Iranian Journal of Parasitology最新文献

Background: Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, which causes health and emotional damages to the sufferers annually. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. vaginalis and its related risk factors among the high-risk women in the city of Karaj, central Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2021 and September 2022. In all 192 samples were taken from high-risk women referred to the center for vulnerable women and also from women in Fardis Prison of Karaj. All samples were examined by culture and microscopic method.

Results: The overall prevalence of T. vaginalis in high-risk women was estimated at 7.8% (15/192). Subgroup prevalence was also assessed according to the severity of symptoms, and no significant association was observed between the prevalence and the symptoms' severity.

Conclusion: Due to the high prevalence of the parasite among vulnerable/high-risk women, particularly in people with poor socioeconomic conditions, preventive health measures in this high-risk group seem necessary. Nevertheless, given that men have no symptoms but may be carriers of the parasite, the same study is also recommended for men.

A 2-year-old female Assam Hill goat was presented with a clinical history of anorexia, fever, mild anemia, rough body coat, dehydration, tachycardia, dyspnea and swelling of palpable lymph nodes. Hematology revealed low hemoglobin, packed cell volume, red blood cell and thrombocyte count. Biochemical analysis showed increased serum concentration of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine and urea in comparison to the normal reference range. Microscopic examination showed intra-erythrocytic forms of Theileria species. Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of partial 18S rRNA gene sequence confirmed Theileria luwenshuni infection. The goat was treated with buparvaquone and oxytetracycline and recovered uneventfully. A three-month follow-up showed no recurrence. This study reveals the presence of T. luwenshuni in Assam, India and it should be considered in differential diagnosis and as one of the important pathogens of clinically sick goats. The present case report provides a rational approach to diagnosis and treatment for a goat infected with pathogenic T. luwenshuni in Assam, India. To our knowledge, the present communication describes about the first successful therapeutic management of pathogenic T. luwenshuni infection in a goat supported with molecular evidence from Assam, a north-eastern state of India.

Background: We aimed to identity Helicobacter pylori endosymbiont in Acanthamoeba-positive samples in natural and laboratory conditions.

Methods: Overall, 134 samples were collected from hospital environments. Microscopic and PCR test were used for detection of Acanthamoeba and H. pylori. The real-time PCR method was used to check the active presence of H. pylori within Acanthamoeba under natural conditions from hospital samples and in co-culture laboratory conditions.

Results: The rate of contamination of hospital samples with Acanthamoeba was 44.7%. Out of 42 Acanthamoeba PCR-positive samples, 13 isolates (31%) were positive in terms of H. pylori endosymbiont according to sampling location. H. pylori is able to penetrate and enter the Acanthamoeba parasite.

Conclusion: H. pylori is able to contaminate Acanthamoeba in natural and laboratory conditions. The presence of pathogenic Acanthamoeba in various hospital environments and the hiding of Helicobacter as an endosymbiont inside it can pose a serious threat to the health of hospitalized patients.

Echinococcus granulosus remains a global public health issue. Although predominantly affecting the liver, the lungs are the second most affected organ and often undergo surgical intervention. Here, a case managed by bronchoscopy and medical therapy is presented. A 26-year-old woman was presented with a cough, hemoptysis, and a 5 kg weight loss in the last two months. Chest imaging identified a 4 cm centrally cystic mass lesion in the middle lobe of the right lung, which was suspicious of lung cancer. Bronchoscopy revealed a whitish, plastic-like object that was difficult to extricate and obstructed the middle lobe bronchus. We removed the material and purulent secretions covering it and opened the middle lobe bronchus totally. The histopathological study verified its consistency with hydatid cyst. There was no evidence of a hydatid cyst on computerized thomography after bronchoscopy. The lesion in the left lobe of the liver, confirmed to be suggestive of a hydatid cyst via ultrasonography, was treated using the PAIR technique. We administered oral albendazole to continue the treatment. It may be a reasonable approach to postpone surgery in order to preserve lung tissue in patients who have undergone complete removal of hydatid cyst material via bronchoscope.

Background: We aimed to shed light on the risks of elevated levels of IL-18 in aborted women with toxoplasmosis by evaluating the risk or protective function of alleles or genotypes for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL-18 (rs 1946519), which might be related to the susceptibility to toxoplasmosis.

Methods: IL-18 levels in patient and control blood samples were determined using ELISA, and the SNP IL-18 (ra 1946519) was subjected to the high-resolution method.

Results: Compared to healthy pregnant women (HP), the IL-18 serum levels of recurrent abortion with toxoplasmosis (RAWT), recurrent abortion without toxoplasmosis (RAWOT), and healthy non-pregnant (HNP) women decreased with significant differences. Additionally, a strong association between patients and controls was found in the SNP IL-18 data. RAWT and RAWOT with the genotypes AA and AC had significantly lower IL-18 serum levels than women HP, according to the distribution of IL-18 serum levels by SNP.

Conclusion: The serum level of IL-18 varied by genotype in patients with substantial differences compared to controls, while the SNP of IL-18 has been linked as a risk factor in toxoplasmosis-infected recurrent abortion women.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of Trichinella spiralis and T. pseudospiralis in decaying wild boar tissue and assess their freezing tolerance in experimentally infected animals.

Methods: The present study was conducted in Buenos Aires City, Argentina during the 2018-2019 period. Two wild boars were used, one infected with 20,000 muscle larvae (ML) of T. spiralis and the other with T. pseudospiralis. Both animals were euthanized 19 weeks post-infection. Limbs from each boar were placed over soil in plastic containers to assess ML survival in decaying tissue, under natural temperature and humidity, shielded from rain. Weekly samples were taken for artificial digestion, and the ML were inoculated into mice to determine their reproductive capacity index (RCI). Additionally, to evaluate the freezing tolerance of the ML, muscle samples were stored at -18°C. Six samples were taken and digested after 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, and 14 days, with subsequent inoculation into mice to assess RCI.

