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Chunda VC, Fombad FF, Kien CA, Ebai R, Esofi F, Ntuh AN, Ouam E, Gandjui NVT, Ekanya R, Nietcho F, Nchang LC, Magha C, Njouendou AJ, Enyong P, Hoerauf A, Wanji S, Ritter M. Comparative development of human filariae Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus and Mansonella perstans in immunocompromised mouse strains. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2024; 5:1293632. [PMID: 38655273 PMCID: PMC7615855 DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2024.1293632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mouse models of human filarial infections are not only urgently needed to investigate the biology of the nematodes and their modulation of the host's immunity, but will also provide a platform to screen and test novel anti-filarial drugs. Recently, murine Loa loa infection models have been stablished using immunocompromised mouse strains, whereas murine Mansonella perstans infections have not been implemented until now. Methods Therefore, we aim to establish experimental M. perstans infections using the immunocompromised mouse strains RAG2IL-2Rγ-/- (lack B, T and natural killer cells), IL-4Rα/IL-5-/- (impaired IL-4/5 signalling and eosinophil activation) and NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wj l/SzJ (NOD scid gamma, NSG) BALB/c mice (lack mature lymphocytes) through subcutaneous (s.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation of infective stage 3 larvae (L3) isolated from engorged vectors. Results In total, 145 immunocompromised mice have been inoculated with 3,250 M. perstans, 3,337 O. volvulus, and 2,720 Loa loa L3 to comparatively analyse which immunocompromised mouse strain is susceptible to human filarial infections. Whereas, no M. perstans and O. volvulus L3 could be recovered upon 2-63 days post-inoculation, a 62-66% Loa loa L3 recovery rate could be achieved in the different mouse strains. Gender of mice, type of inoculation (s.c. or i.p.) or time point of analysis (2-63 days post inoculation) did not interfere with the success of L3 recovery. In addition, administration of the immune suppressants hydrocortisone, prednisolone and cyclophosphamide did not restore M. perstans L3 recovery rates. Discussion These findings show that RAG2IL-2Rg-/-BALB/c and C57BL/6, IL-4Rα/IL-5-/- BALB/c and NSG mice were not susceptible to M. perstans and O. volvulus L3 inoculation using the applied methods, whereas Loa loa infection could be maintained. Further studies should investigate if humanized immunocompromised mice might be susceptible to M. perstans. and O. volvulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerine C. Chunda
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Fanny Fri Fombad
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Chi Anizette Kien
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Rene Ebai
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Frederick Esofi
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Anna Ning Ntuh
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Emmanuel Ouam
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Narcisse Victor Tchamatchoua Gandjui
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Relindis Ekanya
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Franck Nietcho
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Lucy Cho Nchang
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Chefor Magha
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Abdel Jelil Njouendou
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Peter Enyong
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
- German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC), Partner Site Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Manuel Ritter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany
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Ferreira MU, Crainey JL, Gobbi FG. The search for better treatment strategies for mansonellosis: an expert perspective. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1685-1692. [PMID: 37477269 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2240235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Four species of the Mansonella genus infect millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America. Most infections are asymptomatic, but mansonellosis can be associated with nonspecific clinical manifestations such as fever, headache, arthralgia, and ocular lesions (M. ozzardi); pruritus, arthralgia, abdominal pain, angioedema, skin rash, and fatigue (M. perstans and perhaps Mansonella sp. 'DEUX'); and pruritic dermatitis and chronic lymphadenitis (M. perstans). AREAS COVERED We searched the PubMed and SciELO databases for publications on mansonelliasis in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French that appeared until 1 May 2023. Literature data show that anthelmintics - single-dose ivermectin for M. ozzardi, repeated doses of mebendazole alone or in combination with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for M. perstans, and DEC alone for M. streptocerca - are effective against microfilariae. Antibiotics that target Wolbachia endosymbionts, such as doxycycline, are likely to kill adult worms of most, if not all, Mansonella species, but the currently recommended 6-week regimen is relatively impractical. New anthelmintics and shorter antibiotic regimens (e.g. with rifampin) have shown promise in experimental filarial infections and may proceed to clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION We recommend that human infections with Mansonella species be treated, regardless of any apparent clinical manifestations. We argue that mansonellosis, despite being widely considered a benign infection, may represent a direct or indirect cause of significant morbidity that remains poorly characterized at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo U Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - James Lee Crainey
- Laboratory of Ecology and Transmissible Diseases in the Amazon, Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Fiocruz, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Federico G Gobbi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Spencer PS. New clues to the elusive aetiology of nodding syndrome. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad236. [PMID: 37731902 PMCID: PMC10507742 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Nodding syndrome is a paediatric epileptic encephalopathy of unknown aetiology that affects children in impoverished communities of Eastern Africa subject to internal displacement. Set in southcentral South Sudan, where nodding syndrome first surfaced circa 1990, an important new study of recent-onset cases of nodding syndrome examined parasitic, bacterial, viral, immune-mediated, metabolic and nutritional factors associated with the brain disease. Infection with the nematode Mansonella perstans, but not with Onchocerca volvulus, was the most prominent finding in nodding syndrome cases versus controls. While M. perstans is unlikely to be causal of nodding syndrome, investigation of the freshwater habitats, where insect-to-human transmission of the filarial larvae takes place, may reveal a clue as to the aetiology of this neurodegenerative disease. The culpable environmental agent(s) must be able to induce neuroinflammation and tau pathology preferentially in infants and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Spencer
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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Hochberg NS, Dinculescu VV, Nutman TB. Case 17-2023: A 58-Year-Old Woman with Fatigue, Abdominal Bloating, and Eosinophilia. N Engl J Med 2023; 388:2180-2189. [PMID: 37285529 PMCID: PMC10986646 DOI: 10.1056/nejmcpc2201248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha S Hochberg
- From the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (N.S.H.), the Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital (V.V.D.), and the Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School (V.V.D.) - all in Boston; and the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (T.B.N.)
| | - Vincent V Dinculescu
- From the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (N.S.H.), the Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital (V.V.D.), and the Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School (V.V.D.) - all in Boston; and the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (T.B.N.)
| | - Thomas B Nutman
- From the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine (N.S.H.), the Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital (V.V.D.), and the Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School (V.V.D.) - all in Boston; and the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (T.B.N.)
