[Use of anamnesis and immunological techniques in the diagnosis of anisakidosis in patients with acute abdomen]. / Utilidad de la anamnesis y de las técnicas inmunológicas en el diagnóstico de la anisakidosis en pacientes con abdomen agudo.

INTRODUCTION: Anisakis simplex can be a cause of digestive symptoms. Our aim was to evaluate the epidemiological antecedents and immunological data available for a differentiation between patients with anisakidosis and those with other acute abdominal problems. PATIENTS AND METHODS: this is a prospective cohort study involving 134 patients with acute abdominal problems: 52 patients were diagnosed with anisakidosis by means of surgical and pathological findings and/or specific IgE seroconversion against Anisakis simplex (group A), and in 82 patients anisakidosis had been ruled out (group NA: non-anisakidosis). We evaluated the antecedent of raw fish ingestion, the skin prick test, and IgE immunoblotting as diagnostic tools. RESULTS: patients in groups A and NA differ in terms of prior raw fish ingestion (p < 0.0001) and positive SPT (p < 0.0001), with their respective negative predictive values (NPV) being 98.39% (95%CI: 90.17-99.92) and 95.56% (95%CI: 83.64-99.23). Regarding immunoblotting, in 86.2% of patients in group A a band of 60 kDa was detected, which was also detected in 19.2% of patients in group NA. CONCLUSIONS: a negative answer to the question about raw or undercooked fish ingestion has very high sensitivity and NPV (98.39%), and is thus reasonably reliable to rule out anisakidosis. The absence of cutaneous sensitization to crude A. simplex extract gives a high probability (95.56%) that the illness is absent. The presence of a band of about 60 kDa in immunoblotting would be useful for diagnosis.

Structure of Anisakis simplex s.l. populations in a region sympatric for A. pegreffii and A. simplex s.s. Absence of reproductive isolation between both species.

The aim of this study was to determine the genetic structure of A. simplex s.l. populations. This was done by applying PCR-RFLP and RAPD-PCR to 42 specimens morphologically identified as third stage larvae of A. simplex s.l. Of these larvae, 59.26% of those of Mediterranean origin are identified by PCR-RFLP as A. pegreffii. In Atlantic waters, this percentage dropped to 20.00% while A. simplex s.s. represents 66.67%. However, findings seem to suggest that the taxonomic status of both species should be reconsidered owing to: (i) the high gene flow value that we detected between A. simplex s.s. and A. pegreffii; (ii) the short genetic distance between both members of the A. simplex complex; (iii) the fact that hybrid genotypes represent 16.67% of the parasites analyzed and are represented in all the populations studied, except for the Cantabrian one. When the genetic variation is estimated between the 42 individual A. simplex s.l. specimens studied these can be classified into four groups. The genetic distances and gene flow between three of them are compatible with the existence of three different genetic populations. The fourth is comprised of a single specimen of L3, identified both by PCR-RFLP and by RAPD-PCR as a new genotype.

Cross-reactivity between antigens of Anisakis simplex s.l. and other ascarid nematodes.

A study of the cross-reactivity among somatic and excretory-secretory antigens of the third stage larvae of Anisakis simplex s.l. and somatic antigens of other ascarid nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides, A. suum, Toxocara canis, Anisakis physeteris, Hysterothylacium aduncum and H. fabri) was carried out by immunoblotting. It was revealed a high degree of cross-reactivity among ascarids in the 30 and > 212 kDa range by using sera against somatic and excretory-secretory antigens of A. simplex s.l. It has been revealed also specific components of the Anisakis genus (< 7.2, 9, 19 and 25 kDa) that will be interesting in diagnosis.

Activity of (-)alpha-bisabolol against Leishmania infantum promastigotes.

Many of the drugs used to treat leishmaniasis are associated with numerous adverse effects. Agents of natural origin have shown activity against different parasites. With this background, an in vitro study was conducted on the activity of (-)alpha-bisabolol, the principal component of Chamomilla recutita essential oil, against Leishmania infantum promastigotes, the main species responsible for human leishmaniasis in Spain. At the two highest concentrations tested (1000 and 500mug/ml), (-)alpha-bisabolol and pentamidine (control agent) achieved 100% inhibition of L. infantum promastigote. These in vitro data can be considered promising in support of the therapeutic use of (-)alpha-bisabolol preparations to treat leishmaniasis caused by L. infantum species.