Obligate chimerism in male yellow crazy ants.

Multicellular organisms typically develop from a single fertilized egg and therefore consist of clonal cells. We report an extraordinary reproductive system in the yellow crazy ant. Males are chimeras of haploid cells from two divergent lineages: R and W. R cells are overrepresented in the males' somatic tissues, whereas W cells are overrepresented in their sperm. Chimerism occurs when parental nuclei bypass syngamy and divide separately within the same egg. When syngamy takes place, the diploid offspring either develops into a queen when the oocyte is fertilized by an R sperm or into a worker when fertilized by a W sperm. This study reveals a mode of reproduction that may be associated with a conflict between lineages to preferentially enter the germ line.

Evaluation of indirect fluorescent antibody test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of hepatic amebiasis in Bangladesh.

Serum samples of 31 amebic liver abscess (ALA) patients, 8 amebic hepatitis (AH) patients, and 60 controls were tested for anti-amebic IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFAT). Sera of 29 (93.6%) ALA and 6 (75%) AH patients and 2 (3.3%) control subjects were positive by IFAT. Anti-amebic antibody titer above the cutoff point (= 0.168; x + 2 SD of control sera) was observed in sera of 27 (87%) ALA, 4 (50%) AH, and 1 (1.7%) control by ELISA. All the 8 pus samples were positive for anti-amebic antibodies by IFAT and ELISA. Sensitivity of ELISA was 87% for ALA, with a positive predictive value of 0.96, and 50% for AH cases, with a positive predictive value of 0.80. The sensitivity of IFAT was 93.6% for ALA, with a positive predictive value of 0.94, and 75% for AH, with a positive predictive value of 0.75. When pus samples were tested, the sensitivity was 100% for both tests. The specificity was 98.3% for ELISA and 96.7% for IFAT. Although not significant, IFAT was found more sensitive than ELISA (P>0.05).

Socioeconomic status, clinical features, laboratory and parasitological findings of hepatic amebiasis patients--a hospital based prospective study in Bangladesh.

Socioeconomic status, clinical, laboratory and parasitological features of 31 hospitalized amebic liver abscess (ALA) and 8 amebic hepatitis (AH) patients were studied. Thirty-seven (94.9%) of the total 39 cases were from low socioeconomic class and 2 (5.1%) were from middle class (p<0.001). Sixteen (51.6%) ALA and 5 (62.5%) AH patients were admitted with duration of disease for 3 weeks or more. Twenty-one (67.7%) ALA and 3 (37.5%) AH cases gave no previous history of diarrhea or dysentery. Epigastric pain was the predominant symptoms in 71% patients compared to high fever (19.4%), nausea and vomiting (9.7%). Neutrophilic leukocytosis was found in 9 (29.0%) ALA and 2 (25%) AH cases. Raised alkaline phosphatase was the predominant abnormal liver function test found elevated in 22 (71.0%) ALA and 5 (62.5%) AH cases. Three (7.7%) of the 5 (12.8%) microscopy positive stool samples yielded growth of Entamoeba histolytica in culture. The right lobe was involved in 28 (90.3%) ALA cases; 29 (93.5%) patients had single abscess. Bacterial super infection was observed in 1 (12.5%) abscess, reactive changes in right lung was observed in 6 (19.4%) ALA and 1 (12.5%) AH cases. Ascaris lumbricoides was the predominant associated intestinal parasite.