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Aniagyei W, Adjei JK, Adankwah E, Seyfarth J, Mayatepek E, Antwi Berko D, Sakyi SA, Batsa Debrah L, Debrah AY, Hoerauf A, Owusu DO, Phillips RO, Jacobsen M. Doxycycline Treatment of Mansonella perstans-Infected Individuals Affects Immune Cell Activation and Causes Long-term T-cell Polarization. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:e1399-e1407. [PMID: 35657028 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Doxycycline is used for treatment of Mansonella perstans infection. Immune modulatory effects of both M. perstans and doxycycline have been described but long-term implications on host immune response are not defined. Here we determined multiple immune parameters of M. perstans-infected individuals before and after doxycycline treatment to characterize doxycycline effects on host T-cell immunity. METHODS Immune characterization of doxycycline-treated M. perstans-infected individuals was performed as part of an open-label randomized clinical trial. Immune cell population phenotyping by flow cytometry and functional in vitro T-cell assays were performed at baseline, 6 months, and "long term" (18-24 months) after treatment start. Treatment efficacy, based on peripheral blood microfilaria (mf) burden, was correlated with immune parameters and effects on immune response against concomitant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection were determined. RESULTS Immune population phenotyping indicated changes in functional T-cell responses after doxycycline treatment. Constitutive and superantigen-induced T-cell activation and polarization towards T-helper type (TH) 1 phenotype at baseline declined after doxycycline treatment, whereas low proportions of TH17 and TH1* cells at baseline increased significantly at follow-up. In accordance, long-term decline in antigen-specific TH1 responses against concomitant M. tuberculosis infection was seen. Notably, only TH17 and TH1* changes after 6 months and TH17 at baseline were negatively correlated with M. perstans microfilaria burden or reduction, whereas long-term changes were not associated with treatment efficacy. CONCLUSIONS We found long-term immune modulatory effects of doxycycline treatment leading to decreased constitutive T-cell activation, polarization towards TH17/TH1*, and impaired immune response against concomitant M. tuberculosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfred Aniagyei
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jonathan Kofi Adjei
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Ernest Adankwah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Medical Diagnostics, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Julia Seyfarth
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ertan Mayatepek
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniel Antwi Berko
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Samuel Asamoah Sakyi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Linda Batsa Debrah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Alexander Yaw Debrah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana.,Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn-Cologne, Germany
| | - Dorcas O Owusu
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard O Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Medical Diagnostics, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Marc Jacobsen
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Mahmood S, Nováková E, Martinů J, Sychra O, Hypša V. Supergroup F Wolbachia with extremely reduced genome: transition to obligate insect symbionts. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:22. [PMID: 36750860 PMCID: PMC9903615 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01462-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wolbachia belong to highly abundant bacteria which are frequently found in invertebrate microbiomes and manifest by a broad spectrum of lifestyles from parasitism to mutualism. Wolbachia supergroup F is a particularly interesting clade as it gave rise to symbionts of both arthropods and nematodes, and some of its members are obligate mutualists. Investigations on evolutionary transitions among the different symbiotic stages have been hampered by a lack of the known diversity and genomic data for the supergroup F members. RESULTS Based on amplicon screening, short- and long-read WGS approaches, and laser confocal microscopy, we characterize five new supergroup F Wolbachia strains from four chewing lice species. These strains reached different evolutionary stages and represent two remarkably different types of symbiont genomes. Three of the genomes resemble other known members of Wolbachia F supergroup, while the other two show typical signs of ongoing gene inactivation and removal (genome size, coding density, low number of pseudogenes). Particularly, wMeur1, a symbiont fixed in microbiomes of Menacanthus eurysternus across four continents, possesses a highly reduced genome of 733,850 bp. The horizontally acquired capacity for pantothenate synthesis and localization in specialized bacteriocytes suggest its obligate nutritional role. CONCLUSIONS The genome of wMeur1 strain, from the M. eurysternus microbiome, represents the smallest currently known Wolbachia genome and the first example of Wolbachia which has completed genomic streamlining as known from the typical obligate symbionts. This points out that despite the large amount and great diversity of the known Wolbachia strains, evolutionary potential of these bacteria still remains underexplored. The diversity of the four chewing lice microbiomes indicates that this vast parasitic group may provide suitable models for further investigations. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sazzad Mahmood
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Nováková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Martinů
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Sychra
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Hypša
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Rodi M, Gross C, Sandri TL, Berner L, Marcet-Houben M, Kocak E, Pogoda M, Casadei N, Köhler C, Kreidenweiss A, Agnandji ST, Gabaldón T, Ossowski S, Held J. Whole genome analysis of two sympatric human Mansonella: Mansonella perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX". Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1159814. [PMID: 37124042 PMCID: PMC10145164 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1159814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mansonella species are filarial parasites that infect humans worldwide. Although these infections are common, knowledge of the pathology and diversity of the causative species is limited. Furthermore, the lack of sequencing data for Mansonella species, shows that their research is neglected. Apart from Mansonella perstans, a potential new species called Mansonella sp "DEUX" has been identified in Gabon, which is prevalent at high frequencies. We aimed to further determine if Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a genotype of M. perstans, or if these are two sympatric species. Methods We screened individuals in the area of Fougamou, Gabon for Mansonella mono-infections and generated de novo assemblies from the respective samples. For evolutionary analysis, a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed, and the differences and divergence times are presented. In addition, mitogenomes were generated and phylogenies based on 12S rDNA and cox1 were created. Results We successfully generated whole genomes for M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX". Phylogenetic analysis based on annotated protein sequences, support the hypothesis of two distinct species. The inferred evolutionary analysis suggested, that M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX" separated around 778,000 years ago. Analysis based on mitochondrial marker genes support our hypothesis of two sympatric human Mansonella species. Discussion The results presented indicate that Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a new Mansonella species. These findings reflect the neglect of this research topic. And the availability of whole genome data will allow further investigations of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Rodi
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Caspar Gross
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thaisa Lucas Sandri
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Lilith Berner
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Life Science Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms and Defense, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ersoy Kocak
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Pogoda
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carsten Köhler
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Selidji Todagbe Agnandji
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Science Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms and Defense, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephan Ossowski
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
- *Correspondence: Jana Held,
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Tamarozzi F, Rodari P, Salas-Coronas J, Bottieau E, Salvador F, Soriano-Pérez MJ, Cabeza-Barrera MI, Van Esbroeck M, Treviño B, Buonfrate D, Gobbi FG. A large case series of travel-related Mansonella perstans (vector-borne filarial nematode): a TropNet study in Europe. J Travel Med 2022; 29:6567953. [PMID: 35417002 PMCID: PMC9635058 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with Mansonella perstans is a neglected filariasis, widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by an elusive clinical picture; treatment for mansonellosis is not standardized. This retrospective study aimed to describe the clinical features, treatment schemes and evolution, of a large cohort of imported cases of M. perstans infection seen in four European centres for tropical diseases. METHODS Mansonella perstans infections, diagnosed by identification of blood microfilariae in migrants, expatriates and travellers, collected between 1994 and 2018, were retrospectively analysed. Data concerning demographics, clinical history and laboratory examinations at diagnosis and at follow-up time points were retrieved. RESULTS A total of 392 patients were included in the study. Of the 281 patients for whom information on symptoms could be retrieved, 150 (53.4%) reported symptoms, abdominal pain and itching being the most frequent. Positive serology and eosinophilia were present in 84.4% and 66.1%, respectively, of those patients for whom these data were available. Concomitant parasitic infections were reported in 23.5% of patients. Treatment, administered to 325 patients (82.9%), was extremely heterogeneous between and within centres; the most commonly used regimen was mebendazole 100 mg twice a day for 1 month. A total of 256 (65.3%) patients attended a first follow-up, median 3 months (interquartile range 2-12) after the first visit; 83.1% of patients having received treatment based on mebendazole and/or doxycycline, targeting Wolbachia, became amicrofilaremic, 41.1-78.4% of whom within 12 months from single treatment. CONCLUSIONS Lack of specific symptoms, together with the inconstant positivity of parasitological and antibody-based assays in the infected population, makes the clinical suspicion and screening for mansonellosis particularly difficult. Prospective studies evaluating prevalence of infection in migrants from endemic areas, infection-specific morbidity, presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts in M. perstans populations from different geographical areas and efficacy of treatment regimens are absolutely needed to optimize the clinical management of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Tamarozzi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Rodari
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Emmanuel Bottieau
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Fernando Salvador
- Tropical Medicine Unit Vall d'Hebron-Drassanes, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Marjan Van Esbroeck
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Begoña Treviño
- Tropical Medicine Unit Vall d'Hebron-Drassanes, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dora Buonfrate
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
| | - Federico G Gobbi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
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9
