• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.251-262
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• 2023

Schistosomiasis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aimed to assess the effect of schistosomula lung antigen preparation (SLAP) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) on a murine schistosomiasis mansoni model. Ninety laboratory-bred male Swiss albino mice were divided into 6 groups. Two doses of the vaccine were given at 2-week intervals. All mice were subcutaneously infected with 80±10 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae 2 weeks after the last vaccination dose. They were sacrificed 7 weeks post-infection. Parasitological and histopathological studies were conducted to assess the effect of inoculated antigens (single or combined). The results showed that the combination of SLAP and SEA (combination group) led to a significant reduction in worm burden (65.56%), and liver and intestine egg count (59% and 60.59%, respectively). The oogram pattern revealed a reduction in immature and mature eggs (15±0.4 and 10±0.8, respectively) and an increased number of dead eggs in the combination group (P<0.001). In terms of histopathological changes, the combination group showed notably small compact fibrocellular egg granuloma and moderate fibrosis in the liver. A high percentage of destroyed ova was observed in the intestine of the combination group. This study demonstrates for the first time the prophylactic effect of combined SLAP and SEA vaccine. The vaccine induced a significant reduction in the parasitological and pathological impacts of schistosomiasis mansoni in hepatic and intestinal tissues, making it a promising vaccine candidate for controlling schistosomiasis.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2008

To examine the effect of the electrolyzed alkaline reduced water (ERW) on animal immunity, by employing Echinostoma hortense that is a parasite in the small intestine, the immune response of C57BL/6 was examined. To C57BL/6 mice, Echinostoma hortense metacercaria 15 per animal was in oculate dorsally, the worm was collected after 2 weeks, and the change of goblet cells and mast cells in the mucosa of small intestine was examined, and by using a protein chip, the change of cytokines in the serum was compared and observed. As a result, average 8.3 worms were collected from the C57BL/6 mice infected with E. hortense, and in the group fed with the ERW, average 10 worms were collected. In regard to the examination of the change of goblet cells, in the experimental group infected with E. hortense and fed with the ERW, average 4.3 worms per villus were detected, hence, it was found that the expression of goblet cells was low (p<0.001). Regarding the examination of the change of mast cells, similarly, in the group infected with E. hortense and fed with the ERW, average 11 worms per villus were detected, and it appears to be less than control group (p<0.001). Regarding the expression of cytokines in mouse serum, in comparison of the experiment group infected with E. hortense and control group, in the expression of the Th1 cytokines IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, IFN-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IL-2, and the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13, a significant difference was not detected. In our study, it was found that in the infection of E. hortense, the ERW mediates its effect on the number of goblet cells and mast cells in the intestinal mucosa, and simultaneously, the worm expulsion was delayed, and thus the conclusion that the ERW mediated its effect on the intestinal immunity of mice was obtained.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.211-221
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• 1999

The ultrastructural changes of cuticular surface, excretory and digestive organs of Anisakis simplex larvae chronologically recovered from experimental cats were observed with a SEM and TEM. The larva recovered from an experimental cat at 3 days post-infection (PI) retained the cuticular surface with regular transverse striations and a longitudinal groove on the lateral side of body. This finding suggests that the molting of the 3rd stage larva of A. simplex to 4th one occurred from the 3rd day after infection in cats. The excretory organ (renette cell) consisted of a large cell with numerous ductules ramified from the main duct, mitochondria and secretory granules in cytoplasm. Secretory granules in the renette cell of larvae recovered at 24 hours PI were round whereas those of control and larvae recovered at 6 hours PI were amorphous. Muscular esophagus and ventriculus also retained many secretory granules in the cytoplasm. The secretory granules in these organs of larvae recovered at $6\sim24$ hours PI were electron-dense and widely distributed whereas those of control worm were packed in a pocket and retained various electron densities. In the cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells, numerous fine glycogen particles and mitochondria were distributed. The chronological changes of secretory granules in renette cell, muscular esophagus and ventriculus seem to be related with the worm penetration into host tissue.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.685-689
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• 2016

Opisthorchiasis is still a major health problem in rural communities of Thailand. Infection is associated with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), which is found frequently in Thailand, particularly in the northeastern. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health intervention in the population at risk for opisthorchiasis and CCA. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in Meuang Yang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand, between June and October 2015. Participants were completed health intervention comprising 4 stations; 1, VDO clip of moving adult worm of liver fluke; 2, poster of life cycle of liver fluke; 3, microscopy with adult and egg liver fluke; and 4, brochure with the knowledge of liver fluke containing infection, signs, symptoms, related disease, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control. Pre-and-post-test questionnaires were utilized to collect data from all participants. Students paired t-tests were used to analyze differences between before and after participation in the health intervention. Knowledge (mean difference=-7.48, t=-51.241, 95% CI, -7.77, -7.19, p-value =0.001), attitude (mean difference=-9.07, t=-9.818, 95% CI=-10.9, -7.24, p-value=0.001), and practice (mean difference=-2.04, t=-2.688, 95% CI=-3.55, -0.53, p-value=0.008), changed between before and after time points with statistical significance. Community rules were concluded regarding: (1) cooked cyprinoid fish consumption; (2) stop under cooked cyprinoid fish by household cooker; (3) cooked food consumption; (4) hygienic defecation; (5) corrected knowledge campaign close to each household; (6) organizing a village food safety club; (7) and annual health check including stool examination featuring monitoring by village health volunteers and local public health officers. The results indicates that the present health intervention program was effective and easy to understand, with low cost and taking only a short time. Therefore, this program may useful for further work at community and provincial levels for liver fluke prevention and control.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 1989

