Recombinant helical plant virus-based nanoparticles for vaccination and immunotherapy.

Plant virus-based nanoparticles (PVNs) are self-assembled capsid proteins of plant viruses, and can be virus-like nanoparticles (VLPs) or virus nanoparticles (VNPs). Plant viruses showing helical capsid symmetry are used as a versatile platform for the presentation of multiple copies of well-arrayed immunogenic antigens of various disease pathogens. Helical PVNs are non-infectious, biocompatible, and naturally immunogenic, and thus, they are suitable antigen carriers for vaccine production and can trigger humoral and/or cellular immune responses. Furthermore, recombinant PVNs as vaccines and adjuvants can be expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, and plant expression systems can be used to produce cost-effective antigenic peptides on the surfaces of recombinant helical PVNs. This review discusses various recombinant helical PVNs based on different plant viral capsid shells that have been developed as prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccines against bacterial, viral, and protozoal diseases, and cancer.

Effect of an integrated intervention package of preventive chemotherapy, community-led total sanitation and health education on the prevalence of helminth and intestinal protozoa infections in Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Preventive chemotherapy with donated anthelminthic drugs is the cornerstone for the control of helminthiases. However, reinfection can occur rapidly in the absence of clean water and sanitation coupled with unhygienic behaviour. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an integrated package of interventions, consisting of preventive chemotherapy, community-led total sanitation (CLTS) and health education, on the prevalence of helminth and intestinal protozoa infections and on participants' knowledge, attitude, practice and beliefs (KAPB) towards these diseases including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in nine communities of south-central Côte d'Ivoire to assess people's infection with helminths and intestinal protozoa and KAPB. Subsequently, interventions were targeted to five communities, while the remaining communities served as control. The intervention encouraged latrine construction and an evaluation was done 6-7 months later to determine open defecation status of the respective communities. Anthelminthic treatment was provided to all community members. A follow-up cross-sectional survey was conducted approximately one year later, using the same procedures. RESULTS: Overall, 810 people had complete baseline and follow-up data and were given anthelminthic treatment. The baseline prevalence of hookworm, Schistosoma haematobium, Trichuris trichiura, Schistosoma mansoni and Ascaris lumbricoides was 31.1%, 7.0%, 2.0%, 1.0% and 0.3%, respectively. Four of the five intervention communities were classified open-defecation free. For hookworm infection, we observed higher negative changes in terms of proportion of decrease (-0.10; 95% confidence interval (CI): - 0.16, -0.04) and higher egg reduction rate (64.9 vs 15.2%) when comparing intervention with control communities. For intestinal protozoa, prevalence reduction was higher in intervention compared to control communities (8.2 vs 2.6%) and WASH indicators and intervention outcomes associated with lower odds for infection at follow-up. The intervention significantly impacted on reported latrine use (before: 15.5%, after: 94.6%), open defecation in the community surroundings (before: 75.0%, after: 16.7%) and awareness for environmental contamination through open defecation (before: 20.4%, after: 52.2%). CONCLUSIONS: An integrated package of interventions consisting of preventive chemotherapy, health education and CLTS reduces the prevalence of helminth and intestinal protozoa infection. Additional studies in other social-ecological settings are warranted to confirm our findings.

Parasitic Protozoa and Interactions with the Host Intestinal Microbiota.

Parasitic protozoan infections represent a major health burden in the developing world and contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. These infections are often associated with considerable variability in clinical presentation. An emerging body of work suggests that the intestinal microbiota may help to explain some of these differences in disease expression. The objective of this minireview is to synthesize recent progress in this rapidly advancing field. Studies of humans and animals and in vitro studies of the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to infectious disease are discussed. We hope to provide an understanding of the human-protozoal pathogen-microbiome interaction and to speculate on how that might be leveraged for treatment.

[Protozoa and protozoan infections of humans in Central Europe]. / Protozoen und Protozoen-Infektionen des Menschen in Mitteleuropa.

This article is a condensed review of the medically relevant protozoa in Central Europe and the infections and diseases caused by them. Information is given on modes and sources of infection, organs involved in the disease, prevalence, diagnostics, therapy, and prophylaxis. Moreover, travel-associated infections with protozoa are briefly outlined.