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Sandri TL, Kreidenweiss A, Cavallo S, Weber D, Juhas S, Rodi M, Woldearegai TG, Gmeiner M, Veletzky L, Ramharter M, Tazemda-Kuitsouc GB, Matsiegui PB, Mordmüller B, Held J. Molecular Epidemiology of Mansonella Species in Gabon. J Infect Dis 2021; 223:287-296. [PMID: 33099649 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mansonella perstans, a filarial nematode, infects large populations in Africa and Latin America. Recently, a potential new species, Mansonella sp "DEUX," was reported. Carriage of endosymbiotic Wolbachia opens treatment options for Mansonella infections. Within a cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence of filarial infections in 834 Gabonese individuals and the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia. Almost half of the participants (400/834 [48%]) were infected with filarial nematodes, with Mansonella sp "DEUX" being the most frequent (295/400 [74%]), followed by Loa loa (273/400 [68%]) and Mansonella perstans (82/400 [21%]). Being adult/elderly, male, and living in rural areas was associated with a higher risk of infection. Wolbachia carriage was confirmed in M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX." In silico analysis revealed that Mansonella sp "DEUX" is not detected with currently published M. perstans-specific assays. Mansonella infections are highly prevalent in Gabon and might have been underreported, likely also beyond Gabon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaisa Lucas Sandri
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,German Center for Infection Research, partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon Cavallo
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Weber
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sascha Juhas
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Miriam Rodi
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tamirat Gebru Woldearegai
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,German Center for Infection Research, partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Gmeiner
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Luzia Veletzky
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Ramharter
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Benjamin Mordmüller
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,German Center for Infection Research, partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon.,German Center for Infection Research, partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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10
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Otranto D. Molecular detection of Wolbachia endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3255-3261. [PMID: 34292377 PMCID: PMC8397688 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07237-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia, a maternally transmitted Gram-negative endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and arthropods, has a role in the biology of their host; thus it has been exploited for the filariasis treatment in humans. To assess the presence and prevalence of this endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites, blood and tail tissue as well as ticks and mites collected from them were molecularly screened for Wolbachia DNA using two sets of primers targeting partial 16S rRNA and Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) genes. Positive samples were screened for the partial 12S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes for filarioids. Of the different species of lizards (Podarcis siculus, Podarcis muralis and Lacerta bilineata) and snakes (Elaphe quatuorlineata and Boa constrictor constrictor) screened from three collection sites, only P. siculus scored positive for Wolbachia 16S rRNA. Among ectoparasites collected from reptiles (Ixodes ricinus ticks and Neotrombicula autumnalis, Ophionyssus sauracum and Ophionyssus natricis mites), I. ricinus (n = 4; 2.8%; 95% CI, 0.9–7) from P. siculus, N. autumnalis (n = 2 each; 2.8%; 95% CI, 0.9–6.5) from P. siculus and P. muralis and O. natricis (n = 1; 14.3%; 95% CI, 0.7–55.4) from Boa constrictor constrictor scored positive for Wolbachia DNA. None of the positive Wolbachia samples scored positive for filarioids. This represents the first report of Wolbachia in reptilian hosts and their ectoparasites, which follows a single identification in the intestinal cells of a filarioid associated with a gecko. This data could contribute to better understand the reptile filarioid-Wolbachia association and to unveil the evolutionary pattern of Wolbachia in its filarial host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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11
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Epis S, Otranto D. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:245. [PMID: 33962669 PMCID: PMC8105934 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes, respectively. In arthropods Wolbachia produces reproductive manipulations such as male killing, feminization, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility for its propagation and provides an additional fitness benefit for the host to protect against pathogens, whilst in onchocercid nematodes, apart from the mutual metabolic dependence, this bacterium is involved in moulting, embryogenesis, growth and survival of the host. Methods This review details the molecular data of Wolbachia and its effect on host biology, immunity, ecology and evolution, reproduction, endosymbiont-based treatment and control strategies exploited for filariasis. Relevant peer-reviewed scientic papers available in various authenticated scientific data bases were considered while writing the review. Conclusions The information presented provides an overview on Wolbachia biology and its use in the control and/or treatment of vectors, onchocercid nematodes and viral diseases of medical and veterinary importance. This offers the development of new approaches for the control of a variety of vector-borne diseases. Graphic Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric CRC 'Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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12
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Batsa Debrah L, Phillips RO, Pfarr K, Klarmann-Schulz U, Opoku VS, Nausch N, Owusu W, Mubarik Y, Sander AL, Lämmer C, Ritter M, Layland LE, Jacobsen M, Debrah AY, Hoerauf A. The Efficacy of Doxycycline Treatment on Mansonella perstans Infection: An Open-Label, Randomized Trial in Ghana. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 101:84-92. [PMID: 31162017 PMCID: PMC6609185 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Treating Mansonella perstans is challenged by the low efficacy of registered antihelminthics. Wolbachia endobacteria provide an alternative treatment target because depletion results in amicrofilaremia in filarial infections with Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus infections. This open-label, randomized study sought to confirm that i) Wolbachia are present in M. perstans in Ghana and ii) doxycycline treatment will deplete Wolbachia and cause a slow, sustained decline in microfilariae (MF). Two hundred and two Ghanaians with M. perstans infection were randomized into early (immediate) and delayed (6 months deferred) treatment groups, given doxycycline 200 mg/day for 6 weeks, and monitored for MF and Wolbachia levels at baseline, 4, 12, and 24 months after the study onset (= time of randomization and start of treatment for the early group). Per protocol analysis revealed that the median MF/mL in the early group declined from 138 at baseline to 64 at month 4 and further to 0 at month 12. In the delayed group, MF load did not change from a baseline median of 97 to 102 at month 4 but declined to 42 at month 12, that is, 6 months after receiving treatment, trailing the early group as expected. By month 24, both treatment groups had reached a median MF level of 0. After treatment, Wolbachia were depleted from MF by ≥ 1-log drop compared with baseline levels. We conclude that M. perstans in Ghana harbor Wolbachia that are effectively depleted by doxycycline with subsequent reduction in MF loads, most likely because of interruption of fertility of adult worms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Batsa Debrah
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard O Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ute Klarmann-Schulz
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany.,Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Vera Serwaa Opoku
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Norman Nausch
- Department of General Paediatrics, Neonatology, and Paediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wellington Owusu
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yusif Mubarik
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Anna-Lena Sander
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christine Lämmer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Ritter
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura E Layland
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc Jacobsen
- Department of General Paediatrics, Neonatology, and Paediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Yaw Debrah
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany.,Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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13
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Chen R, Su X, Chen J, Jiang L, Qiao GX. Wolbachia Infection in Two Species: Novel Views on the Colonization Ability of Wolbachia in Aphids. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1388-1393. [PMID: 31644794 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) is an intracellular symbiont residing in arthropods and filarial nematodes. Sixteen supergroups have been described from different host taxa. Four supergroups A, B, M, and N were found in aphids according to prior studies. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, are typical polyphagous species with global distributions. We conducted an extensive and systematic survey of Wolbachia infections in these aphids from China. High incidences of Wolbachia infection were detected. The total infection incidence was 60% in A. gossypii and 88% in M. persicae. Both aphid species were infected with supergroups A, B and M. Different incidences of infection were observed among the seven geographical regions in China, which suggested a positive relationship between Wolbachia infections and the geographical distribution of aphid species. Furthermore, multiple infection patterns (M, B, A&M, B&M, and A&B&M) were observed. Infection patterns M and B&M were detected in almost all populations. Patterns A&B&M and B showed geographical restriction in North China. Three factors can possibly influence the Wolbachia infection incidences and patterns: the geographical distribution, aphid species, and different supergroup types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chen
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xiaomin Su
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Liyun Jiang
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Ge-Xia Qiao
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
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14
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Bakowski MA, McNamara CW. Advances in Antiwolbachial Drug Discovery for Treatment of Parasitic Filarial Worm Infections. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4:tropicalmed4030108. [PMID: 31323841 PMCID: PMC6789823 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular bacteria now known as Wolbachia were first described in filarial worms in the 1970s, but the idea of Wolbachia being used as a macrofilaricidal target did not gain wide attention until the early 2000s, with research in filariae suggesting the requirement of worms for the endosymbiont. This new-found interest prompted the eventual organization of the Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A-WOL) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who, among others have been active in the field of antiwolbachial drug discovery to treat filarial infections. Clinical proof of concept studies using doxycycline demonstrated the utility of the antiwolbachial therapy, but efficacious treatments were of long duration and not safe for all infected. With the advance of robotics, automation, and high-speed computing, the search for superior antiwolbachials shifted away from smaller studies with a select number of antibiotics to high-throughput screening approaches, centered largely around cell-based phenotypic screens due to the rather limited knowledge about, and tools available to manipulate, this bacterium. A concomitant effort was put towards developing validation approaches and in vivo models supporting drug discovery efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies behind and outcomes of recent large phenotypic screens published within the last 5 years, hit compound validation approaches and promising candidates with profiles superior to doxycycline, including ones positioned to advance into clinical trials for treatment of filarial worm infections.
