• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.615-623
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• 2021

Human sparganosis is a food-borne parasitic disease caused by the plerocercoids of Spirometra species. Clinical diagnosis of sparganosis is crucial for effective treatment, thus it is important to identify sensitive and specific antigens of plerocercoids. The aim of the current study was to identify and characterize the immunogenic proteins of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei plerocercoids that were recognized by patient sera. Crude soluble extract of the plerocercoids were separated using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with immunoblot and mass spectrometry analysis. Based on immunoblotting patterns and mass spectrometry results, 8 antigenic proteins were identified from the plerocercoid. Among the proteins, cysteine protease protein might be developed as an antigen for diagnosis of sparganosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1695-1704
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• 2014

Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy may give rise to female offspring with disrupted ovary functions in adult age. Neonatal ovary development predisposes adult ovary function, yet the effect of maternal nutrition on the neonatal ovary has not been described. Therefore, here we show the impact of maternal protein restriction on the expression of folliculogenic and steroidogenic genes, their regulatory microRNAs and promoter DNA methylation in the ovary of neonatal piglets. Sows were fed either standard-protein (SP, 15% crude protein) or low-protein (LP, 7.5% crude protein) diets throughout gestation. Female piglets born to LP sows showed significantly decreased ovary weight relative to body weight (p<0.05) at birth, which was accompanied with an increased serum estradiol level (p<0.05). The LP piglets demonstrated higher ratio of bcl-2 associated X protein/B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 mRNA (p<0.01), which was associated with up-regulated mRNA expression of bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) (p<0.05) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) (p<0.05). The steroidogenic gene, cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19A1) was significantly down-regulated (p<0.05) in LP piglets. The alterations in ovarian gene expression were associated with a significant down-regulation of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor mRNA expression (p<0.05) in LP piglets. Moreover, three microRNAs, including miR-423-5p targeting both CYP19A1 and PCNA, miR-378 targeting CYP19A1 and miR-210 targeting BMP4, were significantly down-regulated (p<0.05) in the ovary of LP piglets. These results suggest that microRNAs are involved in mediating the effect of maternal protein restriction on ovarian function through regulating the expression of folliculogenic and steroidogenic genes in newborn piglets.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1989

Serodiagnosis of parasitic infections is widely used, since parasites or their eggs are not always detected by ordinary methods. The sensitive tests such as ELISA are highly dependent on the purity of antigens used. To solve this problem. many workers have tried to find species-specific components of antigens, The present study was performed to determine the antigenic profile of crude saline extracts of 3, 5, 8 and 12-week old p. westermani worms, which were collected from experimentally infected cats, based on SDS-PAGE and immunoblot technique. The results were as follows: 1. The SDS-PAGE showed at least 30 Protein bands ranging from 229 kDa to 10 kDa molecular weight. The protein components of p. wsstermani changed chronologically during its developmental period. The 229 kDa band was recognized only in 12-week old worms ($$SEP_{l2}$). 2. Analysis by ELISA showed a significant increase in antibody levels at 3 weeks in infected cats using crude saline extract antigens ($SEP_3,{\;}SEP_5,{\;}SEP_8,{\;}SEP_{l2}$). 3. By EITB using $SEP_3$ and $SEP_5$ infected cats recognisea major protein bands with molecular weight of 60, 35, 28, 25 or 21 kDa at 3~12 weeks of infection, and 3 additional antigens, 19, 13 and 10 kDa, were detected at 8~12 weeks of infections. 4. Using $SEP_8$ 5 antigens, 91, 85, 31, 25 and 21 kDa, were consistently detected by all infected sera tested. In addition, 3 antigens of lg. 13 and 10 kDa were detected at 8~12 weeks of infection. Using $SEP_12$, similar results were obtained with that by using $SEP_8$ and 1 additional antigen of 229 kDa, specifically reacting with the sera from 12 weeks of in(traction, was recognized.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.187-194
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• 1995

The present study aims to observe changing patterns of serum antibody to hleumuvstis calinii in normal rats of different ages and in immunosuppressed rats. The serum IgG antibody was observed by immunoblotting with crude antigen of f carinii which were purified from the lungs of infected rats. The crude antigens separated in SDS-PAGE resolved more than 20 protein bands from 20 to 200 kDa. Of them,40-45, 50-55, 116 and 200 kDa bands were major antigens of R cori.nii. Most of the normal rats of up to 4 weeks had the antibodies reacting the 4 bands, but none of 8-week-old rats revealed the specific antibody. After the rats grew for 40 weeks, all were found to have the antibody in their serum. Same pattern of serum antibody level by age was found in ELISA. When immunosuppressed rats became heavily infected, the antibody in their serum decreased distinctively. The present results suggest that antibodies in normal newborn rats are transferred from their mother and lowered up to 8 weeks. Thereafter, the levels of the antibodies begin to increase by natural exposure to R cnrinii. It was also confirmed that the intensity of P cnrinii infection is inversely related with levels of serum antibodies.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 1995

Soluble protein of purified Pneumocvstis cnrinii was prepared from experimentally infected rats. SDS-PAGE of the crude antigen resolved about 20 protein bands from 20 to 200 kDa. Out of thenl, 116 kDa band strongly reacted and 45-55 and 100 kDa bands reacted weakly to the positive reference human serum from U.S.A. Western blot analysis with sera of 130 normal children and 15 newborns in Korea revealed specific IgG antibody reaction to 40-55 and 116 kDa protein bands. Forty percent (40.0%) of the 145 sera were positive with any of the antigenic protein bands of R corinii. The positive rate was 56% in 50 males and 33.3% in 48 females. The protein bands 40-55 and 116 kDa from rat P. carinii were confirmed to cross-react with human sera in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.751-754
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• 2013