The present study is intended to observe the chronologic changes of experimental sparganosis by histopathological observation and detection of circulating anti-sparganum IgG antibody using ELISA. Each of 25 mice was infected with aye spargana, and they were examined after 1, 2, 4, 10 weeks or 6 months from infection. The followings are summarized results. - 1. The plerocercoids were detected in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk, neck or axilla, but a few often extended into the skeletal muscle. The recovery rates were 72% at the first week, 80% at the second week, 95% at the fourth week, 92% at the tenth week and 100% at .the sixth month. The larvae grew slowly in both length and weight until 6 months. 2. Histopathologically, most of the larvae were observed alive in the soft tissue or skeletal muscle. Numerous eosinophils, neutrophils, Iymphocytes and plasma cells were infiltrated focally around the worms by the second week, but they surrounded the worms to form a layer of inflammatory reaction after 4 weeks of infection. Also histiocytes and fibroblasts began to appear around the inflammatory cells at 4 weeks. After 10 weeks, the worms encircled by a thin fibrous layer were found. After 6 months, the worms were surrounded by either fibrous tissue or active inflammatory cells. The inflammation looked more severe in the tracks left by the worms, rather than around the worms. 3, The level of anti-sparganum IgG antibody in the serum showed an increase by the fourth week, and a rapid and continuous increase was observed thereafter by the tenth week after infection. The high level of the IgG antibody was maintained up to 6 months forming a plateau curve. The present results suggest that the tissue reaction and antibody production in subcutaneous sparganosis become distinctive by the fourth week after infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.65-74
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• 1994

Surface ultrastructure of Pawctrema timonnauini developmental stages was studied using a scanning electron microscope. The metacercariae were collected from the marine clam, Topes phiLippinam and juvenile and adult worms were recovered at 1, 2, 3 and 7 days after experimental infection of mice. The metacercariae had a large oral sucker and characteristic lateral projections. Around the lip of the oral sucker many type I and type II sensory papillae were observed, and type III papillae were located symmetrically on the medial side of the lateral projection. Numerous type I papillae were grouped around the genital pore. The tegumental spines were distributed over the worm surface except the lip of the suckers and genital pore. The 1-day old worm had a well-developed ventral sucker, with 6 type II sensory papillae on its outer surface and another 6 type I papillae on the inner side. Two small type I papillae were seen on the anterior side of the ventral sucker. The genital pore was small and opened separately from the ventral sucker and 15 type I papillae were grouped around it. The 2-, 3-. and 7-day worms revealed that as they grew to be adults, the spine tips became multipointed, the genital pore formed a genital atrium, and the cytoplasmic process became well differentiated. In 2- and 3-day worms 10 type II papillae encircling the lip of the oral sucker, and additional 4 papillae at the dorsal side of 4 dorsal type II papillae were a characteristic feature. The distribution pattern of sensory papillae around the oral sucker and genital pore, and 2 type I papillae on the anterior side of the ventral sucker, was so peculiar in R timonnnuini, that they seem to be useful keys for taxonomic differentiation from other gymnophallids.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 1995

To evaluate the feasibility of irradiation as a control measure for metagonimiasis, the metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogcwni were irradiated with gamma ray, either after isolation from the sweetfish (Plecoglossus cltivelis) or in situ of the fish, and their survival and development in rats were observed at 7 days post-infection. The radiation dose varied from 5 to 100 Gy for the metacercaria-irradiation group and from 5 to 500 Gy for fish-irradiation group. The results showed that the worm recovery rate from the irradiation groups decreased as the radiation dose was increased. Higher doses of radiation were required for the fish-irradiation group to obtain the same results as the metacercaria-irradiation group. The LD50 of the metacercaria-irradiation group was 4.5 Gy, whereas that of the fish-irradiation group 6.2 Gy A few number of worms which survived until 7 days in rats were severely retarded especially in the growth of their reproductive organs, j.e., complete or partial failure in the development of testes and formation of uterine eggs . The present study revealed that irradiation of sweetfish by 200 Gy is effective to control infectivity as well as development of M. vokogawai metacercariae in rats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.142-149
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• 1983