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15
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Mediannikov O, Ranque S. Mansonellosis, the most neglected human filariasis. New Microbes New Infect 2018; 26:S19-S22. [PMID: 30402239 PMCID: PMC6205574 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human mansonellosis is caused by M. perstans, M. ozzardi and M. streptocerca, the three main filarial species in the genus Mansonella. Despite accumulating evidence of a high prevalence in endemic areas, there is currently no filariasis control programme targeting mansonellosis. The health-related impact on people living with these filariae remains unknown, and evidences regarding treatment strategies are scarce. Like other neglected diseases, it mainly affects poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates. Mansonellosis can be considered one of the most neglected tropical infectious diseases. The objective of this literature review was to draw attention to the gap of knowledge regarding Mansonella spp. taxonomy, the transmission of these arthropod-borne filariasis and the health outcomes of people living with mansonellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - S Ranque
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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16
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Dolo H, Coulibaly YI, Kelly-Hope L, Konate S, Dembele B, Coulibaly SY, Sanogo D, Soumaoro L, Coulibaly ME, Doumbia SS, Diallo AA, Traore SF, Colebunders R, Nutman TB, Klion AD. Factors Associated with Wuchereria bancrofti Microfilaremia in an Endemic Area of Mali. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:1782-1787. [PMID: 29714157 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb), the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, is endemic throughout Mali, the prevalence of Wb microfilaremia (Mf) can vary widely between villages despite similar prevalence of infection as assessed by circulating antigen. To examine this variation, cross-sectional data obtained during screening prior to an interventional study in two neighboring villages in Mali were analyzed. The overall prevalence of Wb, as assessed by Wb CAg (circulating antigen), was 50.3% among 373 participants, aged 14-65. Wuchereria bancrofti Mf-positive and negative individuals appeared randomly distributed across the two villages (Moran's I spatial statistic = -0.01, Z score =0.1, P>0.05). Among the 187 subjects positive for Wb CAg, 117 (62.5%) had detectable Mansonella perstans microfilaremia (Mp Mf) and 64 (34.2%) had detectable Wb microfilaremia. The prevalence of Mp microfilaremia was 73.4% in the Wb Mf-positive group (as compared to 56.9% in the Wb Mf-negative group; p=0.01), and median Wb Mf load was increased in co-infected subjects (267Mf/ml vs 100 Mf/ml; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, village of residence, Mp Mf positivity and gender were significantly associated with Wb Mf positivity. After controlling for age, gender, and village of residence, the odds of being Wb Mf positive was 2.67 times higher in Mp positive individuals (95% confidence interval [1.42-5.01]). Given the geographical overlap between Mp and Wb in Africa, a better understanding of the distribution and prevalence of Mp could assist national lymphatic filariasis control programs in predicting areas of high Wb Mf prevalence that may require closer surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Housseini Dolo
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Yaya Ibrahim Coulibaly
- Department of Parasitology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Louise Kelly-Hope
- Department of Parasitology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Siaka Konate
- Comité International de la Croix-Rouge (CICR), Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo
| | - Benoit Dembele
- Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme, Helen Keller International, Bamako, Mali
| | - Siaka Yamoussa Coulibaly
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Dramane Sanogo
- Division Santé, Maladies Tropicales Negligées, Direction Regionale de la Santé, Sikasso, Mali
| | - Lamine Soumaoro
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Michel Emmanuel Coulibaly
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Salif Seriba Doumbia
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdallah Amadou Diallo
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Sekou Fantamady Traore
- Filariasis Unit, International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Robert Colebunders
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Thomas B Nutman
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Amy D Klion
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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17
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Ali H, Muhammad A, Islam SU, Islam W, Hou Y. A novel bacterial symbiont association in the hispid beetle, Octodonta nipae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), their dynamics and phylogeny. Microb Pathog 2018; 118:378-386. [PMID: 29596879 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The hispid leaf beetle, Octodonta nipae (Maulik), (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a devastating pest of palm cultivation worldwide. Endosymbiotic bacteria in the genus Wolbachia are arguably one of the most abundant bacterial group associated with arthropods. Owing to its critical effects on host reproduction, Wolbachia has garnered much attention as a prospective future tool for insect pest management. However, their association, infection dynamics, and functionality remain unknown in this insect pest. Here, we diagnosis for the first time, the infection prevalence, and occurrence of Wolbachia in O. nipae. Experimental evidence by the exploration of wsp gene vindicate that O. nipae is naturally infected with bacterial symbiont of genus Wolbachia, showing a complete maternal inheritance with shared a common Wolbachia strain (wNip). Moreover, MLST (gatB, fbpA, coxA, ftsZ, and hcpA) analysis enabled the detections of new sequence type (ST-484), suggesting a particular genotypic association of O. nipae and Wolbachia. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay demonstrated variable infection density across different life stages (eggs, larvae, pupae and adult male and female), body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), and tissues (ovaries, testes, and guts). Infection density was higher in egg and female adult stage, as well as abdomen and reproductive tissues as compared to other samples. Interestingly, Wolbachia harbored dominantly in a female than the male adult, while, no significant differences were observed between male and female body parts and tissues. Phylogeny of Wolbachia infection associated with O. nipae rectified from all tested life stages were unique and fall within the same monophyletic supergroup-A of Wolbachia clades. The infection density of symbiont is among the valuable tool to understand their biological influence on hosts, and this latest discovery would facilitate the future investigations to understand the host-symbiont complications and its prospective role as a microbiological agent to reduce pest populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habib Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Abrar Muhammad
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Saif Ul Islam
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Waqar Islam
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Youming Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China.