[Common tropical infections with protozoans, worms and ectoparasites]. / Tropendermatologisch relevante Protozoeninfektionen, Wurmerkrankungen und Epizoonosen.

Infectious diseases of the skin have become rarer in industrialized nations, but they still affect a considerable part of the population in tropical regions. Skin diseases induced by protozoa, worms and ectoparasites are among the 17 "neglected tropical diseases" defined by the WHO (leishmaniasis, dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis). Skin symptoms in travellers returning from the tropics may challenge dermatologists in Germany regarding differential diagnostic assessment and therapy. Among the 12 most frequent skin diseases in travellers are cutaneous larva migrans, leishmaniasis and myiasis. In this review, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of some the most relevant tropical dermatoses due to protozoa, worms and ectoparasites are discussed.

Graphene and carbon nanotube composite enabling a new prospective treatment for trichomoniasis disease.

We report the synthesis and application of novel graphene oxide and carbon nanotube oxide (GCN-O) composite. First, pristine multi-walled carbon nanotube was prepared by chemical vapour deposition furnace and then exfoliated and oxidised simultaneously by oxygen plasma etching. The superficial and volumetric compositions of GCN-O were measured by XPS spectroscopy and EDX spectroscopy, respectively. Both XPS and EDX analyses evidence that the GCN-O is composed of up to 20% of oxygen atoms. As a result, GCN-O forms a stable colloidal aqueous solution and shows to have strong interaction with the cell membrane of Tritrichomonas foetus protozoa, making easy its application as a drug carrier. Trichomoniasis infection of cattle is a devastating disease for cattle producers, causing some damages to females and fetus, and the abortion is the most serious result of this disease. There is no effective treatment for trichomoniasis infection yet. Therefore, new treatment, especially one with no collateral effects in animals, is required. With this goal in mind, our results suggest that water dispersible composite is a novel nanomaterial, promising for Trichomoniasis infection treatment and as therapeutic delivery agent as well.

Parasites of the air passages.

Parasitic infestations affect millions of the world's population. Global immigration and climate change have led to changes in the natural distribution of parasitic diseases far removed from endemic areas. A broad spectrum of helminthic and protozoal parasitic diseases frequently affects the respiratory system. The wide varieties of clinical and radiographic presentations of parasitic diseases make the diagnosis of this entity challenging. Pulmonologists need to become familiar with the epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathophysiologic characteristics, and bronchoscopic findings to provide proper management in a timely fashion. This review provides a comprehensive view of both helminthic and protozoal parasitic diseases that affect the respiratory system, especially the airways.

The use of phytotherapy in diseases caused by parasitic protozoa.

The paper presents an overview of the use of natural therapeutic agents in combating parasitic diseases. Nowadays there is increasing demand for proven plant therapies, which often are found to be more effective than synthetic pharmaceuticals in chronic diseases. In many cases herbal preparations perfectly supplement the conventional treatment and at the same time do not cause side effects. On the pharmaceutical market there are many drugs of plant origin which have been applied in the treatment of parasitic diseases. However, researchers are still looking for new plants, or specific substances isolated from them, which can be used in therapy. In this paper, drugs of plant origin used in the treatment of amoebiasis, giardiasis, malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis and acanthamoebiasis are described.

[Infectious enteritis]. / Enteritis infectiosa.

Infectious diarrhea belongs to the most frequent infections worldwide and can be elicited by a wide array of microbial pathogens. In developed countries transmission occurs much more frequently from contaminated food as compared to direct person-to-person contact, except for enteric viruses which can also be transmitted by aerosol formation after vomiting. In Germany, more than 90% of cases are caused by the four pathogens Norovirus, Rotavirus, Campylobacter and Salmonella. Therapy of infectious diarrhea is mainly supportive. In cases with a severe or prolonged course, signs of inflammation, bloody stool, immunosuppression, comorbidity and in suspected outbreaks, fecal microbial analysis should be performed and a specific therapy should be considered if indicated.

Immunity to infections in the lower genital tract of bulls.