Epidemiological studies on the reinfetion pattern of Ascaris lumbricoides were undertaken by means of blanket mass chemotherapy and worm collection in a rural village in Korea, during 1977~1980. The study objectives were to determine the age (sex)-specific reinfection rate during 2, 4, 6 and 12 months through repeated mass chemotherapy with pyrantel pamoate, and to observe the familial aggregation tendency of the reinfected cases. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The age (sex)-reinfection curve revealed that the reinfection rate is much higher in younger individuals than in olders in all of 4 kinds of interval chemotherapy groups. The highest reinfection rate and the highest burden of reinfected worms were observed in preschool children, followed by primary school students. Such fluctuation in the age-specific reinfection rates was more pronounced in males than in females. 2. There was noted a significant tendency of familial aggregation among the reinfected cases. It is suggested that reinfection occurs never randomly but preferably to the members of certain household families. From these reinfection analyses, it is inferred that the principal mode of A. lumbricoides transmiSSIOn in the surveyed rural area is likely to be of 'dooryard type', in which case children and certain family members are more preferably reinfected. It is also suggested that the preschool children should be included in the primary targets of mass control programme.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.281-289
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• 2016

Clonorchis sinensis is a Group-I bio-carcinogen, associated with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The hamster is the only experimental model of C. sinensis-mediated CCA, but we oblige another animal model. The present study intended to develop a C. sinensis (Cs) mediated CCA model using C3H/He mice, co-stimulated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and dicyclanil (DC). The mice were divided into 8 groups with different combinations of Cs, NDMA, and DC. Six months later the mice were sacrificed and subjected to gross and histopathological examination. The body weights were significantly reduced among the groups treated with 2 or more agents (eg. Cs+NDMA, Cs+DC, NDMA+DC, and Cs+NDMA+DC). In contrast, liver weight percentages to body weight were increased in above groups by 4.1% to 4.7%. A Change of the spleen weight was observed only in Cs+NDMA group. Though C. sinensis infection is evident from hyperplastic changes, only 1 worm was recovered. Two mice, 1 from Cs and the other from Cs+DC group, showed mass forming lesions; 1 ($281.2mm^3$) from the Cs group was a hepatocellular adenoma and the other ($280.6mm^3$) from the Cs+DC group was a cystic mass (peliosis). Higher prevalence of gray-white nodules was observed in Cs group (42.9%) followed by Cs+NDMA+DC group (21.4%). The mice of the Cs+NDMA+DC group showed hyper-proliferation of the bile duct with fibrotic changes. No characteristic change for CCA was recognized in any of the groups. In conclusion, C3H/He mice produce no CCA but extensive fibrosis when they are challenged by Cs, NDMA, and DC together.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1985

Five cases infected with Rhabditis sp. were detected in a survey to examine the stool specimens from rural primary school children. A large number of the larvae of Rhabditis sp. detected by the direct cellophane thick smear were cultured by the alter paper method. The eBamination was carried out in April through June, 1980 in Tangjeong-Myon, Ahsan.Gun, and in September 1983 in Sandong-Eup, Yeongwol-Gun. The results obtained in this study were as follows: 1. Prevalence: Out of 925 children, 5(0.54%) children were found to be positive. The number of the detected larvae was 110/0.1gm of feces in case 1, 35 in case 2, 130 in case 3, 86 in case 4 and 62 in case 5. 2. Larvae: The larvae were prepared by means of the direct fecal smear and measured by a micrometer equipped in the microscope. Twelve (12) through 15-day old larvae in culture were $197.1{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$ long in average, and the maximum size of the matured stage larvae was $884.0{\times}25.9{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$. However, the length variation was ranged as 173.0 to $884.0{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$. 3. Adults: The size of clubbed adult female was $1, 357{\mu}{\textrm{m}}(1, 176~1, 419)$ in length and $80{\mu}{\textrm{m}}(79~82)$ in width. Length of buccal cavity was $33{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$. A long cylindrical esophagus($273{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$) of the worms with a valved posterior cardiac bulb and with median bulbar swelling was morphologically indicated. Ditance from mouth to vulva was occupied 58% of body length. Male worm was $1, 006{\mu}{\textrm{m}}(890~1, 148)$ in length and $49{\mu}{\textrm{m}}(48~49)$ wide. Caudal alee of bursa and spicules ($75{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$ in length) were well developed. 4. Eggs: The oval shaped eggs in the female uterus, when cultured, were $66{\times}56{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$ in sixte, and the eggs laid by the adult could not be detected. So, reproduction might be thought to be ovoviviparity. 5. The five cases were re-examined during the period from the 1st to the 3rd week after stool examinations, but Rhabditis sp. were detected again in 4 cases in 1st week. When they were examined in 3rd week, larvae could not be detected. So, it was thought that the infection of Rhabditis sp. to humans was facultative.