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18
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Sangare MB, Coulibaly YI, Coulibaly SY, Coulibaly ME, Traore B, Dicko I, Sissoko IM, Samake S, Traore SF, Nutman TB, Valenzuela JG, Faye O, Kamhawi S, Oliveira F, Semnani RT, Doumbia S. A cross-sectional study of the filarial and Leishmania co-endemicity in two ecologically distinct settings in Mali. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:18. [PMID: 29310700 PMCID: PMC5759231 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2531-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Filariasis and leishmaniasis are two neglected tropical diseases in Mali. Due to distribution and associated clinical features, both diseases are of concern to public health. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of co-infection with filarial (Wuchereria bancrofti and Mansonella perstans) and Leishmania major parasites in two ecologically distinct areas of Mali, the Kolokani district (villages of Tieneguebougou and Bougoudiana) in North Sudan Savanna area, and the district of Kolondieba (village of Boundioba) in the South Sudan Savanna area. METHODS The prevalence of co-infection (filarial and Leishmania) was measured based on (i) Mansonella perstans microfilaremia count and/or filariasis immunochromatographic test (ICT) for Wuchereria bancrofti-specific circulating antigen, and (ii) the prevalence of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to Leishmania measured by leishmanin skin test (LST). RESULTS In this study, a total of 930 volunteers between the age of 18 and 65 were included from the two endemic areas of Kolokani and Kolondieba. In general, in both areas, filarial infection was more prevalent than Leishmania infection with an overall prevalence of 15.27% (142/930) including 8.7% (81/930) for Mansonella perstans and 8% (74/930) for Wuchereria bancrofti-specific circulating antigen. The prevalence of Leishmania major infection was 7.7% (72/930) and was significantly higher in Tieneguebougou and Bougoudiana (15.05%; 64/425) than in Boundioba (2.04%; 8/505) (χ2 = 58.66, P < 0.0001). Among the filarial infected population, nearly 10% (14/142) were also positive for Leishmania with an overall prevalence of co-infection of 1.50% (14/930) varying from 2.82% (12/425) in Tieneguebougou and Bougoudiana to 0.39% (2/505) in Boundioba (P = 0.0048). CONCLUSION This study established the existence of co-endemicity of filarial and Leishmania infections in specific regions of Mali. Since both filarial and Leishmania infections are vector-borne with mosquitoes and sand flies as respective vectors, an integrated vector control approach should be considered in co-endemic areas. The effect of potential interaction between filarial and Leishmania parasites on the disease outcomes may be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Brema Sangare
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Yaya Ibrahim Coulibaly
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Siaka Yamoussa Coulibaly
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Michel Emmanuel Coulibaly
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Bourama Traore
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ilo Dicko
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ibrahim Moussa Sissoko
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Sibiry Samake
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Sekou Fantamady Traore
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | - Ousmane Faye
- Centre National d’Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie (CNAM), Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | | | - Seydou Doumbia
- International Center of Excellence in Research, Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology, Point G, Bamako, Mali
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19
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Njouendou AJ, Ritter M, Ndongmo WPC, Kien CA, Narcisse GTV, Fombad FF, Tayong DB, Pfarr K, Layland LE, Hoerauf A, Wanji S. Successful long-term maintenance of Mansonella perstans in an in vitro culture system. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:563. [PMID: 29126431 PMCID: PMC5681788 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Approximately 114 million people are infected with Mansonella perstans in large proportions of Africa. In contrast to other filariae that infect humans, M. perstans-infected individuals show no distinct pathology or specific clinical picture, indicating a well-tuned adaptation to the host. In addition, since M. perstans adult worms reside in serous cavities which are difficult to access, research has been hindered and there is a paucity of knowledge about the biology of M. perstans, especially the development of the different life stages as well as M. perstans-driven immune responses. Thus in this study, an in vitro culture system was developed which allows an in-depth analysis of M. perstans. Results Culicoides species were caught in Ediki (Kumba), Southwest Region within Cameroon following a blood meal on a microfilaremic donor that had 1500 microfilariae/ml of peripheral blood and kept in captivity for 12 days at 23 °C. In a pilot experiment, 15 infective larvae were obtained from the midges and co-cultured with a confluent monolayer of monkey kidney epithelial cells (LLC-MK2) in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS for up to 77 days. The resulting survival rates of 33% revealed that the cell-conditioned medium was suitable for long-term maintenance of M. perstans worms. To confirm these preliminary observations, 249 infective larvae were cultured for 50 days and their development was monitored daily and microscopically graded for motility. In total, 170 (68.3%) filariae survived and 124 (49.8%) larvae moulted between days 21–30 to become L5 stage larvae which were motile and showed continuous vigorous movement. Conclusion We have established an in vitro culture system for the generation and long-term maintenance of viable M. perstans worms. This technique will be an important tool to study parasite biology and development, the role in host immunity, and might be helpful to discover novel treatment strategies against this filariae. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2515-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel Jelil Njouendou
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Manuel Ritter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Winston Patrick Chounna Ndongmo
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Chi Anizette Kien
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Gandjui Tchamatchoua Victor Narcisse
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Fanny Fri Fombad
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Dizzle Bita Tayong
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Bonn-Cologne partner site, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura E Layland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Bonn-Cologne partner site, Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Bonn-Cologne partner site, Bonn, Germany
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Parasite and Vector Research Unit (PAVRU), Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.,Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
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20
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Globisch D, Eubanks LM, Shirey RJ, Pfarr KM, Wanji S, Debrah AY, Hoerauf A, Janda KD. Validation of onchocerciasis biomarker N-acetyltyramine-O-glucuronide (NATOG). Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:3436-3440. [PMID: 28600214 PMCID: PMC5510726 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.05.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Neglected Tropical Disease onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease. Despite many control programmes by the World Health Organization (WHO), large communities in West and Central Africa are still affected. Besides logistic challenges during biannual mass drug administration, the lack of a robust, point-of-care diagnostic is limiting successful eradication of onchocerciasis. Towards the implementation of a non-invasive and point-of-care diagnostic, we have recently reported the discovery of the biomarker N-acetyltyramine-O-glucuronide (NATOG) in human urine samples using a metabolomics-mining approach. NATOG's biomarker value was enhanced during an investigation in a rodent model. Herein, we further detail the specificity of NATOG in active onchocerciasis infections as well as the co-infecting parasites Loa loa and Mansonella perstans. Our results measured by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) reveal elevated NATOG values in mono- and co-infection samples only in the presence of the nematode Onchocerca volvulus. Metabolic pathway investigation of l-tyrosine/tyramine in all investigated nematodes uncovered an important link between the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia and O. volvulus for the biosynthesis of NATOG. Based on these extended studies, we suggest NATOG as a biomarker for tracking active onchocerciasis infections and provide a threshold concentration value of NATOG for future diagnostic tool development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Globisch
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States; Department of Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Worm Institute of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
| | - Lisa M Eubanks
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States; Department of Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Worm Institute of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Ryan J Shirey
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States; Department of Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Worm Institute of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
| | - Kenneth M Pfarr
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund Freud Straße 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment (REFOTDE), P.O Box 474, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Alexander Y Debrah
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund Freud Straße 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kim D Janda
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States; Department of Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Worm Institute of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
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21
