• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.605-612
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• 2014

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes a Th1 cellular immunity. Our previous study showed that T. gondii lysate antigen (TLA) treatment in S180 tumor-bearing mice resulted in tumor reduction by suppressing CD31 expression, a marker of angiogenesis. In the present study, to investigate tumor suppressive effect of TLA under the absence of T lymphocytes, athymic nude mice were compared with euthymic mice in the anti-tumorigenic effect triggered by TLA in CT26 tumors. According to the results, intratumorally injected TLA reduced tumor growth and TIMP-1 level, a metastatic marker, in both euthymic and athymic mice. TLA treatment led to a sharp increase in IL-12 expression in serum cytokine profiling of athymic mice, and increased MyD88 signals in macrophages derived from the bone marrow, implying the activation of innate immunity. The selective induction of IL-12 by TLA treatment had an anti-tumorigenic effect.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.439-446
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• 2016

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan disease that is caused by Toxoplasma gondii in livestock and humans. Due to its medical and veterinary importance, it is essential to study the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among humans and animals in various parts of the world. The major objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and spatial distribution of toxoplasmosis in small ruminants (sheep and goats) of north-eastern region, Pakistan. A total of 1,000 animals comprising of sheep (n=470) and goats (n=530) were examined for T. gondii infection by using ELISA. An epidemiological data was collected in the form of questionnaire. A surface has been generated by using method of interpolation in Arc GIS with the help of IDW (inverse distance weight). The results showed higher seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats (42.8%) as compared to sheep (26.2%). The seroprevalence was higher in females as compared to males in all examined ruminants. Similarly, there is a wide variation in the seroprevalence of T. gondii in different breeds of sheep and goats showing higher seroprevalence in Teddy (52.8%) and Damani breed (34.5%) of goat and sheep's, respectively. The geographical and spatial distribution of T. gondii shows that it is widely distributed in different parts of the north-eastern region of Pakistan. Our results suggest widespread environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts and that small ruminants could be a potentially important source of T. gondii infection if their infected meat is consumed undercooked.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.455-460
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• 2016

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic enteric protozoan that has been classified into 17 distinct subtypes (STs). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and subtype distributions of Blastocystis in villagers living along the Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, and to assess the risk of zoonotic infection. In total, 220 stool samples were collected, and DNA was extracted. PCR and sequencing were performed with primers targeting the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes. Blastocystis was present in 5.9% (13/220) of samples, and ST3 (5.0%; 11/220) was the predominant subtype, followed by ST2 (0.45%; 1/220) and ST6 (0.45%; 1/220). Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the maximum-likelihood method based on the Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano + G + I model, neighbor-joining, and maximum parsimony methods. The percentage of bootstrapped trees in which the associated taxa clustered together was relatively high. All the sequences of the Blastocystis-positive samples (KU051524-KU051536) were closely related to those from animals (pig, cattle, and chicken), indicating a zoonotic risk. Therefore, the villagers require proper health education, especially regarding the prevention of parasitic infection, to improve their personal hygiene and community health. Further studies are required to investigate the Blastocystis STs in the animals living in these villages.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.247-253
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• 2013

Neospora caninum is the etiologic agent of bovine neosporosis, which affects the reproductive performance of cattle worldwide. The transmembrane protein, NcSRS2, and dense-granule protein, NcGRA7, were identified as protective antigens based on their ability to induce significant protective immune responses in murine neosporosis models. In the current study, NcSRS2 and NcGRA7 genes were spliced by overlap-extension PCR in a recombinant adenovirus termed Ad5-NcSRS2-NcGRA 7, expressing the NcSRS2-NcGRA7 gene, and the efficacy was evaluated in mice. The results showed that the titer of the recombinant adenovirus was $10^9TCID_{50}/ml$. Three weeks post-boost immunization (w.p.b.i.), the IgG antibody titer in sera was as high as 1:4,096. IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-4 levels were significantly different from the control group (P<0.01). This research established a solid foundation for the development of a recombinant adenovirus vaccine against bovine N. caninum.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.333-336
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• 2017

Avian trichomoniasis caused by Trichomonas gallinae is a serious protozoan disease worldwide. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is the main host for T. gallinae and plays an important role in the spread of the disease. Based on the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA of this parasite, a pair of primers (TgF2/TgR2) was designed and used to develop a PCR assay for the diagnosis of T. gallinae infection in domestic pigeons. This approach allowed the identification of T. gallinae, and no amplicons were produced when using DNA from other common avian pathogens. The minimum amount of DNA detectable by the specific PCR assay developed in this study was 15 pg. Clinical samples from Guangzhou, China, were examined using this PCR assay and a standard microscopy method, and their molecular characteristics were determined by phylogenetic analysis. All of the T. gallinae-positive samples detected by microscopic examination were also detected as positive by the PCR assay. Most of the samples identified as negative by microscopic examination were detected as T. gallinae positive by the PCR assay and were confirmed by sequencing. The positive samples of T. gallinae collected from Guangzhou, China, were identified as T. gallinae genotype B by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, providing relevant data for studying the ecology and population genetic structures of trichomonads and for the prevention and control of the diseases they cause.

