• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.51-54
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• 2013

Not only Taenia solium and Taenia saginata, but also Taenia asiatica infects humans. The last species is not included in the evaluation of the specificity of the immunodiagnostic techniques for taeniasis/cysticercosis. There is currently no specific immunodiagnostic method for T. asiatica available. Therefore, due to the fact that molecular techniques (the only tool to distinguish the 3 Taenia species) are normally not employed in routine diagnostic methods, the 2 questions concerning T. asiatica (its definite geographic distribution and its ability to cause human cysticercosis), remain open, turning T. asiatica into the most neglected agent of human taeniasis-cysticercosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.27-33
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• 2006

Two species of Cryptosporidium are known to infect man; C. hominis which shows anthroponotic transmission between humans, and C. parvum which shows zoonotic transmission between animals or between animals and man. In this study, we focused on identifying genotypes of Cryptosporidium prevalent among inhabitants and domestic animals (cattle and goats), to elucidate transmittal routes in a known endemic area in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. The existence of Cryptosporidium oocysts was confirmed using a modified ZiehlNeelsen stain. Human infections were found in 7 $(25.9\%)$ of 27 people examined. Cattle cryptosporidiosis cases constituted 7 $(41.2\%)$ of 17 examined, and goat cases 3 $(42.9\%)$ of 7 examined. Species characterizations were performed on the small subunit of the rRNA gene using both PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis. Most of the human isolates were mixtures of C. hominis and C. parvum genotypes and similar PCR-RFLP patterns were observed in cattle and goat isolates. However, sequence analyses identified only C. hominis in all isolates examined. The natural infection of cattle and goats with C. hominis is a new and unique finding in the present study. It is suggested that human cryptosporidiosis in the studied area is caused by mixtures of C. hominis and C. parvum oocysts originating from both inhabitants and domestic animals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.193-196
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• 2001

We report a case of gastric pseudoterranoviasis proven by gastrofiberscopy on Dec. 13, 1994. The 34-year-old male patient, residing in Chungju-shi, was admitted to Konkuk University Hospital complaining of prickling epigastric pain. The symptoms suddenly attacked him two days after eating raw marine fish at Chonan-shi. By the gastrofiberscopic examination, a long white-yellowish nematode was found from the fundus region of stomach. The worm was $34.50{\;}{\times}{\;}0.84{\;}{\;}mm$ in size. and was identified as a 3rd stage larva of Pseudoterranova decipiens judging from the position of the intestinal cecum. This is the 12th confirmed case of human pseudoterranoviasis in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Neutrophils play an important role in the human immune system for protection against such microorganisms as a protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis; however, the precise role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of trichomoniasis is still unknown. Moreover, it is thought that trichomonal lysates and excretory-secretory products (ESP), as well as live T. vaginalis, could possibly interact with neutrophils in local tissues, including areas of inflammation induced by T. vaginalis in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of T. vaginalis lysate on the fate of neutrophils. We found that T. vaginalis lysate inhibits apoptosis of human neutrophils as revealed by Giemsa stain. Less altered mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and surface CD16 receptor expression also supported the idea that neutrophil apoptosis is delayed after T. vaginalis lysate stimulation. In contrast, ESP stimulated-neutrophils were similar in apoptotic features of untreated neutrophils. Maintained caspase-3 and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) in neutrophils co-cultured with trichomonad lysate suggest that an intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis was involved in T. vaginalis lysate-induced delayed neutrophil apoptosis; this phenomenon may contribute to local inflammation in trichomoniasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.145-150
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• 2000

Antigenic components in the crude extracts of Spirometra mansoni plerocercoid were analyzed in early experimental infections and in IgG subclass observed in clinical sparganosis. By IgG immunoblot, sera obtained serially from experimental mice, fed 5 spargana each, were reacted with the crude extracts. Protein bands at 36-26 kDa and 103 kDa showed positive reactions since two weeks after infection. In a differential immunoblot, in which a monospecific antibody against sparganum chymase at 36 kDa was pre-treated, the reactions at 36-26 kDa disappeared, indicating that the sparganum chymase and its degradation products invoked IgG antibody reactions. When 69 patients sera of human sparganosis were examined for their IgG subclass responses, IgG4 levels showed the highest reaction which was followed by IgG 1 The IgG4 antibody also reacted mainly with 36-31 kDa protease. These results indicate that 36 kDa chymase of 5. nansoni plerocercoid is the main antigenic component inducing Ige antibody response in early stage of experimental sparganosis and for specific IgG subclass reactions in human sparganosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.71-76
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• 2017