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Comandatore F, Cordaux R, Bandi C, Blaxter M, Darby A, Makepeace BL, Montagna M, Sassera D. Supergroup C Wolbachia, mutualist symbionts of filarial nematodes, have a distinct genome structure. Open Biol 2016; 5:150099. [PMID: 26631376 PMCID: PMC4703054 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.150099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis is possibly the most widespread endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes. While all Wolbachia strains have historically been defined as a single species, 16 monophyletic clusters of diversity (called supergroups) have been described. Different supergroups have distinct host ranges and symbiotic relationships, ranging from mutualism to reproductive manipulation. In filarial nematodes, which include parasites responsible for major diseases of humans (such as Onchocerca volvulus, agent of river blindness) and companion animals (Dirofilaria immitis, the dog heartworm), Wolbachia has an obligate mutualist role and is the target of new treatment regimens. Here, we compare the genomes of eight Wolbachia strains, spanning the diversity of the major supergroups (A–F), analysing synteny, transposable element content, GC skew and gene loss or gain. We detected genomic features that differ between Wolbachia supergroups, most notably in the C and D clades from filarial nematodes. In particular, strains from supergroup C (symbionts of O. volvulus and D. immitis) present a pattern of GC skew, conserved synteny and lack of transposable elements, unique in the Wolbachia genus. These features could be the consequence of a distinct symbiotic relationship between C Wolbachia strains and their hosts, highlighting underappreciated differences between the mutualistic supergroups found within filarial nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Comandatore
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Richard Cordaux
- Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7267 Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose, Poitiers, France
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica (DIVET), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mark Blaxter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, The School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3TF, UK
| | - Alistair Darby
- Institute of Integrative Biology and the Centre for Genomic Research, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Benjamin L Makepeace
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | - Matteo Montagna
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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22
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Drame PM, Montavon C, Pion SD, Kubofcik J, Fay MP, Nutman TB. Molecular Epidemiology of Blood-Borne Human Parasites in a Loa loa-, Mansonella perstans-, and Plasmodium falciparum-Endemic Region of Cameroon. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016; 94:1301-1308. [PMID: 27044568 PMCID: PMC4889748 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the interactions among parasites within their hosts is crucial to the understanding of epidemiology of disease and for the design of effective control strategies. We have conducted an assessment of infections with Loa loa, Mansonella perstans, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Plasmodium falciparum in eastern Cameroon using a highly sensitive and specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay using archived dried whole blood spots. The resident population (N = 1,085) was parasitized with M. perstans (76%), L. loa (39%), and P. falciparum (33%), but not with W. bancrofti Compared with single infections (40.1%), coinfection was more common (48.8%): 21.0% had L. loa-M. perstans (Ll(+)/Mp(+)/Pf(-)), 2.7% had L. loa-P. falciparum (Ll(+)/Pf(+)/Mp(-)), 15.1% had M. perstans-P. falciparum (Mp(+)/Pf(+)/Ll(-)), and 10.0% had L. loa-M. perstans-P. falciparum (Ll(+)/Mp(+)/Pf(+)). Interestingly, those with all three infections (Ll(+)/Mp(+)/Pf(+)) had significantly higher L. loa microfilaria (mf) counts than either single Ll(+) (P = 0.004) or double Ll(+)/Mp(+) (P = 0.024) infected individuals. Of those infected with L. loa, the mean estimated counts of L. loa mf varied based on location and were positively correlated with estimated intensities of M. perstans mf. Finally, at a community level, heavy L. loa infections were concentrated in a few individuals whereby they were likely the major reservoir for infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Papa M. Drame
- *Address correspondence to Papa M. Drame, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 4 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. E-mail:
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23
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Hassan HK, Bolcen S, Kubofcik J, Nutman TB, Eberhard ML, Middleton K, Wekesa JW, Ruedas G, Nelson KJ, Dubielzig R, De Lombaert M, Silverman B, Schorling JJ, Adler PH, Unnasch TR, Beeler ES. Isolation of Onchocerca lupi in Dogs and Black Flies, California, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 21:789-96. [PMID: 25897954 PMCID: PMC4412245 DOI: 10.3201/eid2105.142011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We implicated the black fly as a vector for this filarial zoonotic parasitic infection. In southern California, ocular infections caused by Onchocerca lupi were diagnosed in 3 dogs (1 in 2006, 2 in 2012). The infectious agent was confirmed through morphologic analysis of fixed parasites in tissues and by PCR and sequencing of amplicons derived from 2 mitochondrially encoded genes and 1 nuclear-encoded gene. A nested PCR based on the sequence of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene of the parasite was developed and used to screen Simulium black flies collected from southern California for O. lupi DNA. Six (2.8%; 95% CI 0.6%–5.0%) of 213 black flies contained O. lupi DNA. Partial mitochondrial16S rRNA gene sequences from the infected flies matched sequences derived from black fly larvae cytotaxonomically identified as Simulium tribulatum. These data implicate S. tribulatum flies as a putative vector for O. lupi in southern California.
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24
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Bassene H, Sambou M, Fenollar F, Clarke S, Djiba S, Mourembou G, L Y AB, Raoult D, Mediannikov O. High Prevalence of Mansonella perstans Filariasis in Rural Senegal. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 93:601-6. [PMID: 26078318 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Large parts of African and American countries are colonized by Mansonella, a very common but poorly described filarial nematode. Bloodsucking flies of the genus Culicoides are suspected to be the vector of Mansonella perstans, but no study in Senegal has confirmed that Culicoides can transmit the parasite. Designed specific real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be used to identify microfilaria in stained blood smears. This study was performed in July and December 2010 in the southeastern Senegal, which is known to be endemic for M. perstans. We analyzed 297 blood smears from febrile and afebrile resident people by qPCR. The global prevalence of M. perstans was approximately 14.5% in both febrile and afebrile individuals. The age group of > 30 years had the highest prevalence (22.0%). No Culicoides among 1,159 studied specimens was positive for M. perstans and its vector in Senegal still requires identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Bassene
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Masse Sambou
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Florence Fenollar
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Siân Clarke
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Sawdiatou Djiba
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Gaël Mourembou
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Alioune Badara L Y
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Didier Raoult
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France, and Campus Universitaire UCAD-IRD de Hann, Dakar, Senegal; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Ministry of Health, Fann Résidence, Rue Aimé Césaire, Dakar, Senegal
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25
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Marcos LA, Shapley NP, Eberhard M, Epstein JI, Fox LM, Magill A, Nutman TB. Testicular swelling due to lymphatic filariasis after brief travel to Haiti. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 91:89-91. [PMID: 24865674 PMCID: PMC4080577 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
After 6 months of a trip to Haiti, a 25-year-old healthy man presented with a 6-week history of a very slow progressive intermittent bilateral testicular pain and swelling. The biopsies in both testicles revealed the presence of a dead filarial parasite. Polymerase chain reaction products of the DNA from the biopsy were shown to have a 100% identity to Wuchereria bancrofti. Despite being uncommon in travelers, this presentation of W. bancrofti highlights the possibility of acquiring W. bancrofti during short-term trips to highly endemic regions of the world (i.e., Haiti).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Marcos
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nathan P Shapley
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mark Eberhard
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jonathan I Epstein
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - LeAnne M Fox
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Alan Magill
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Thomas B Nutman
- Infectious Diseases, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Urology Clinic, Wesley Medical Center, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia; Pathology Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Malaria, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Gehringer C, Kreidenweiss A, Flamen A, Antony JS, Grobusch MP, Bélard S. Molecular Evidence ofWolbachiaEndosymbiosis inMansonella perstansin Gabon, Central Africa. J Infect Dis 2014; 210:1633-8. [DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are diseases of severe morbidity that affect the poorest of the poor in the world. The diseases are caused by filarial nematodes that are transmitted by mosquitoes or biting blackflies and are endemic to more than 80 countries worldwide, mainly in the tropics and sub-tropics. Current control programs aim to eliminate the diseases by distributing antifilarial drugs. However, the primary effect of the drugs is to kill the microfilariae in the blood or skin, thus preventing uptake by the obligate insect vector. Since the adult worms live 10 years or longer, drug distribution requires many years of treatment, which is a heavy burden on the burgeoning health care systems. Sub-optimal response, possible resistance and inadequate population coverage lessen the chances for successful elimination in all endemic areas. The search for new drugs that could enhance elimination by permanently sterilizing or killing adult worms has identified the Wolbachia intracellular bacteria of filarial nematodes as a target. Depleting the obligate endosymbionts from the worms with doxycycline or rifampicin causes a permanent block in oogenesis, embryogenesis and development, and in slow death of the adult worms. These two antibiotics are suitable for individual drug administration, but caveats exist for their inclusion in broader drug administration programs. Here we review Wolbachia as targets for antifilarial drug discovery and highlight the natural product corallopyronin A as an effective drug that is currently being developed specifically for use against filarial nematodes.
