PubMed Central (PMC3 - NLM DTD)
(2.525.429 recursos)
Archive of life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), developed and managed by NIH's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Mostrando recursos 1 - 20 de 1.021
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Excretory/Secretory-Products of Echinococcus multilocularis Larvae Induce Apoptosis and Tolerogenic Properties in Dendritic Cells In Vitro - Nono, Justin Komguep; Pletinckx, Katrien; Lutz, Manfred B.; Brehm, Klaus
Parasitic helminths are inducers of chronic diseases and have evolved mechanisms to suppress the host immune response. Mostly from studies on roundworms, a picture is currently emerging that helminths secrete factors (E/S-products) that directly act on sentinels of the immune system, dendritic cells, in order to achieve an expansion of immunosuppressive, regulatory T cells (T-reg). Parasitic helminths are currently also intensely studied as therapeutic agents against autoimmune diseases and allergies, which is directly linked to their immunosuppressive activities. The immunomodulatory products of parasitic helminths are therefore of high interest for understanding immunopathology during infections and for the treatment of allergies....
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Cell Death and Reproductive Regression in Female Schistosoma mansoni - Galanti, Sarah E.; Huang, Stanley Ching-Cheng; Pearce, Edward J.
The vitellarium is a highly proliferative organ, producing cells which are incorporated along with a fertilized ovum into the schistosome egg. Vitellarial growth fails to occur in virgin female schistosomes in single sex (female-only) infections, and involution of this tissue, which is accompanied by physical shrinkage of the entire worm, occurs when mature females sexually regress upon removal from their male partners. We have found that upon removal from their hosts into tissue culture, female parasites regress whether they are mated or not, but that cessation of egg production and a decline in expression of the vitelline gene p14 is...
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First Human Rabies Case in French Guiana, 2008: Epidemiological Investigation and Control - Meynard, Jean-Baptiste; Flamand, Claude; Dupuy, Céline; Mahamat, Aba; Eltges, Françoise; Queuche, Frederic; Renner, Julien; Fontanella, Jean-Michel; Hommel, Didier; Dussart, Philippe; Grangier, Claire; Djossou, Félix; Dacheux, Laurent; Goudal, Maryvonne; Berger, Franck; Ardillon, Vanessa; Krieger, Nicolas; Bourhy, Hervé; Spiegel, André
Until 2008, rabies had never been described within the French Guianan human population. Emergence of the first case in May 2008 in this French Overseas Department represented a public health event that markedly affected the local population, healthcare workers and public health authorities. The antirabies clinic of French Guiana, located at Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, had to reorganize its functioning to handle the dramatically increased demand for vaccination. A rigorous epidemiological investigation and a veterinary study were conducted to identify the contamination source, probably linked to a bat bite, and the exposed population. Communication was a key factor to...
4.
Clear Genetic Distinctiveness between Human- and Pig-Derived Trichuris Based on Analyses of Mitochondrial Datasets - Liu, Guo-Hua; Gasser, Robin B.; Su, Ang; Nejsum, Peter; Peng, Lifei; Lin, Rui-Qing; Li, Ming-Wei; Xu, Min-Jun; Zhu, Xing-Quan
The whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, causes trichuriasis in ∼600 million people worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Whipworms also infect other animal hosts, including pigs (T. suis), dogs (T. vulpis) and non-human primates, and cause disease in these hosts, which is similar to trichuriasis of humans. Although Trichuris species are considered to be host specific, there has been considerable controversy, over the years, as to whether T. trichiura and T. suis are the same or distinct species. Here, we characterised the entire mitochondrial genomes of human-derived Trichuris and pig-derived Trichuris, compared them and then tested the hypothesis that the parasites from these...
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Fatal Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Adults: Emphasizing the Evolutionary Pre-fatal Clinical and Laboratory Manifestations - Lee, Ing-Kit; Liu, Jien-Wei; Yang, Kuender D.
Fatality rate and causes of fatality in dengue-affected patients greatly varied from one reported series to another. A better understanding of the clinical and laboratory manifestations of fatal patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is important in alerting clinicians of severe dengue and improving management. In a retrospective analysis of 10 adults who died of and 299 survived (controls) DHF, dengue shock syndrome (DSS) alone was found in only 20% of dengue-related death, while intractable massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding was found in 40%, and DSS with concurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage, intractable massive GI bleeding with concurrent bacteremia, bacterial sepsis/meningitis, and sepsis...