Results: T. spiralis remained infective in decaying wild boar tissue for 11 weeks, while T. pseudospiralis remained infective for only 4 weeks. The freezing tolerance assay showed that T. spiralis ML remain infective for 9 days. However, T. pseudospiralis ML remain infective for only 2 days at -18°C.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the survival strategies of T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis in different environmental conditions, which may have implications for understanding their transmission dynamics in wild animals.

Malaria has become widespread, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, owing to disruptions experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both cerebral malaria and acute kidney injury are important indicators of severe malaria. Depending on the degree of acute renal failure, hemodialysis/hemofiltration treatment is required. Our patient was a 22-year-old male from the Republic of Chad. The patient with confusion came to our country 15 days prior and was admitted to the internal medicine intensive care unit. Initially, Thrombocytopenic Thrombocytic Purpura (TTP) was considered because of clinical and laboratory similarities. As the patient had a history of coming from an endemic area, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and splenomegaly, malaria was considered. The patient was diagnosed with falciparum malaria due to the presence of multiple ring-shaped trophozoites and banana gametocytes. The patient with cerebral malaria, hyperparasitemia (parasite load 15%), hyperbilirubinemia and acute kidney injury was considered to have severe malaria. Intravenous artesunate was planned, but since it could not be obtained immediately, oral artemether+lumefantrine was started, and the patient became conscious at the 24th hour of treatment. During the follow-up, the patient's creatinine levels increased to 6.9, and the patient was subjected to hemodialysis several times. After effective hemodialysis and antimalarial treatment, the patient was discharged without sequelae on the 20th day of hospitalization. This case report is thought to be important in that it emphasizes that the diagnosis of malaria may be delayed due to its confusion with microangiopathic hemolytic anemias, and that it emphasizes the importance of correct management of complications.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite capable of crossing the placenta in pregnancy and infecting the developing fetus, leading to various congenital anomalies and even abortion. Acute Toxoplasma infection is responsible for almost all cases of congenital toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent pregnant women. Prenatal screening for acute toxoplasmosis primarily involves maternal serology and fetal ultrasound imaging. When serological or ultrasound findings suggest acute infection, further diagnostic tests are necessary to confirm fetal infection. Currently, molecular methods to detect the parasite's DNA, including polymerase chain reaction-based methods, on amniotic fluid are the gold standard tests for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. In this review, we aim to discuss various aspects of screening and diagnostic methods for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy, including (i) current serological assays, screening approaches, and future perspectives; (ii) the role of imaging techniques, with an emphasis on ultrasound; (iii) principles and recent advances in diagnostic molecular methods; (iv) emerging techniques, such as point-of-care-based tests and biosensors, and microRNAs as novel biomarkers of acute infection; and (v) an overview of screening programs in different countries, important epidemiological determinants, and recommendations for Toxoplasma screening health policies.

Background: There are ten genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus with different intermediate and final hosts affecting the parasite's life cycle and its transmission to humans. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the genotype of isolated hydatid cysts using the simple and fast high-resolution melting point analysis (HRM) method.

Methods: The paraffin tissue samples of patients who underwent surgery were obtained from the pathology sample bank of Vasei and Emdad Hospitals in Sabzevar, Iran during 2010-2020. The DNA content of the samples was extracted after collecting and determining the characteristics using the DNA extraction kit. PCR was performed on the samples and the presence of the hydatid cyst genome was confirmed using the special Master Kit. Mix PCR of Solis Biodyne Company and Real-Time device (Bio-Rad) were used, and the genetic identity of hydatid cysts were determined.

Results: Out of 33 paraffin samples, 21 samples contained hydatid cyst DNA, two of which were from the brain and 19 from the liver tissues; 12 samples did not contain hydatid cyst DNAs. All liver samples were from sheep species (G1), and the brain samples were from buffalo species (G3). Therefore, 9.53% of the Echinococcus species collected were buffalo (G3), and 90.47% were sheep (G1) strain.

Conclusion: Based on previous patterns, HRM methods can be used for easy and quick identification of Echinococcus strains. The G1 strain was the dominant strain causing hydatid cyst in different human organs, including the liver and brain.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasites worldwide. It is of great importance to identify new potential drugs that are effective and less harmful in pregnant women and newborns. We investigated nanoemulsion miltefosine (NEM) in treating experimental acute and chronic toxoplasmosis.

Methods: A combination of triacetin, Tween 80, and ethanol (1:2) was used for the development of NEM formulations. The size of NEM was calculated to be 17.463 nm by DLS and TEM. To investigate the performance of miltefosine (MLF), NEM, sulfadiazine (SDZ), and pyrimethamine (PYR) (positive control) in vivo, acute toxoplasmosis was induced in mice by an intraperitoneal injection of RH strain tachyzoites. After five days, the mice were examined for the number and condition of tachyzoites and histopathological changes in the liver and spleen. Chronic toxoplasmosis was investigated in rats and the number and size of brain cysts along with histopathological changes were assessed in different groups.

Results: The results of the in vivo assessment of drugs in acute toxoplasmosis showed the following order regarding a decrease in the number of tachyzoites and an increase in survival rate: SDZ&PYR > NEM > MLF. The effects of drugs on chronic toxoplasmosis showed a significant effect of NEM (50%) on reducing the number of cysts compared to SDZ&PYR (10%) and MLF (12%) and reducing the size of NEM brain cysts (21%) compared to SDZ&PYR (5 %) and MLF (8%).

Conclusion: Increasing the penetration of NEM through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and subsequently reducing the number and size of T. gondii tissue cysts is a promising new drug in treating chronic toxoplasmosis.