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Bouchery T, Lefoulon E, Karadjian G, Nieguitsila A, Martin C. The symbiotic role of Wolbachia in Onchocercidae and its impact on filariasis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2013; 19:131-40. [PMID: 23398406 DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic associations between eukaryotes and microorganisms are frequently observed in nature, and range along the continuum between parasitism and mutualism. The genus Wolbachia contains well-known intracellular bacteria of arthropods that induce several reproductive phenotypes that benefit the transmission of the bacteria. Interestingly, Wolbachia bacteria have been found in the Onchocercidae, a family of filarial nematodes, including species that cause human filarial diseases, e.g. lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. The endosymbiont is thought to be mutualistic in the Onchocercidae, and to provide essential metabolites to the filariae. Currently, Wolbachia bacteria are targets of antibiotic therapy with tetracyclines, which have profound effects on the development, viability and fertility of filarial parasites. This overview article presents the Onchocercidae and Wolbachia, and then discusses the origin and the nature of the symbiosis. It highlights the contribution of Wolbachia to the survival of the filariae and to the development of pathology. Finally, the infection control implications for filariases are debated. Potential directions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bouchery
- UMR 7245, MCAM MNHN CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
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Some like it hot: evolution and ecology of novel endosymbionts in bat flies of cave-roosting bats (hippoboscoidea, nycterophiliinae). Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:8639-49. [PMID: 23042170 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02455-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated previously unknown associations between bacterial endosymbionts and bat flies of the subfamily Nycterophiliinae (Diptera, Streblidae). Molecular analyses revealed a novel clade of Gammaproteobacteria in Nycterophilia bat flies. This clade was not closely related to Arsenophonus-like microbes found in its sister genus Phalconomus and other bat flies. High population infection rates in Nycterophilia across a wide geographic area, the presence of the symbionts in pupae, the general codivergence between hosts and symbionts, and high AT composition bias in symbiont genes together suggest that this host-symbiont association is obligate in nature and ancient in origin. Some Nycterophilia samples (14.8%) also contained Wolbachia supergroup F (Alphaproteobacteria), suggesting a facultative symbiosis. Likelihood-based ancestral character mapping revealed that, initially, obligate symbionts exhibited association with host-specific Nycterophilia bat flies that use a broad temperature range of cave environments for pupal development. As this mutualism evolved, the temperature range of bat flies narrowed to an exclusive use of hot caves, which was followed by a secondary broadening of the bat flies' host associations. These results suggest that the symbiosis has influenced the environmental tolerance of parasite life history stages. Furthermore, the contingent change to an expanded host range of Nycterophilia bat flies upon narrowing the ecological niche of their developmental stages suggests that altered environmental tolerance across life history stages may be a crucial factor in shaping parasite-host relationships.
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Lefoulon E, Gavotte L, Junker K, Barbuto M, Uni S, Landmann F, Laaksonen S, Saari S, Nikander S, de Souza Lima S, Casiraghi M, Bain O, Martin C. A new type F Wolbachia from Splendidofilariinae (Onchocercidae) supports the recent emergence of this supergroup. Int J Parasitol 2012; 42:1025-36. [PMID: 23041355 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Revised: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 09/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia are vertically transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes. It is commonly accepted that they co-evolved with their filarial hosts, and have secondarily been lost in some species. However, most of the data on the Wolbachia/Onchocercidae relationship have been derived from studies on two subfamilies, the Dirofilariinae and the Onchocercinae, which harbour parasites of humans and domestic animals. Within the last few years, analyses of more diverse material have suggested that some groups of Onchocercidae do not have Wolbachia, such as recently studied Splendidofilariinae from birds. This study takes advantage of the analysis of additional Splendidofilariinae, Rumenfilaria andersoni from a Finnish reindeer and Madathamugadia hiepei from a South African gecko, using PCR, immunohistochemical staining and whole-mount fluorescent analysis to detect Wolbachia and describe its strains. A DNA barcoding approach and phylogenetic analyses were used to investigate the symbiosis between Wolbachia and the Onchocercidae. A new supergroup F Wolbachia was demonstrated in M. hiepei, representing the first filarial nematode harbouring Wolbachia described in a non-mammalian host. In the adult, Wolbachia infects the female germline but not the hypodermis, and intestinal cells are also infected. The phylogenetic analyses confirmed a recent emergence of supergroup F. They also suggested several events of horizontal transmission between nematodes and arthropods in this supergroup, and the existence of different metabolic interactions between the filarial nematodes and their symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 61 Rue Buffon, Paris Cedex 05, France
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Simonsen PE, Onapa AW, Asio SM. Mansonella perstans filariasis in Africa. Acta Trop 2011; 120 Suppl 1:S109-20. [PMID: 20152790 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2010.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2009] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Mansonella perstans is a vector-borne human filarial nematode, transmitted by tiny blood-sucking flies (biting midges). It is widespread in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and also occurs in parts of Central and South America. Despite the commonness of this parasite very few studies have been carried out on its epidemiology and on the morbidity resulting from it, and only few thorough drug trials have been conducted to look for effective and suitable drugs and drug regimens for treatment and control. Here, we review currently available knowledge on M. perstans infections in Africa, including documented aspects of biology, vectors, transmission, diagnosis, epidemiology, morbidity and treatment. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for more research on this widespread but greatly neglected infection in order to properly assess its public health significance and as a background for identifying and recommending optimal means and strategies for treatment and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Simonsen
- DBL-Centre for Health Research and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 57, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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New insights into the evolution of Wolbachia infections in filarial nematodes inferred from a large range of screened species. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20843. [PMID: 21731626 PMCID: PMC3120775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wolbachia are intriguing symbiotic endobacteria with a peculiar host range that includes arthropods and a single nematode family, the Onchocercidae encompassing agents of filariases. This raises the question of the origin of infection in filariae. Wolbachia infect the female germline and the hypodermis. Some evidences lead to the theory that Wolbachia act as mutualist and coevolved with filariae from one infection event: their removal sterilizes female filariae; all the specimens of a positive species are infected; Wolbachia are vertically inherited; a few species lost the symbiont. However, most data on Wolbachia and filaria relationships derive from studies on few species of Onchocercinae and Dirofilariinae, from mammals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the Wolbachia distribution testing 35 filarial species, including 28 species and 7 genera and/or subgenera newly screened, using PCR, immunohistochemical staining, whole mount fluorescent analysis, and cocladogenesis analysis. (i) Among the newly screened Onchocercinae from mammals eight species harbour Wolbachia but for some of them, bacteria are absent in the hypodermis, or in variable density. (ii) Wolbachia are not detected in the pathological model Monanema martini and in 8, upon 9, species of Cercopithifilaria. (iii) Supergroup F Wolbachia is identified in two newly screened Mansonella species and in Cercopithifilaria japonica. (iv) Type F Wolbachia infect the intestinal cells and somatic female genital tract. (v) Among Oswaldofilariinae, Waltonellinae and Splendidofilariinae, from saurian, anuran and bird respectively, Wolbachia are not detected. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The absence of Wolbachia in 63% of onchocercids, notably in the ancestral Oswaldofilariinae estimated 140 mya old, the diverse tissues or specimens distribution, and a recent lateral transfer in supergroup F Wolbachia, modify the current view on the role and evolution of the endosymbiont and their hosts. Further genomic analyses on some of the newly sampled species are welcomed to decipher the open questions.