• 수산해양교육연구
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.609-615
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• 2012

A histo-pathogical examination was carried out to evaluate the effect of commercial extruded pellet (EP) and a raw fish moist pellet (MP) diet on the health of juvenile rockfish cultured in marine net-cage for 7 months. Fish were distributed randomly to each net cage as a group of 76,000 fish (initial mean body weight 5.9 g). After 2 months, the hypertrophy or swelling of liver parenchymal cells was identified in most individuals and lasted until 7 months. Livers in EP fed group frequently showed hypertrophic parenchyma and fatty change with occasional atrophic cells. However, after 4 months, lymphocytic infiltration in splenic parenchyma was seen in a number of individuals. In addition, the gastric glandular epithelium was atrophied and in the lumen of renal tubules protozoan parasites were frequently identified but there was no correlation with the type of feed. Moreover, juvenile rockfish on EP diet showed gross and microscopic hypertrophy of the liver which would be due to oversupply of feed. Severe hepatic cellular hypertrophy or swelling could lead to the damage of microcirculation. Especially fatty change and atrophic change of liver could be the result from the damage, which could be responsible for immunological problem. Lymphocytic infiltration of spleen on the MP diet suggests that juvenile rockfish could be frequently exposed to infectious antigens.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.109-120
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the current status of infectious disease research in North Korea by analyzing recent trends in medical journals from North Korea in comparison with research from South Korea. Methods: Three medical journals (Preventive Medicine, Basic Medicine, and Chosun Medicine) were analyzed from 2012 to 2016. Articles on tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and parasitic diseases were selected and classified by their subtopics and study areas. Two medical journals published in the South Korea were selected for a comparative analysis of research trends. Results: Of the 2792 articles that were reviewed, 93 were extracted from North Korea journals. TB research in North Korea was largely focused on multi-drug resistant TB and extrapulmonary TB, whereas research in South Korea more frequently investigated non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Research on parasitic diseases in North Korea was focused on protozoan and intestinal nematodes, while the corresponding South Korea research investigated various species of parasites. Additionally, the studies conducted in North Korea were more likely to investigate the application of traditional medicine to diagnosis and treatment than those conducted in South Korea. Conclusions: This study presents an analysis of research trends in preventive medicine in North Korea focusing on infectious diseases, in which clear differences were observed between South and North Korea. Trends in research topics suggest a high prevalence of certain parasitic diseases in North Korea that are no longer widespread in South Korea. The large proportion of studies examining traditional medicine implies a lack of affordable medicine in North Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.177-180
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• 2011

Entamoeba histolytica is an enteric tissue-invading protozoan parasite that can cause amebic colitis and liver abscess in humans. E. histolytica has the capability to kill colon epithelial cells in vitro; however, information regarding the role of calpain in colon cell death induced by ameba is limited. In this study, we investigated whether calpains are involved in the E. histolytica-induced cell death of HT-29 colonic epithelial cells. When HT-29 cells were co-incubated with E. histolytica, the propidium iodide stained dead cells markedly increased compared to that in HT-29 cells incubated with medium alone. This pro-death effect induced by ameba was effectively blocked by pretreatment of HT-29 cells with the calpain inhibitor, calpeptin. Moreover, knockdown of m- and ${\mu}$-calpain by siRNA significantly reduced E. histolytica-induced HT-29 cell death. These results suggest that m- and ${\mu}$-calpain may be involved in colon epithelial cell death induced by E. histolytica.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.745-747
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• 2015

Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite that causes watery diarrhea, is found worldwide and is common in areas with low water hygiene. In February 2014, 866 stool samples were collected from the inhabitants of 2 rural areas in White Nile State, Sudan. These stool samples were assessed by performing modified acid-fast staining, followed by examination under a light microscope. The overall positive rate of Cryptosporidium oocysts was 13.3%. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 8.6% stool samples obtained from inhabitants living in the area having water purification systems and in 14.6% stool samples obtained from inhabitants living in the area not having water purification systems. No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection between men and women (14.7% and 14.1%, respectively). The positive rate of oocysts by age was the highest among inhabitants in their 60s (40.0%). These findings suggest that the use of water purification systems is important for preventing Cryptosporidium infection among inhabitants of these rural areas in Sudan.

• 한국양식학회지
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.227-237
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• 1997

Five species of intertidal clams including Ruditapes philippinarum, Tegillarca granosa, Solen strictus, Heteromacoma irus, and Coecella chinensis were tested for the presence of the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus sp. using fluid thioglycollate medium (FTM) fortified with antibiotics and histological techniques. Each individual clam was placed in a test tube filled with 10ml FTM, placed in totally dark place, and incubated over a week. After incubation the clam tissues were stained with Lugol's iodine solution and examined under a light microscope to find out any hypnospores of Perkensus sp. in the tissues. Cross-sections of the clams were also embedded in paraffin, sliced to 3um, and stained with Harry's hematoxylene and Picro eosine to observe the presence of tomont or trophozoites. Perkinsus sp. were found in the presence of tomont or trophozoites. Perkinsus sp. were found in the tissues of R. philippinarum collected from Kangjin and Wando, along the south coast of Korea. However, Perkinsus sp. was not found in four other species of clams nor R. philippinaurm collected from Kimnyong and Waido in Cheju. A size-dependent Perkinsus sp. infection was found in R. philippinarum collected rom Kangjin and Wando the clams smaller than 15mm in shell width do not exhibit and Perkinsus sp. while other clams greater than 20mm in shell width exhibit almost 100% infection. To determine the number of Perkinsus sp. in the clams, FTM cultured clam tissues were digested with 2M NaOH solution and the number of hypnospores in the tube were counted. The number of hypnospores counted from the tissues indicated that each Manila clam contains 100,000 to 3,500,000 Perkinsus cells or 20,000 to 1,000,000 cells per gram tissue wet weight. The results of cell counts also suggests that such a high occurrence of Perkinsus sp. in the clam may cause mortality, as already reported from other studies of Perkinsus spp.