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Aghayan SA, Asikyan MV, Shcherbakov O, Ghazaryan A, Hayrapetyan T, Malkhasyan A, Gevorgyan H, Makarikov A, Kornienko S, Daryani A. Toxoplasma gondii in rodents and shrews in Armenia, Transcaucasia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024; 25:100987. [PMID: 39315341 PMCID: PMC11417516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infections in small mammals are important because they serve as source of infection for the felids who excrete environmentally resistant oocysts in their feces. Here, the authors sought evidence for T. gondii infection in shrews and rodents in Armenia for the first time. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in tissues of trapped animals using a specific PCR targeting gene with a non-coding fragment length of 529 bp. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was detected in 15 out of 137 (10.9%) samples from small mammals from 6 different localities of Armenia for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sargis A. Aghayan
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, NAS RA, 7 P. Sevak st., Yerevan, 0014, Armenia
- Chair of Zoology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alek Manukyan St, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | - Manan V. Asikyan
- Chair of Zoology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alek Manukyan St, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | - Oleg Shcherbakov
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, NAS RA, 7 P. Sevak st., Yerevan, 0014, Armenia
- Research Center of Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise, Armenian National Agrarian University, 74 Teryan St, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | - Astghik Ghazaryan
- Chair of Zoology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alek Manukyan St, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | - Tigran Hayrapetyan
- Chair of Zoology, Yerevan State University, 1 Alek Manukyan St, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | | | - Hasmik Gevorgyan
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, NAS RA, 7 P. Sevak st., Yerevan, 0014, Armenia
| | - Arseny Makarikov
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Ulitsa Frunze, 11, Novosibirsk, 630091, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia
| | - Svetlana Kornienko
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Ulitsa Frunze, 11, Novosibirsk, 630091, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, NAS RA, 7 P. Sevak st., Yerevan, 0014, Armenia
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran Province, Sari, North Ring, H27P+84G, Iran
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Chauhan R, Tiwari M, Chaudhary A, Sharan Thakur R, Pande V, Das J. Chemokines: A key driver for inflammation in protozoan infection. Int Rev Immunol 2023; 43:211-228. [PMID: 37980574 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2023.2281566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Chemokines belong to the group of small proteins within the cytokine family having strong chemo-attractant properties. In most cases, the strong immuno-modulatory role of chemokines is crucial for generating the immune response against pathogens in various protozoan diseases. In this review, we have given a brief update on the classification, characterization, homeostasis, transcellular migration, and immuno-modulatory role of chemokines. Here we will evaluate the potential role of chemokines and their regulation in various protozoan diseases. There is a significant direct relationship between parasitic infection and the recruitment of effector cells of the immune response. Chemokines play an indispensable role in mediating several defense mechanisms against infection, such as leukocyte recruitment and the generation of innate and cell-mediated immunity that aids in controlling/eliminating the pathogen. This process is controlled by the chemotactic movement of chemokines induced as a primary host immune response. We have also addressed that chemokine expressions during infection are time-dependent and orchestrated in a systematic pattern that ultimately assists in generating a protective immune response. Taken together, this review provides a systematic understanding of the complexity of chemokines profiles during protozoan disease conditions and the rationale of targeting chemokines for the development of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubika Chauhan
- Parasite-Host Biology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Mrinalini Tiwari
- Parasite-Host Biology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Amrendra Chaudhary
- Parasite-Host Biology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Reva Sharan Thakur
- Parasite-Host Biology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Biotechnology Department, Kumaun University, Nainital, India
| | - Jyoti Das
- Parasite-Host Biology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
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Shen Y, Zheng B, Sun H, Wu S, Fan J, Ding J, Gao M, Kong Q, Lou D, Ding H, Zhuo X, Lu S. A live attenuated RHΔompdcΔuprt mutant of Toxoplasma gondii induces strong protective immunity against toxoplasmosis in mice and cats. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:60. [PMID: 37322556 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01109-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite and is responsible for zoonotic toxoplasmosis. It is essential to develop an effective anti-T. gondii vaccine for the control of toxoplasmosis, and this study is to explore the immunoprotective effects of a live attenuated vaccine in mice and cats. METHODS First, the ompdc and uprt genes of T. gondii were deleted through the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Then, the intracellular proliferation and virulence of this mutant strain were evaluated. Subsequently, the immune responses induced by this mutant in mice and cats were detected, including antibody titers, cytokine levels, and subsets of T lymphocytes. Finally, the immunoprotective effects were evaluated by challenge with tachyzoites of different strains in mice or cysts of the ME49 strain in cats. Furthermore, to discover the effective immune element against toxoplasmosis, passive immunizations were carried out. GraphPad Prism software was used to conduct the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test, Student's t test and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS The RHΔompdcΔuprt were constructed by the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Compared with the wild-type strain, the mutant notably reduced proliferation (P < 0.05). In addition, the mutant exhibited virulence attenuation in both murine (BALB/c and BALB/c-nu) and cat models. Notably, limited pathological changes were found in tissues from RHΔompdcΔuprt-injected mice. Furthermore, compared with nonimmunized group, high levels of IgG (IgG1 and IgG2a) antibodies and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-2 and IL-12) in mice were detected by the mutant (P < 0.05). Remarkably, all RHΔompdcΔuprt-vaccinated mice survived a lethal challenge with RHΔku80 and ME49 and WH6 strains. The immunized sera and splenocytes, especially CD8+ T cells, could significantly extend (P < 0.05) the survival time of mice challenged with the RHΔku80 strain compared with naïve mice. In addition, compared with nonimmunized cats, cats immunized with the mutant produced high levels of antibodies and cytokines (P < 0.05), and notably decreased the shedding numbers of oocysts in feces (95.3%). CONCLUSIONS The avirulent RHΔompdcΔuprt strain can provide strong anti-T. gondii immune responses, and is a promising candidate for developing a safe and effective live attenuated vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hao Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Songrui Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiyuan Fan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianzu Ding