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Estimating the Non-Monetary Burden of Neurocysticercosis in Mexico - Bhattarai, Rachana; Budke, Christine M.; Carabin, Hélène; Proaño, Jefferson V.; Flores-Rivera, Jose; Corona, Teresa; Ivanek, Renata; Snowden, Karen F.; Flisser, Ana
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a major public health problem caused by the larvae of the parasite Taenia solium. The condition occurs when humans ingest eggs of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium, which then develop into larvae in the central nervous system. The disease is predominantly found and considered important in Latin American, Asian, and African countries and is associated with a large social and economic burden. Very few studies have been conducted to evaluate the burden of NCC and there are no estimates from Mexico. We estimated the disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to NCC in Mexico incorporating morbidity...
7.
Association of Mast Cell-Derived VEGF and Proteases in Dengue Shock Syndrome - Furuta, Takahisa; Murao, Lyre Anni; Lan, Nguyen Thi Phuong; Huy, Nguyen Tien; Huong, Vu Thi Que; Thuy, Tran Thi; Tham, Vo Dinh; Nga, Cao Thi Phi; Ha, Tran Thi Ngoc; Ohmoto, Yasukazu; Kikuchi, Mihoko; Morita, Kouichi; Yasunami, Michio; Hirayama, Kenji; Watanabe, Naohiro
To clarify the involvement of mast cells in the development of severe Dengue diseases, plasma levels of mast cell-derived mediators, namely vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), tryptase, and chymase, were estimated in Dengue patients and control subjects in Vietnam. The levels of the mediators were significantly increased in Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) patients compared with those of Dengue fever (DF) and control (febrile illness and healthy subjects) patients, and the soluble form of VEGF receptors (sVEGFR)-1 and -2 levels were significantly changed in the patients with severe disease. After 2–4 days of admission, the...
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Envenomations by Bothrops and Crotalus Snakes Induce the Release of Mitochondrial Alarmins - Zornetta, Irene; Caccin, Paola; Fernandez, Julián; Lomonte, Bruno; Gutierrez, José María; Montecucco, Cesare
Skeletal muscle necrosis is a common manifestation of viperid snakebite envenomations. Venoms from snakes of the genus Bothrops, such as that of B. asper, induce muscle tissue damage at the site of venom injection, provoking severe local pathology which often results in permanent sequelae. In contrast, the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, induces a clinical picture of systemic myotoxicity, i.e., rhabdomyolysis, together with neurotoxicity. It is known that molecules released from damaged muscle might act as ‘danger’ signals. These are known as ‘alarmins’, and contribute to the inflammatory reaction by activating the innate immune system. Here...
9.
Spatial Dimensions of Dengue Virus Transmission across Interepidemic and Epidemic Periods in Iquitos, Peru (1999–2003) - Liebman, Kelly A.; Stoddard, Steven T.; Morrison, Amy C.; Rocha, Claudio; Minnick, Sharon; Sihuincha, Moises; Russell, Kevin L.; Olson, James G.; Blair, Patrick J.; Watts, Douglas M.; Kochel, Tadeusz; Scott, Thomas W.
To target prevention and control strategies for dengue fever, it is essential to understand how the virus travels through the city. We report spatial analyses of dengue infections from a study monitoring school children and adult family members for dengue infection at six-month intervals from 1999–2003, in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru. At the beginning of the study, only DENV serotypes 1 and 2 were circulating. Clusters of infections of these two viruses were concentrated in the northern region of the city, where mosquito indices and previous DENV infection were both high. In 2002, DENV-3 invaded the city, replacing...
10.
Evaluation of the Human IgG Antibody Response to Aedes albopictus Saliva as a New Specific Biomarker of Exposure to Vector Bites - Doucoure, Souleymane; Mouchet, François; Cornelie, Sylvie; DeHecq, Jean Sébastien; Rutee, Abdul Hamid; Roca, Yelin; Walter, Annie; Hervé, Jean Pierre; Misse, Dorothée; Favier, François; Gasque, Philippe; Remoue, Franck
Aedes-borne viruses like dengue and chikungunya are a major problem in Reunion Island. Assessing exposure to Aedes bites is crucial to estimating the risk of pathogen transmission. Currently, the exposure of populations to Aedes albopictus bites is mainly evaluated by entomological methods which are indirect and difficult to apply on a large scale. Recent findings suggest that evaluation of human antibody responses against arthropod salivary proteins could be useful in assessing exposure to mosquito bites. The results indicate that 88% of the studied population produce IgG to Ae. albopictus saliva antigens in Reunion Island and show that this biomarker can...
12.
Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections among Plantation Sector Schoolchildren in Sri Lanka: Prevalence after Ten Years of Preventive Chemotherapy - Gunawardena, Kithsiri; Kumarendran, Balachandran; Ebenezer, Roshini; Gunasingha, Muditha Sanjeewa; Pathmeswaran, Arunasalam; de Silva, Nilanthi
Mass de-worming of pre-school and school-age children was introduced in Sri Lanka's plantation sector in 1994 after a survey showed that >90% of children and women of reproductive age were infected with intestinal worms. The present study was carried out to assess the status of infection four years after mass de-worming was stopped in 2005 due to lack of funds. Approximately 20 children from each of 114 schools in five districts were examined. Data regarding the school, the child's family and household sanitation were recorded. Faecal samples from 1890 children were examined for worm eggs. In 4/5 districts, >20% were...
13.
Proteomic Analysis of Human Skin Treated with Larval Schistosome Peptidases Reveals Distinct Invasion Strategies among Species of Blood Flukes - Ingram, Jessica; Knudsen, Giselle; Lim, K. C.; Hansell, Elizabeth; Sakanari, Judy; McKerrow, James
Schistosome parasites are a major cause of disease in the developing world, but the mechanism by which these parasites first infect their host has been studied at the molecular level only for S. mansoni. In this paper, we have mined recent genome annotations of S. mansoni and S. japonicum, a zoonotic schistosome species, to identify differential expansion of peptidase gene families that may be involved in parasite invasion and subsequent migration through skin. Having identified a serine peptidase gene family in S. mansoni and a cysteine peptidase gene family in S. japonicum, we then used a comparative proteomic approach to...
14.
Histopathological Changes and Clinical Responses of Buruli Ulcer Plaque Lesions during Chemotherapy: A Role for Surgical Removal of Necrotic Tissue? - Ruf, Marie-Thérèse; Sopoh, Ghislain Emmanuel; Brun, Luc Valère; Dossou, Ange Dodji; Barogui, Yves Thierry; Johnson, Roch Christian; Pluschke, Gerd
The tropical necrotizing skin disease Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is associated with extensive tissue destruction and local immunosuppression caused by the macrolide exotoxin mycolactone. Chemotherapy with a combination of rifampicin and streptomycin for 8 weeks is the currently recommended treatment for all types of BU lesions, including both ulcerative and non-ulcerative stages (plaques, nodules and edema). Our histopathological analysis of twelve BU plaque lesions revealed extensive destruction of sub-cutaneous tissue. This frequently led to ulceration during antibiotic treatment. This should not be mistaken as a failure of the antimycobacterial chemotherapy, since we found no evidence for the...
15.
Maternal Serologic Screening to Prevent Congenital Toxoplasmosis: A Decision-Analytic Economic Model - Stillwaggon, Eileen; Carrier, Christopher S.; Sautter, Mari; McLeod, Rima
We constructed a decision-analytic and cost-minimization model to compare monthly maternal serological screening for congenital toxoplasmosis, prenatal treatment, and post-natal follow-up and treatment according to the current French protocol, versus no systematic screening or perinatal treatment. Costs are based on published estimates of lifetime societal costs of developmental disabilities and current diagnostic and treatment costs. Probabilities are based on published results and clinical practice in the United States and France. We use sensitivity analysis to evaluate robustness of results. We find that universal monthly maternal screening for congenital toxoplasmosis with follow-up and treatment, following the French (Paris) protocol, leads to...
18.
Scabies Mite Peritrophins Are Potential Targets of Human Host Innate Immunity - Mika, Angela; Goh, Priscilla; Holt, Deborah C.; Kemp, Dave J.; Fischer, Katja
The gut of most invertebrates is lined by a protective layer of chitin and glycoproteins, often designated as a peritrophic matrix. Previous research suggests that it forms a barrier that may protect the midgut epithelium from abrasive food particles and pathogens. Parasitic invertebrates ingesting vertebrate plasma have evolved additional strategies to protect themselves from hazardous host molecules consumed during feeding. An important part of the immediate defense in vertebrate plasma is complement-mediated killing. The Complement system is a complex network of more than 35 proteins present in human plasma that results in killing of foreign cells including the gut epithelial...
20.
Quantifying the Emergence of Dengue in Hanoi, Vietnam: 1998–2009 - Cuong, Hoang Quoc; Hien, Nguyen Tran; Duong, Tran Nhu; Phong, Tran Vu; Cam, Nguyen Nhat; Farrar, Jeremy; Nam, Vu Sinh; Thai, Khoa T. D.; Horby, Peter
Dengue is the most common vector-borne viral disease of humans, causing an estimated 50 million cases per year. The number of countries affected by dengue has increased dramatically in the last 50 years and dengue is now a major public health problem in large parts of the tropical and subtropical world. It is of considerable importance to understand the factors that determine how dengue becomes newly established in areas where the risk of dengue was previously small. Hanoi in North Vietnam is a large city where dengue appears to be emerging. We analyzed 12 years of dengue surveillance data in...
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