drugs. Drug repurposing offers a rapid and cost-efficient strategy by evaluating FDA-approved compounds for new antiviral indications. The present study aimed to identify potent inhibitors of DENV-2 NS2B/NS3 protease with an integrated <em>in silico</em> and <em>in vitro</em> analysis. Molecular docking was used to screen a library of 3109 FDA-approved drugs in the ZINC database with PyRx software. The three hits, Simeprevir, Saquinavir, and Dolutegravir were subsequently evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antiviral activity in Vero cells, using MTT and infectivity-based assays, respectively. MD simulations confirmed stable binding of Dolutegravir, Saquinavir, and Simeprevir with DENV NS2B/NS3 protease. Although dolutegravir displayed a slightly lower docking affinity, the compound demonstrated the lowest cytotoxicity with CC₅₀ 133.7 µg/mL (318.8 µM), and slightly enhanced antiviral activity with IC₅₀ 22.5 µg/mL (53.7 µM) among the tested compounds. Saquinavir showed CC₅₀ of 118.6 µg/mL (176.8 µM)) and an IC₅₀ 25.0 µg/mL (37.3 µM) and Simeprevir exhibited CC₅₀ 80.9 µg/mL (107.9 µM) with an IC₅₀ 20.0 µg/mL (26.7 µM). This study reflects on the potential of Dolutegravir as a dengue protease inhibitor and also indicates the efficacy of drug repurposing as a drug discovery strategy in the paradigm of antiviral discovery. Dolutegravir was identified as a potential candidate against DENV-2, and additional research is needed with molecular dynamics, mechanistic inquiry, and <em>in vivo</em> support investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107987"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathogen assessment of Galapagos landbirds reveals novel herpesviruses and adenoviruses","authors":"Ainoa Nieto-Claudin ,&nbsp;Courtney L. Pike ,&nbsp;Gislayne Mendoza-Alcívar ,&nbsp;Birgit Fessl ,&nbsp;David J. Anchundia ,&nbsp;Sharon L. Deem ,&nbsp;Paula A. Castaño ,&nbsp;Kathleen Apakupakul ,&nbsp;Roland Digby ,&nbsp;Carlos Sacristán","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107955","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107955","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Galapagos landbirds are currently threatened due to the negative effects of human encroachment. At least one species has become extinct, and several have been extirpated or suffered severe population declines in the past decades. Although some avian pathogens have been described over the years, the presence and prevalence of several infectious agents that may severely impact on the health and conservation of wild and domestic birds in the archipelago remain understudied. To fill this gap, we conducted a comprehensive health assessment of Galapagos landbirds covering five islands (including protected and anthropized areas), testing for three pathogens of avian conservation concern: adenoviruses (AdV), herpesviruses (HV), and <em>Mycoplasma</em> spp. Oral and cloacal swabs of 421 landbirds from 14 species were tested by PCR, and positive samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing. None of the samples were positive for <em>Mycoplasma</em> spp. A total of 35 birds (8.31 %) tested positive for AdV, while 13 (3.09 %) were positive for HV, with higher prevalences found within the inhabited islands of Floreana and Santa Cruz, respectively. Seven main AdV nucleotide sequence types (STs) were obtained, with AdV-1, AdV-3 and AdV-5 clustering within the genus <em>Barthadenovirus</em>, and AdV-2, AdV-4, AdV-6 and AdV-7 grouping within the genus <em>Aviadenovirus.</em> Three HV STs were obtained, with HV-1 and HV-3 clustering within the genus <em>Mardivirus</em>, and HV-2 grouping within the genus <em>Iltovirus</em>. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular description of novel adenoviruses and herpesviruses in Galapagos landbirds, which will inform current and future conservation efforts in the archipelago.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107955"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145809371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated diagnostic and host biomarker assessment of plasmodium infections in malaria-endemic Peshawar, Pakistan","authors":"Murad Ali Khan ,&nbsp;Sadaf Fayaz ,&nbsp;Muhammad Saeed ,&nbsp;Raheela Murad ,&nbsp;Armeela Murad ,&nbsp;Rifat Ullah Khan ,&nbsp;Shabana Naz ,&nbsp;Antonella Perillo ,&nbsp;Ibrahim A. Alhidary","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Malaria remains a major public health problem in Pakistan, where <em>Plasmodium vivax</em> and <em>P. falciparum</em> are predominant. Accurate diagnosis and characterization of malaria-associated hematological and biochemical alterations are essential for effective disease control. This cross-sectional study was conducted in District Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during peak malaria transmission months. A total of 2500 suspected patients were screened. Capillary and venous blood samples were collected for microscopy, hematological and biochemical analyses, and PCR. Microscopy was performed on Giemsa-stained blood smears, while PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene was used for genus- and species-specific detection. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using PCR as the reference standard. Multivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted exploratorily to examine demographic, seasonal, and host-response associations. PCR detected significantly more malaria cases than microscopy (p = 0.001), confirming underestimation by the latter. Microscopy showed moderate sensitivity but perfect specificity, with an overall accuracy of 86.4 %, substantial agreement (κ = 0.692), and good discriminatory power (AUC = 0.823). Infection prevalence peaked in September, with higher rates among males aged 21–30 years (p = 0.04). Malaria-positive individuals exhibited significant hematological abnormalities, including reduced hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell indices, alongside leukocyte alterations. Biochemical analysis revealed elevated ALT, AST, bilirubin, and ALP levels with reduced albumin. Parasite density showed negative correlations with hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet counts, and positive correlations with liver enzymes and bilirubin. Overall, this integrated diagnostic and host-response assessment highlights the substantial malaria burden in Peshawar and supports the added value of PCR-based detection combined with hematological and biochemical markers for improved surveillance and disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107967"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal patterns and clinical characteristics of leptospirosis hospitalizations in Ecuador: a nationwide study (2018–2023)","authors":"Karime Montes-Escobar ,&nbsp;Jefferson Alexander Cueva ,&nbsp;Carlos Salas-Macias ,&nbsp;Carolina Fonseca-Restrepo ,&nbsp;Victor Montes ,&nbsp;Naga Raju Maddela","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107970","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107970","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease highly sensitive to hydro-meteorological changes, posing significant challenges for health systems in endemic regions like Ecuador. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns and clinical characteristics of leptospirosis hospitalizations in Ecuador from 2018 to 2023, identifying vulnerability factors for in-hospital mortality and geographical distribution. A retrospective nationwide study was conducted using hospital discharge records (ICD-10: A270, A278, A279), calculating age-adjusted hospitalization and mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Associations between sociodemographic variables, clinical forms, and vital status were assessed using Fisher's exact test and Pearson’s Chi-square test. A total of 573 hospitalized cases and 11 deaths were analyzed. The results indicated that the icterohemorrhagic form (A270) was the primary determinant of mortality (<em>p</em> = 0.001); while it accounted for only 4.8% of survivors, it represented 45.5% of all fatal cases. Conversely, unspecified leptospirosis (A279) comprised 91.6 % of cases but showed lower lethality, and neither age nor sex were statistically significant predictors of death (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). Temporally, hospitalization rates remained stable from 2018 to 2022, reaching a nadir of 0.0249 per 100,000 in 2021, but surged four-fold in 2023 to 0.1351 per 100,000. This outbreak was geographically concentrated in the Coastal provinces, particularly Guayas and Manabí, coinciding with reports of extreme rainfall. In conclusion, mortality in hospitalized patients is driven mainly by the clinical phenotype (A270) rather than demographic factors. The dramatic surge in 2023 highlights the region's vulnerability to environmental changes, suggesting that public health strategies must prioritize early diagnosis to differentiate severe forms and strengthen \"One Health\" surveillance in high-risk coastal areas to mitigate future climate-associated outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107970"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145916504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fasciola hepatica excretory and secretory products reprogram the Kupffer cell transcriptome to modulate hepatic damage progression","authors":"Zhuo Lan ,&nbsp;Minhao Zeng ,&nbsp;Yan Yang ,&nbsp;Xue Bai ,&nbsp;Xue Wang ,&nbsp;Hongyu Qiu ,&nbsp;Junfeng Gao ,&nbsp;Guofeng Cheng ,&nbsp;Santiago Mas-Coma ,&nbsp;Chunren Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Fasciola hepatica</em>, a food-borne trematode that parasitizes the liver and bile ducts of cattle, sheep, other ruminants, and humans, is a critical zoonotic disease responsible for substantial hepatic pathology. Kupffer cells (KCs), the resident macrophages of the liver, act as the first line of defense against liver damage. Investigating the gene transcription changes in KCs during <em>F. hepatica</em> infection is essential for identifying new therapeutic targets and improving disease intervention strategies. A sheep model was experimentally infected with <em>F. hepatica</em> to obtain adult flukes, from which excretory and secretory products (ESPs) were prepared. To evaluate their hepatotoxic potential, these ESPs were administered via tail vein injection and intraperitoneal injection in mice, followed by liver extraction and histological analysis. <em>F. hepatica</em> ESPs (FhESPs) were then incubated <em>in vitro</em> with immortalized KCs (ImKCs), and RNA was extracted for transcriptomic profiling to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene transcription changes were further validated by qRT-PCR in mouse model. Overall, 308 genes were significantly upregulated, of which colony stimulating factor 3 (<em>CSF3</em>) showed the most pronounced change. And 222 genes were significantly downregulated. GO and KEGG analyses suggested that DEGs are putatively involved in pathways associated with liver fibrosis like JAK/STAT signaling pathway. <em>CSF3</em> expression in KCs, indicating its possible involvement in IL-17 and JAK/STAT pathways via KEGG analyses. Our findings revealed the altered gene transcription profile in KCs following <em>F. hepatica</em> infection and highlighted <em>CSF3</em> as a promising new therapeutic target for fasciolosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107988"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146040069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections among asymptomatic Nigerian children using multiplex real-time PCR","authors":"Oluwasola O. Obebe ,&nbsp;Sunday E. Oloche ,&nbsp;Oluwatunmise L. Adeusi ,&nbsp;Olalekan L. Salami","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.107972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Giardia intestinalis</em>and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species are protozoan gastrointestinal parasites that are the leading cause of chronic infantile diarrhoea. They are the leading causes of childhood sickness and death worldwide, and they can induce malnutrition, anaemia, diarrhoea, and stunted growth. In Nigeria, there are currently few prevalence studies on the simultaneous identification of <em>Giardia</em> and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> infections in asymptomatic primary school students utilizing molecular detection techniques. To address the sensitivity issues associated with cyst identification in faecal samples using microscopy, multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate genomic DNAs extracted from stool samples from 184 asymptomatic school children for <em>Giardia</em> and <em>Cryptosporidium</em>, and questionnaires were used to collect epidemiological data. The overall infection rates for <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. and <em>G. duodenalis</em> were 1.1% and 1.6% respectively. Schoolchildren who used pit latrines were more likely to have <em>Giardia</em> (2.3%) and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> (2.3%). In contrast, children who did not wash their hands after using the toilet were also more likely to have these protozoan parasites (2.4% and 4.9%). This study shows that <em>Giardia</em> and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> are present among asymptomatic schoolchildren in Nigeria, despite their low prevalence. More large-scale investigations using PCR-based multilocus genotyping in asymptomatic schoolchildren are recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 107972"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}