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Ravikumar H, Ramachandraswamy N, Puttaraju HP. Molecular strain typing of Wolbachia infection from Indian mosquitoes using wsp gene. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(11)60046-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Slatko BE, Taylor MJ, Foster JM. The Wolbachia endosymbiont as an anti-filarial nematode target. Symbiosis 2010; 51:55-65. [PMID: 20730111 PMCID: PMC2918796 DOI: 10.1007/s13199-010-0067-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2009] [Accepted: 05/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human disease caused by parasitic filarial nematodes is a major cause of global morbidity. The parasites are transmitted by arthropod intermediate hosts and are responsible for lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) or onchocerciasis (river blindness). Within these filarial parasites are intracellular alpha-proteobacteria, Wolbachia, that were first observed almost 30 years ago. The obligate endosymbiont has been recognized as a target for anti-filarial nematode chemotherapy as evidenced by the loss of worm fertility and viability upon antibiotic treatment in an extensive series of human trials. While current treatments with doxycycline and rifampicin are not practical for widespread use due to the length of required treatments and contraindications, anti-Wolbachia targeting nevertheless appears a promising alternative for filariasis control in situations where current programmatic strategies fail or are unable to be delivered and it provides a superior efficacy for individual therapy. The mechanisms that underlie the symbiotic relationship between Wolbachia and its nematode hosts remain elusive. Comparative genomics, bioinfomatic and experimental analyses have identified a number of potential interactions, which may be drug targets. One candidate is de novo heme biosynthesis, due to its absence in the genome sequence of the host nematode, Brugia malayi, but presence in Wolbachia and its potential roles in worm biology. We describe this and several additional candidate targets, as well as our approaches for understanding the nature of the host-symbiont relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barton E. Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938 USA
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA UK
| | - Jeremy M. Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938 USA
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Turner JD, Tendongfor N, Esum M, Johnston KL, Langley RS, Ford L, Faragher B, Specht S, Mand S, Hoerauf A, Enyong P, Wanji S, Taylor MJ. Macrofilaricidal activity after doxycycline only treatment of Onchocerca volvulus in an area of Loa loa co-endemicity: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4:e660. [PMID: 20405054 PMCID: PMC2854122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The risk of severe adverse events following treatment of onchocerciasis with ivermectin in areas co-endemic with loiasis currently compromises the development of control programmes and the treatment of co-infected individuals. We therefore assessed whether doxycycline treatment could be used without subsequent ivermectin administration to effectively deliver sustained effects on Onchocerca volvulus microfilaridermia and adult viability. Furthermore we assessed the safety of doxycycline treatment prior to ivermectin administration in a subset of onchocerciasis individuals co-infected with low to moderate intensities of Loa loa microfilaraemia. METHODS A double-blind, randomized, field trial was conducted of 6 weeks of doxycycline (200 mg/day) alone, doxycycline in combination with ivermectin (150 microg/kg) at +4 months or placebo matching doxycycline + ivermectin at +4 months in 150 individuals infected with Onchocerca volvulus. A further 22 individuals infected with O. volvulus and low to moderate intensities of Loa loa infection were administered with a course of 6 weeks doxycycline with ivermectin at +4 months. Treatment efficacy was determined at 4, 12 and 21 months after the start of doxycycline treatment together with the frequency and severity of adverse events. RESULTS One hundred and four (60.5%) participants completed all treatment allocations and follow up assessments over the 21-month trial period. At 12 months, doxycycline/ivermectin treated individuals had lower levels of microfilaridermia and higher frequency of amicrofilaridermia compared with ivermectin or doxycycline only groups. At 21 months, microfilaridermia in doxycycline/ivermectin and doxycycline only groups was significantly reduced compared to the ivermectin only group. 89% of the doxycycline/ivermectin group and 67% of the doxycycline only group were amicrofilaridermic, compared with 21% in the ivermectin only group. O. volvulus from doxycycline groups were depleted of Wolbachia and all embryonic stages in utero. Notably, the viability of female adult worms was significantly reduced in doxycycline treated groups and the macrofilaricidal and sterilising activity was unaffected by the addition of ivermectin. Treatment with doxycycline was well tolerated and the incidence of adverse event to doxycycline or ivermectin did not significantly deviate between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS A six-week course of doxycycline delivers macrofilaricidal and sterilizing activities, which is not dependent upon co-administration of ivermectin. Doxycycline is well tolerated in patients co-infected with moderate intensities of L. loa microfilariae. Therefore, further trials are warranted to assess the safety and efficacy of doxycycline-based interventions to treat onchocerciasis in individuals at risk of serious adverse reactions to standard treatments due to the co-occurrence of high intensities of L. loa parasitaemias. The development of an anti-wolbachial treatment regime compatible with MDA control programmes could offer an alternative to the control of onchocerciasis in areas of co-endemicity with loiasis and at risk of severe adverse reactions to ivermectin. TRIAL REGISTRATION Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN48118452.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Turner
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Tendongfor
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Mathias Esum
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Kelly L. Johnston
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - R. Stuart Langley
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Ford
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Faragher
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine Specht
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sabine Mand
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Peter Enyong
- Tropical Medicine Research Station, Kumba, Cameroon
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment (REFOTDE), Buea, Cameroon
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Filariasis Research Laboratory, Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Many insects are dependent on bacterial symbionts that provide essential nutrients (ex. aphid-Buchnera and tsetse-Wiglesworthia associations), wherein the symbionts are harbored in specific cells called bacteriocytes that constitute a symbiotic organ bacteriome. Facultative and parasitic bacterial symbionts like Wolbachia have been regarded as evolutionarily distinct from such obligate nutritional mutualists. However, we discovered that, in the bedbug Cimex lectularius, Wolbachia resides in a bacteriome and appears to be an obligate nutritional mutualist. Two bacterial symbionts, a Wolbachia strain and an unnamed gamma-proteobacterium, were identified from different strains of the bedbug. The Wolbachia symbiont was detected from all of the insects examined whereas the gamma-proteobacterium was found in a part of them. The Wolbachia symbiont was specifically localized in the bacteriomes and vertically transmitted via the somatic stem cell niche of germalia to oocytes, infecting the incipient symbiotic organ at an early stage of the embryogenesis. Elimination of the Wolbachia symbiont resulted in retarded growth and sterility of the host insect. These deficiencies were rescued by oral supplementation of B vitamins, confirming the essential nutritional role of the symbiont for the host. The estimated genome size of the Wolbachia symbiont was around 1.3 Mb, which was almost equivalent to the genome sizes of parasitic Wolbachia strains of other insects. These results indicate that bacteriocyte-associated nutritional mutualism can evolve from facultative and prevalent microbial associates like Wolbachia, highlighting a previously unknown aspect of the parasitism-mutualism evolutionary continuum.
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Coulibaly YI, Dembele B, Diallo AA, Lipner EM, Doumbia SS, Coulibaly SY, Konate S, Diallo DA, Yalcouye D, Kubofcik J, Doumbo OK, Traore AK, Keita AD, Fay MP, Traore SF, Nutman TB, Klion AD. A randomized trial of doxycycline for Mansonella perstans infection. N Engl J Med 2009; 361:1448-58. [PMID: 19812401 PMCID: PMC3410935 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa0900863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mansonella perstans infection is common in areas of Africa where Wuchereria bancrofti, a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, is endemic. M. perstans is refractory to standard antifilarial therapies. The recent discovery of bacterial endosymbionts (e.g., wolbachia) in most filarial species, including M. perstans, provides new therapeutic options for reducing microfilaremia. METHODS In an open-label, randomized trial, we recruited subjects with M. perstans microfilaremia, with or without concomitant W. bancrofti infection, from four villages in Mali and randomly assigned them to receive doxycycline, at a dose of 200 mg daily for 6 weeks (106 subjects), or no treatment (110). At 6 months, subjects who were coinfected with W. bancrofti underwent a second random assignment, to treatment with a single dose of albendazole (400 mg) and ivermectin (150 microg per kilogram of body weight) or no treatment. Subjects were monitored daily during the first 6-week study period for adverse events. M. perstans and W. bancrofti microfilarial levels were assessed at 6, 12, and 36 months. RESULTS At 12 months, 67 of 69 subjects who had received treatment with doxycycline only (97%) had no detectable M. perstans microfilariae per 60 microl of blood, as compared with 10 of 63 subjects who had received no treatment (16%) (relative risk, 6.18; 95% confidence interval, 3.63 to 11.89; P<0.001). At 36 months, M. perstans microfilaremia remained suppressed in 48 of 64 subjects who had received treatment with doxycycline only (75%), a finding that was consistent with a macrofilaricidal effect of doxycycline. Vomiting was more frequent in the doxycycline-treated group than in the untreated group (17% vs. 4%). CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with previous findings that M. perstans harbors the intracellular endosymbiont, wolbachia, and suggest that doxycycline is an effective therapy for M. perstans infection. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00340691.)
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya I Coulibaly
- Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
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An endosymbiotic bacterium in a plant-parasitic nematode: Member of a new Wolbachia supergroup. Int J Parasitol 2009; 39:1045-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Filariasis: new drugs and new opportunities for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2008; 21:673-81. [DOI: 10.1097/qco.0b013e328315cde7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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