The mucosa of the bovine prepuce has unique immunological characteristics critical to defense against sexually transmitted diseases. Tritrichomonas foetus and Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis persistently colonize the lower genital tract of bulls but usually do not cause either major clinical signs or inflammation. These microbes may be sexually transmitted to female cattle to cause reproductive failure. Although the male genital immune responses to T. foetus and C. fetus subspecies venerealis are inefficient in clearing infection, systemic immunization with T. foetus and C. fetus subspecies venerealis antigens does prevent or eliminate these infections with induction of IgG antibodies in genital secretions and serum.

Vaccines to combat the neglected tropical diseases.

The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a group of parasitic and related infectious diseases such as amebiasis, Chagas disease, cysticercosis, echinococcosis, hookworm, leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis. Together, these conditions are considered the most common infections in low- and middle-income countries, where they produce a level of global disability and human suffering equivalent to better known conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and malaria. Despite their global public health importance, progress on developing vaccines for NTD pathogens has lagged because of some key technical hurdles and the fact that these infections occur almost exclusively in the world's poorest people living below the World Bank poverty line. In the absence of financial incentives for new products, the multinational pharmaceutical companies have not embarked on substantive research and development programs for the neglected tropical disease vaccines. Here, we review the current status of scientific and technical progress in the development of new neglected tropical disease vaccines, highlighting the successes that have been achieved (cysticercosis and echinococcosis) and identifying the challenges and opportunities for development of new vaccines for NTDs. Also highlighted are the contributions being made by non-profit product development partnerships that are working to overcome some of the economic challenges in vaccine manufacture, clinical testing, and global access.

The apicoplast.

Parasites like malaria and Toxoplasma possess a vestigial plastid homologous to the chloroplasts of plants. The plastid (known as the apicoplast) is non-photosynthetic but retains many hallmarks of its ancestry including a circular genome that it synthesises proteins from and a suite of biosynthetic pathways of cyanobacterial origin. In this review, the discovery of the apicoplast and its integration, function and purpose are explored. New insights into the apicoplast fatty acid biosynthesis pathway and some novel roles of the apicoplast in vaccine development are reviewed.

Importance of nonenteric protozoan infections in immunocompromised people.

There are many neglected nonenteric protozoa able to cause serious morbidity and mortality in humans, particularly in the developing world. Diseases caused by certain protozoa are often more severe in the presence of HIV. While information regarding neglected tropical diseases caused by trypanosomatids and Plasmodium is abundant, these protozoa are often not a first consideration in Western countries where they are not endemic. As such, diagnostics may not be available in these regions. Due to global travel and immigration, this has become an increasing problem. Inversely, in certain parts of the world (particularly sub-Saharan Africa), the HIV problem is so severe that diseases like microsporidiosis and toxoplasmosis are common. In Western countries, due to the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), these diseases are infrequently encountered. While free-living amoebae are rarely encountered in a clinical setting, when infections do occur, they are often fatal. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential to the survival of patients infected with these organisms. This paper reviews information on the diagnosis and treatment of nonenteric protozoal diseases in immunocompromised people, with a focus on patients infected with HIV. The nonenteric microsporidia, some trypanosomatids, Toxoplasma spp., Neospora spp., some free-living amoebae, Plasmodium spp., and Babesia spp. are discussed.

[Protozoons and arthropods found in eyes]. / Göze Yerlesen Protozoon ve Artropodlar.

Protozoons and arthropods can be observed commonly all around the world including our country. These parasites can cause different kind of disorders in human and animals. Some of these can cause eye disorders. The aim of this review was to present information about how the protozoons such as Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., Giardia spp., Acanthamoeba spp., Plasmodium spp., the arthropods insects of myiasis, Phthirus pubis, ticks, Demodex folliculorum and Linguatula serrata (under discussion as to which order it beongs) invade the eye of host leading to clinical symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

[Gastrointestinal complaints associated to helminth and protozoan: management by the general practitioner]. / Troubles digestifs associés aux protozoaires et aux helmintes: prise en charge par le médecin de famille.

Protozoan and helminthes are frequently associated with persistent digestive complaints, not only in returning travelers from the tropics, but also in industrialized countries. The symptoms are often more vague than those associated to bacterial or viral infections and diarrhea is not always a key feature of the clinical presentation. Three stool examinations and a full blood cells count looking for eosinophilia is the comer stone of the investigations looking for digestive parasites. This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic and management of digestive protozoans and helminthes.