Infectivity, growth, distribution and acetabular attachment of a one-hundred metacercarial cyst inoculum of Echinostoma trivolvis in ICR mice

Recent Advances in the Biology of Echinostoma species in the “revolutum” Group

This review examines the significant literature on the biology of Echinostoma species in the "revolutum" group. We have considered 10 species belonging to this group. There is a considerable body of literature for four of the species, i.e. Echinostoma caproni, E. trivolvis, E. paraensei and E. revolutum. For these species we have arranged coverage to include the following headings: (1) systematic and descriptive studies; (2) experimental, manipulative and ecological studies; (3) physiological and biochemical studies; (4) immunological and molecular studies. For the remaining six species, i.e. E. friedi, E. miyagawai, E. echinatum, E. parvocirris, E. luisyrei and E. jurini, the literature is not very extensive, and headings were not used. Considerable information in various areas of modern parasitology can be obtained from species in the "revolutum" complex for which the entire life cycle is maintained in the laboratory. The review includes a list of researchers and their addresses who currently maintain such life cycles.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting anti-Echinostoma trivolvis (trematoda) IgG in experimentally infected ICR mice. Cross-reactivity with E. caproni

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) utilizing surface glycocalyx-membrane crude antigen of adult Echinostoma trivolvis was developed for the detection of circulating anti-E. trivolvis IgG in experimentally infected ICR mice. An antigen concentration of 10.0 micrograms/ml was used, and it was possible to detect anti-E. trivolvis IgG at a dilution of 1/3,200. On day 10 postinfection (p.i.), all infected mice had anti-E. trivolvis IgG reactive with the surface glycocalyx antigen. The IgG level varied over a 40-day period, showing a time-dependent pattern with a peak on day 16 p.i. The results concerning reciprocal cross-reactivity indicate that adult E. trivolvis and E. caproni share at least some of the surface antigens and express species-specific antigenic determinants in ICR mice at similar, nonsignificantly (P = 0.76) different levels.

A case of echinostomiasis with ulcerative lesions in the duodenum

Echinostomiasis is an endemic intestinal trematodiasis of humans in Korea. We observed a human case of Echinostoma hortense infection who had ulcerations on the duodenal mucosa. A 55-year old man living in Hamyang-gun, Kyongnam, complained of epigastric pain with hematemesis in April 1994. Endoscopy revealed lesions of early gastric cancer and duodenal ulcerations. A penetrating parasite into the duodenal mucosa was picked out, and identified as E. hortense. As the patient was treated with praziquantel 10 mg/kg single dose, 3 more E. hortense and 7 Metagonimus worms were recovered. This case demonstrates that echinostomiasis causes gross ulcerations in the duodenum.