Neurognathostomiasis is a severe form of human gnathostomiasis which can lead to disease and death. Diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis is made presumptively by using clinical manifestations. Immunoblotting, which recognizes antigenic components of molecular mass 21 kDa and 24 kDa in larval extracts of Gnathostoma spinigerum (Gs 21/24), has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis. However, only very small amounts of the Gs 21/24 antigens can be prepared from parasites harvested from natural or experimental animals. To overcome this problem, we recently produced a recombinant matrix metalloproteinase (rMMP) protein from G. spinigerum. In this study, we evaluated this rMMP alongside the Gs 21/24 antigens for serodiagnosis of human neurognathostomiasis. We studied sera from 40 patients from Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, with clinical criteria consistent with those of neurognathostomiasis, and sera from 30 healthy control adults from Thailand. All sera were tested for specific IgG antibodies against both G. spinigerum crude larval extract and rMMP protein using immunoblot analysis. The sensitivity and specificity for both antigenic preparations were all 100%. These results show that G. spinigerum rMMP protein can be used as an alternative diagnostic antigen, in place of larval extract, for serodiagnosis of neurognathostomiasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2867-2871
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• 2012

Background: Multiple studies have reported associations between the PSCA rs2294008 C > T polymorphism and GC, but susceptibility has proven inconsistent. Therefore, we estimates the relationship between the rs2294008 C > T polymorphism and GC by meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched and nine independent case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. Crude ORs with 95% CIs were extracted according to the Mantal-Haenszel method and pooled to assess the strength of the association. Results: We observed that the PSCA rs2294008 C > T polymorphism was significantly correlated with GC risk when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. Further subgroup analysis showed the polymorphism to be linked with diffuse and noncardia GC in the allele contrast model, homozygote codominant model, dominant model, and recessive model. However, no connection was apparent for intestinal and cardia GC. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant associations were observed in Asians for the recessive model. Interestingly, the relationship was particularly significant in the Chinese population. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the PSCA rs2294008 C > T polymorphism is a risk factor for GC, especially in diffuse and noncardia GC and in Chinese.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.155-163
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• 2003

The antigenic characterizations and serological reactions of human liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini, were analyzed by immunoblot. The antigenic profiles of the crude extract of Clonorchis contained major proteins of 8, 26-28, 34-37, 43, and 70 kDa, and those of Opisthorchis 34-37, 43, 70, and 100 kDa. Of these, the 8, 26-28 and 34-37 kDa bands of Clonorchis and the 100 kDa of Opisthorchis were major components of each excretory-secretory antigen. The 8 and 26-28 kDa bands were specific to Clonorchis but the 100 kDa of Opisthorchis cross-reacted with the sera of clonorchiasis, and the 34-37, 70 and 100 kDa bands cross-reacted with sera of other helminthiases. The frequency and intensity of the immunoblot reactions were positively correlated with the intensity of the liver fluke infection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6245-6250
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• 2012

Background: With increase in life expectancy, adoption of newer lifestyles and screening using prostate specific antigen (PSA), the incidence of prostate cancer is on rise. Globally prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and sixth leading cause of cancer death in men. The present communication makes an attempt to analyze the time trends in incidence for different age groups of the Indian population reported in different Indian registries using relative difference and regression approaches. Materials and Methods: The data published in Cancer Incidence in Five Continents for various Indian registries for different periods and/or publications by the individual registries served as the source materials. Trends were estimated by computing the mean annual percentage change (MAPC) in the incidence rates using the relative difference between two time periods (latest and oldest) and also by estimation of annual percentage change (EAPC) by the Poisson regression model. Results: Age adjusted incidence rates (AAR) of prostate cancer for the period 2005-2008 ranged from 0.8 (Manipur state excluding Imphal west) to 10.9 (Delhi) per $10^5$ person-years. Age specific incidence rates (ASIR) increased in all PBCRs especially after 55 years showing a peak incidence at +65 years clearly indicating that prostate cancer is a cancer of the elderly. MAPC in crude incidence rate(CR) ranged from 0.14 (Ahmedabad) to 8.6 (Chennai). Chennai also recorded the highest MAPC of 5.66 in ASIR in the age group of 65+. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in the AAR ranged from 0.8 to 5.8 among the three registries. Increase in trend was seen in the 55-64 year age group cohort in many registries and in the 35-44 age group in Metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. Conclusions: Several Indian registries have revealed an increasing trend in the incidence of prostate cancer and the mean annual percentage change has ranged from 0.14-8.6.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.225-227
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• 2012

The seroepidemiological status of toxoplasmosis was surveyed among the residents of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do by means of ELISA using a crude extract antigen of Toxoplasma gondii. The sera of 1,661 adult residents (866 males and 795 females) were collected and checked for IgG antibody titers, which showed 17.0% positive rate (282 sera). The positive rate was significantly different between the sex; 20.6% for males and 13.1% for females (P<0.05). The positive rates were higher in fifties of males (28.7%) and forties of females (20.0%). This positive rate of toxoplasmosis in Cheorwon-gun residents is regarded as the highest among the surveys of different geographical regions of Korea. This high positive rate may due in part to peculiar geographical locality of the surveyed area near the naturally well preserved demilitarized zone (DMZ) or presumably consumption of the pork imported from high endemic nations. Therefore, it is necessary to study further the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Cheorwon-gun.