ABSTRACT
Angiostrongylus costaricensis is the causative agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a zoonotic infection that may produce severe eosinophilic enterocolitis or hepatitis in humans. Parasites are usually not released in stools and serology has an important role in diagnosis. Since cross-reactivity is demonstrated between A. costaricensis and another metastrongylid worm, A. cantonensis, we tested heterologous recombinant galectin as a probe in an immunochromatographic rapid diagnostic test (ICT-RDT) for detection of anti-A. costaricensis antibodies. Almost all (11/12) positive control sera from A. costaricensis infected patients were positive at ICT RDT. These are preliminary indications that r-galectin ICT-RDT is useful for diagnosing A. costaricensis infection.
Subject(s)
Angiostrongylus cantonensis , Angiostrongylus , Strongylida Infections/diagnosis , Animals , Humans , Immunoassay , Immunologic TestsABSTRACT
Angiostrongylus costaricensis is the causative agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a zoonotic infection that may produce severe eosinophilic enterocolitis or hepatitis in humans. Parasites are usually not released in stools and serology has an important role in diagnosis. Since cross-reactivity is demonstrated between A. costaricensis and another metastrongylid worm, A. cantonensis, we tested heterologous recombinant galectin as a probe in an immunochromatographic rapid diagnostic test (ICT-RDT) for detection of anti-A. costaricensis antibodies. Almost all (11/12) positive control sera from A. costaricensis infected patients were positive at ICT RDT. These are preliminary indications that r-galectin ICT-RDT is useful for diagnosing A. costaricensis infection.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Strongylida Infections/diagnosis , Angiostrongylus cantonensis , Angiostrongylus , Immunologic Tests , ImmunoassayABSTRACT
Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica are ruminant liver flukes that are found worldwide. They can occur sympatrically and hybridize, consequently producing an intermediate form (Fasciola sp.), especially in Africa and Asia. The bridge intron (TkBridgeInt) and intron 4 of domain 2 (TkD2Int4) of the taurocyamine kinase gene were cloned and sequenced from 14 F. hepatica, 18 F. gigantica, and 12 Fasciola sp. These intron regions could be used to differentiate F. hepatica from F. gigantica and revealed genetic hybridization and DNA recombination between F. hepatica and F. gigantica in Fasciola sp. from Japan and Bangladesh. Two specimens of F. hepatica from Ecuador revealed cryptic diversity. A combination of three haplotypes observed in a Fasciola sp. specimen from Japan suggested triploidy. Thus, the intron region of the taurocyamine kinase gene is a potential marker for detecting the hybrid status of the Fasciola flukes.
Subject(s)
DNA, Helminth/genetics , Fasciola/genetics , Hybridization, Genetic , Recombination, Genetic , Animals , Bangladesh , Buffaloes/parasitology , Cattle/parasitology , Cloning, Molecular , DNA, Helminth/chemistry , Ecuador , Fasciola/classification , Fasciola/isolation & purification , Genetic Variation , Haplotypes , Introns , Japan , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Gnathostoma spinigerum are the two most common causative parasites of eosinophilic meningitis (EOM). Serological tests are helpful tools for confirming the identity of the pathogen. Recent reports determined the specificity of such tests by using normal healthy controls. There have been limited studies done to rule out the cross-reactivity between these two causative parasites of EOM. This study aims to assess the specificity of the serological test in EOM by using each condition as a control for the other. Thirty-three patients with a diagnosis of EOM were enrolled. Sera from 22 patients with a positive 29-kDa antigenic diagnostic band of A. cantonensis were tested for the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands of G. spinigerum. Similarly, sera of 11 gnathostomiasis patients were tested for the 29-kDa diagnostic band for A. cantonensis. Only one patient in the angiostrongyliasis group had a positive result for the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands of G. spinigerum, while no gnathostomiasis patients showed a positive result for the 29-kDa antigenic band of A. cantonensis. The specificity of the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands for gnathostomiasis and the 29-kDa antigenic band for A. cantonensis was 95.5% and 100%, respectively. The antigenic bands for the diagnosis of gnathostomiasis and angiostrongyliasis in EOM were highly specific.
Subject(s)
Eosinophilia/diagnosis , Meningitis/diagnosis , Strongylida Infections/diagnosis , Adult , Animals , Antibodies, Helminth/blood , Antigens, Helminth , Eosinophilia/parasitology , Female , Humans , Immunoblotting , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Male , Meningitis/parasitology , Middle Aged , Sensitivity and Specificity , Strongylida Infections/parasitologyABSTRACT
Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Gnathostoma spinigerum are the two most common causative parasites of eosinophilic meningitis (EOM). Serological tests are helpful tools for confirming the identity of the pathogen. Recent reports determined the specificity of such tests by using normal healthy controls. There have been limited studies done to rule out the cross-reactivity between these two causative parasites of EOM. This study aims to assess the specificity of the serological test in EOM by using each condition as a control for the other. Thirty-three patients with a diagnosis of EOM were enrolled. Sera from 22 patients with a positive 29-kDa antigenic diagnostic band of A. cantonensis were tested for the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands of G. spinigerum. Similarly, sera of 11 gnathostomiasis patients were tested for the 29-kDa diagnostic band for A. cantonensis. Only one patient in the angiostrongyliasis group had a positive result for the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands of G. spinigerum, while no gnathostomiasis patients showed a positive result for the 29-kDa antigenic band of A. cantonensis. The specificity of the 21 and 24-kDa antigenic bands for gnathostomiasis and the 29-kDa antigenic band for A. cantonensis was 95.5 percent and 100 percent, respectively. The antigenic bands for the diagnosis of gnathostomiasis and angiostrongyliasis in EOM were highly specific.
Subject(s)
Adult , Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Eosinophilia , Meningitis , Strongylida Infections , Antibodies, Helminth/blood , Antigens, Helminth , Eosinophilia , Immunoblotting , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Meningitis , Sensitivity and Specificity , Strongylida InfectionsABSTRACT
The diagnosis of meningitic angiostrongyliasis (MA) is based on clinical criteria. A lumbar puncture is used as a diagnostic tool, but it is an invasive procedure. The blood eosinophil levels are also assessed and used in the diagnosis of this disease. We enrolled 47 patients with serologically proven MA and 131 controls with intestinal parasite infections. An absolute eosinophil count model was found to be the best marker for MA. An eosinophil count of more than 798 cells led to sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of 76.6%, 80.2%, 58.1% and 90.5%, respectively. These data support the use of testing for high blood eosinophil levels as a diagnostic tool for MA in individuals that are at risk for this disease.
Subject(s)
Eosinophilia/diagnosis , Meningitis/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Eosinophilia/etiology , Female , Humans , Male , Meningitis/complications , Meningitis/parasitology , Predictive Value of Tests , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Strongylida Infections/complications , Strongylida Infections/diagnosis , Young AdultABSTRACT
The diagnosis of meningitic angiostrongyliasis (MA) is based on clinical criteria. A lumbar puncture is used as a diagnostic tool, but it is an invasive procedure. The blood eosinophil levels are also assessed and used in the diagnosis of this disease. We enrolled 47 patients with serologically proven MA and 131 controls with intestinal parasite infections. An absolute eosinophil count model was found to be the best marker for MA. An eosinophil count of more than 798 cells led to sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of 76.6 percent, 80.2 percent, 58.1 percent and 90.5 percent, respectively. These data support the use of testing for high blood eosinophil levels as a diagnostic tool for MA in individuals that are at risk for this disease.