This is the first study to report Chrysomya pinguis (Walker) and Lucilia porphyrina (Walker) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as forensically important blow fly species from human cadavers in Thailand, in addition to Chrysomya villeneuvi (Patton) already known in Thailand. In 2016, a fully decomposed body of an unknown adult male was discovered in a high mountainous forest during winter in Chiang Mai province. The remains were infested heavily with thousands of blow fly larvae feeding simultaneously on them. Morphological identification of adults reared from the larvae, and molecular analysis based on sequencing of 1,247 bp partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (CO1) of the larvae and puparia, confirmed the above mentioned 3 species. The approving forensic fly evidence by molecular approach was described for the first time in Thailand. Moreover, neighbor-joining phylogenetic analysis of the CO1 was performed to compare the relatedness of the species, thereby affirming the accuracy of identification. As species of entomofauna varies among cases in different geographic and climatic circumstances, C. pinguis and L. porphyrina were added to the list of Thai forensic entomology caseworks, including colonizers of human remains in open, high mountainous areas during winter. Further research should focus on these 3 species, for which no developmental data are currently available.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.109-115
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• 1999

The present study observed the variation of antigenicity of Pneumocystis carinii and serum IgG antibody reastion to the antigens from different localtities in Korea. Antigens of rat P,carinii and sera of inhabitants were collected at Chunchon, Chungju, Kwangju and Seoul during 1995-1996. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and immunoblot were used for immune reaction. Absorbance of 1,294 human sera ranged between 0.01and 0.93. Sera from Chunchon showed higher absorbances than those from other areas. Immunoblotting revealed IgG antibody reactions to 116,100, and 45-55 kDa antigenic bands of rat P.carinii, but the frequencies of positive reaction to individual bands were variable by localities. Total 62.6% reacted to 100kDa band and 32.0% to 45-55 kDa bands. For the reaction to 116kda, the reaction rate was 60.0% of the sera showed the reaction to 116kda band while 37.7% reacted to 100kda, the reaction rate was 60.0% to 82.6% by localities. It is found that the reaction rates of the human sera to rat P.carinii antigen are variable according to the localities. Also, the high molecular antigen of 116kDa of rat P.carinii is the most frequent antigenic band reaction to human sera.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.247-251
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• 2010

Feline intestinal tritrichomoniasis by Tritrichomonas foetus was first recognized in USA in 1999 and has so far been reported from UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia, but not from the Far East Asian countries. In November 2008, 2 female and male littermate Siamese cats, 6-month old, raised in a household in Korea were referred from a local veterinary clinic with a history of chronic persistent diarrhea. A direct smear examination of fecal specimens revealed numerous trichomonad trophozoites which were isolated by the fecal culture in $InPouch^{TM}$ TF-Feline medium. A PCR testing of the isolate based on the amplification of a conserved portion of the T. foetus internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene, and the molecular sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed infection with T. foetus. This is the first clinical case of feline intestinal trichomoniasis caused by T. foetus in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.23-30
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• 2001

A nationwide survey was performed to know the distribution and prevalence of human Gymnophalloides seoi infection on western and southern coastal islands in the Republic of Korea. A total of 4,178 fecal specimens were collected Iron) residents on 45 (24 western and 21 southern) islands, and examined by Kato-Katz and formalin-ether sedimentation techniques. Eggs of G. seoi were detected from 160 (3.8%) people living on 22 (13 western and 9 southern) islands. The prevalence varied by the location of islands; higher on western islands than on southern islands . The highest prevalence was found on Amtaedo (25.3%), followed by Cheungdo (25.0%), and Anchwado (20.9%) (Shinan-gun). A little lower prevalence was observed on Munyodo (13.3%), Shinshido (12.9%), and Sonyudo (10.3%) (Kunsan-shi). Of the remaining islands, tile regions showing the prevalence greater than 5% included Kohado, Dallido (Mokpo-shi) . Pyeongildo, Kogumdo (Wando-gun) and Keogumdo (Kohung-gun). A strong age predilection was noted (p < 0.05): 95% of the infected people were over 40 years old. Females showed a little higher prevalence than males. The results indicate that human G. seoi infection is more widely distributed than previously considered. Nine of 11 islands (excluding the 2 known areas Munyodo and Sunyudo) that showed greater prevalence than 5% are regarded as new endemic foci of G. seoi.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.121-123
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• 2003

This study was designed to detect and evaluate an antigenicity of low molecular weight proteins of Fasciola hepatica in fascioliasis. Low molecular weight protein of F. hepatica was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephacryl S-100 HR gel filtration. The protein obtained was estimated to be 8 kDa on 7.5-15% gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Immunoblotting studies showed that the 8 kDa protein reacted with human fascioliasis sera, but not other trematodiasis sera. This result suggests that the 8 kDa protein of F. hepatica is one of diagnostic antigens in human fascioliasis without cross-reaction with other human trematodiasis.