• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 1997

The present study was undertaken to determine whether live T. uaginnlis degrades human secretory IgA, serum If and IgG molecules. Human immunoglobulins were exposed to live trophozoites, parasite Iysate, and excretory-secretory product (ESP) of T ucginnlis. To determine the fragmentation of immunoglobulins, the reaction sample was subjected to SDS-PAGE and EITB, and peroxidase conjugated antihuman IgA and IgG were used as probes. Live trophozoites degraded secretory IgA, serum IgA and IgG, and degradation were pressed forward by the prolongation of the incubation time and by increasing the number of trichomonads respectively. Also the Iysates and ESP of trichomonads degraded IgA and IgG. The cysteine and serine proteinase inhibitors such as I-64, antipain, iodoacetic acid, iodoacetamide, TLCK reduced the ability of cleaving immunoglobulins. The proteinase activity and cytotoxicity of T. uaginnlis to HeLa cells were decreased when live T. vusinalis was treated with metallo-proteinase inhibitor as well as cysteine and serine proteinase inhibitors. These results suggest that proteinase secreted from live T ucginclis may play a part role in host pathogenesis by T. uosinnlis, and the cleaving ability of host immunoglobulins by the proteinase may contribute as a one of immune evasion mechanism for parasite survival in the host.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.95-106
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• 1988

Specific or non-specific cytolytic processes of free-living amoebae causing meningoencephalitls have been emphasized and the cytolytic ability related to hydrolases in Entantoeba sp. and Naegleria sp. has also been reported since the latter half of 1970's. However, no information on hydrolase activities in Acanthamoeba sp. is available. Hydrolases in Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, a pathogenic species of free-living amoebae, were assayed and compared with those in a non-pathogenic species, A. royreba. Pathogenicity of these two species was confirmed through experimental infection to BALB/c mice. Hydrolase activities and cytotoxic effects between pathogenic and non.pathogenic species were compared in the trophozoites cultured in CGV media and in CHO cell line, respectively. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The mice infected with A. culbertseni were all dead 15 days after nasal inoculation, and the mean survival time was 8.5 days. Also the mice infected with this pathogenic species manifested typical meningoencephalitis, whereas the mice infected with A. royreba did not. 2. Hydrolases detected both in the cell extracts and culture media were acid phosphatase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ galactosaminidase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ glucosaminidase, ${\alpha}-mannosidase$, neutral proteinase and acid proteinase, all of which were detected with remarkably higher rate in A. culbertsoni than in A. royreba. 3. A. cuzbertsoni revealed strong cytotoxicity for the target CHO cells, whereas A. royreba did not show any specific cytotoxicity. About 80% of the target cells mixed with A. culbertsoni were dead 48 hours after cultivation, and more than 95% of the target cells were dead 72 hours after cultivation. 4. Hydrolase activities in A. culbertsoni cultured with the target cell line were assayed according to the culture time. The activities of acid phosphatase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ galactosaminidase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ glucosaminidase, ${\alpha}-mannosidase$ and acid proteinase in this pathogenic amoeba were detected higher in amoeba extracts than in culture media up to 120 hours after cultivation, but after 120 hours of cultivation those activities were detected higher in culture media than in the amoeba Iysates. Neutral proteinase activity in A. culbertsoni increased more in EBSS medium than in the Iysate specimens although the activity in the extracts was generally steady according to the cultivation time. Summarizing the above results, it is concluded that there were differences in hydrolase activities between Pathogenic A. culbertsoni and non-pathogenic A. royreba, and that some hydrolase activities were detected remarkably higher in A. culbertsoni which revealed strong cytotoxicity to the target CHO cell line.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 1993

Naegleria fowleri is the cause of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in man, IL-2 levels after stimulation of T lymphocytes by PHA or N.fowleri lysates. the amounts of T lymphocyte subsets and the blastogenic responses of T lymphocytes in mice after Infected with pathogenic N. fowleri were studied comparing between two study groups, one $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^4$ trophozoites inoculated mice and the other $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^5$ trophozoites inoculated mice. All experimental samples were obtained on the day 7, 14 and 24 after inoculation. The mice inoculated with $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^4$ trophozoites showed a 14.3% mortality rate, and 72.2% in the mice inoculated with $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^5$ trophozoites. The IL-2 levels on day 14 of two experimental groups were significantly decreased as compared with the control group. Thy 1.2+T cells in the total spleen Iymphocytes of $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^5$ trophozoites inoculated group on day 7 were significantly increased compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^4$ trophozoites inoculated group and the control group. $L3T4^{+}{\;}T$ cells and $Ly2^{+}$ T cells in the total spleen Iymphocytes of $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^5$ trophozoites inoculated group on day 7 were sigrlificantly increased compared with the control group. The DNA S fraction of T cells in the spleen of $1{\;}{\times}{\;}10^5$ trophozoites inoculated group was significantly increased on day 7. The amount of S fractions of DNA were sequentially decreased on day 14 and 24 but they were also signiacantly increased compared with the control group. The results obtained in the experiments indicats that cell mediated immunity after N.fowleri infection acts on very important host's protection immunity around the 7th day after infection. IL-2 level was much suppressed on day 14 which resulted from the exhaustion of host immune response. It was observed that the level of IL-2 production ability and the amounts of T lymphocytes subsets and the blastogenic responses of T lymphocytes were not well correlated during the observation period.