Laboratory utility of coproscopy, copro immunoassays and copro nPCR assay targeting Hsp90 gene for detection of Cryptosporidium in children, Cairo, Egypt.

Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of diarrhea worldwide especially in children. Infection may end fatally in immunocompromised patients. Multi-attribute analysis was used to determine the lab utility of 4 diagnostics; coproscopy of AF stained fecal smear, fecal immunoassays by ICT and ELISA and copro-nPCR assay targeting Hsp90 gene, for detection of Cryptosporidium in stool of 250 Egyptian children (150 diarrheic and 100 non-diarrhaeic children). Also, to determine Cryptosporidium molecular prevalence. Cryptosporidium was an important enteric pathogen among both diarrheic and non-diarrheic study children with a clearly high prevalence of 16.4 % (n = 41). Conventional methods had perfect specificity (100 %) but couldn`t be used as a consistent single detection method due to their lowered sensitivities. Multi-attribute analysis ranked nPCR the highest test for lab use. Being the test with the best diagnostic yield, nPCR is a reliable diagnostic test and is going to replace conventional methods for reliable detection of Cryptosporidium.

MOSQUITO IDENTIFICATION AND MOLECULAR XENOMONITORING OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS IN SELECTED ENDEMIC AREAS IN GIZA AND QUALIOUBIYA GOVERNORATES, EGYPT.

Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne health problem that has been focally endemic in Egypt for centuries. The chief vectors of transmission are Culicinae species. Control measures in the form of mass drug administration of DEC citrate treatment have been implemented in Nile delta for almost a decade. This study aimed to identify the prevalent mosquito species in endemic areas in Giza and Qualioubiya governorates and to monitor Wuchereria bancrofti infection by detecting the parasite DNA in collected mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes were collected using light traps hung indoors. Microscopic examination was performed to identify and examine the morphologic characters of mosquitoes. Female Culex mosquitoes were subjected to semi-nested PCR to detect filarial DNA targeting repetitive DNA sequences (pWbl2 repetitive region) specific for W. bancrofti. The results revealed 3 species of mosquitoes Culex pipiens, Culex pusillus and Culex quinquefasciatus with the predominance of Culex pipiens (85.7%). Wuchereria bancrofti DNA was not detected in any of the collected mosquito pools. With progress of elimination programme in Nile Delta, follow up studies with larger sample size are recommended as the predominance of Culex pipiens the main lymphatic filariasis vector remains a risk of transmission in such areas.

Antibody isotypes in urethral swabs of symptomatic and asymptomatic men infected with Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomoniasis may be asymptomatic or symptomatic in both sexes. The outcome of infection depends on the virulence factors of T. vaginalis, but these factors remain unclear. Genetic variability of the isolates and the host's immune response are likely to be key factors in that respect. Symptomatic and asymptomatic males infected with T. vaginalis were compared regarding the differences in antibody subclasses response in the urethral samples. In symptomatic cases there was a significant elevation in IgM, IgG1 & IgG2b levels in urethral samples, and a little, non-significant rise in IgG2a levels. However, there were no statistically significant differences between levels of IgA, IgG3 & IgG4. The results showed that specific IgG1 & IgM and to a lesser extent IgG2 may be involved in established symptomatic trichomoniasis in men, compared to asymptomatic ones.