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qingming Kong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Di Lou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haojie Ding
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xunhui Zhuo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Shaohong Lu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
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Escobar-Guevara EE, de Quesada-Martínez ME, Roldán-Dávila YB, Alarcón de Noya B, Alfonzo-Díaz MA. Defects in immune response to Toxoplasma gondii are associated with enhanced HIV-1-related neurocognitive impairment in co-infected patients. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285976. [PMID: 37224128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and Toxoplasma gondii can invade the central nervous system and affect its functionality. Advanced HIV-1 infection has been associated with defects in immune response to T. gondii, leading to reactivation of latent infections and development of toxoplasmic encephalitis. This study evaluates relationship between changes in immune response to T. gondii and neurocognitive impairment in HIV-1/T. gondii co-infected patients, across different stages of HIV-1 infection. The study assessed the immune response to T. gondii by measuring cytokine production in response to parasite antigens, and also neurocognitive functions by performing auditory and visual P300 cognitive evoked potentials, short term memory (Sternberg) and executive function tasks (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-WCST) in 4 groups of individuals: HIV-1/T. gondii co-infected (P2), HIV-1-infected/T. gondii-non-infected (P1), HIV-1-non-infected/T. gondii-infected (C2) and HIV-1-non-infected/T. gondii-non-infected (C1). Patients (P1 and P2) were grouped in early/asymptomatic (P1A and P2A) or late/symptomatic (P1B/C and P2B/C) according to peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocyte counts (>350 or <350/μL, respectively). Groups were compared using T-student or U-Mann-Whitney tests as appropriate, p<0.05 was considered as significantly. For P300 waves, HIV-1-infected patients (P1) had significantly longer latencies and significantly smaller amplitudes than uninfected controls, but HIV-1/T. gondii co-infected patients (P2) had significantly longer latencies and smaller amplitude than P1. P1 patients had significantly poorer results than uninfected controls in Sternberg and WCST, but P2 had significantly worse results than P1. HIV-1 infection was associated with significantly lower production of IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ in response to T. gondii from early/asymptomatic stages, when comparing P2 patients to C2 controls. These findings may indicate impairment in anti-parasitic response in co-infected patients, facilitating early limited reactivation of the parasitic latent infection, therefore creating cumulative damage in the brain and affecting neurocognitive functions from asymptomatic stages of HIV-1 infection, as suggested by defects in co-infected patients in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Eliel Escobar-Guevara
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunophysiology, José Maria Vargas School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Immunology, José Maria Vargas School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Laboratory of Physiopathology, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Caracas, Venezuela
| | | | - Yhajaira Beatriz Roldán-Dávila
- Service of Infectology, José Ignacio Baldó Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Microbiology, José Maria Vargas School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | | | - Miguel Antonio Alfonzo-Díaz
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunophysiology, José Maria Vargas School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Department of Physiology, José Maria Vargas School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Academic Department, Salvador Allende Latin-American School of Medicine, San Antonio de Los Altos, Miranda State, Venezuela
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Arrighi F, Granese A, Chimenti P, Guglielmi P. Novel therapeutic opportunities for Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia intestinalis infections. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:211-245. [PMID: 37099697 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2206017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia intestinalis are the causative agents of Toxoplasmosis, Trichomoniasis and Giardiasis, three important infections threatening human health and affecting millions of people worldwide. Although drugs and treatment are available to fight these protozoan parasites, side-effects and increasing drug resistance, require continuous efforts for the development of novel effective drugs. AREAS COVERED The patents search was carried out in September/October 2022 with four official scientific databases (Espacenet, Scifinder, Reaxys, Google Patents). Treatments for Toxoplasmosis, Trichomoniasis and Giardiasis (2015-2022) have been grouped according to their chemotypes. In particular, novel chemical entities have been reported and investigated for their structure-activity relationship, when accessible. On the other hand, drug repurposing, extensively exploited to obtain novel anti-protozoal treatment, has been in-depth described. Finally, natural metabolites and extracts have also been reported. EXPERT OPINION T. gondii, T. vaginalis and G. intestinalis are protozoan infections usually controlled by immune system in immunocompetent patients; however, they could represent a threatening health for immunocompromised people. The needs of novel effective drugs, endowed with new mechanisms of actions arises from the increasing drug resistance affecting antibiotic as well as antiprotozoal therapies. In this review different therapeutic approaches to treat protozoan infections have been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Arrighi
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Granese
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Chimenti
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Guglielmi
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Petersen E, Meroni V, Vasconcelos-Santos DV, Mandelbrot L, Peyron F. Congenital toxoplasmosis: Should we still care about screening? Food Waterborne Parasitol 2022; 27:e00162. [PMID: 35782022 PMCID: PMC9249550 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2022.e00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal systematic screening for congenital toxoplasmosis has been performed in Austria and France since 1975 and neonatal screening for congenital toxoplasmosis has been part of the New England Newborn screening program since 1986. In this narrative review we review the data leading up to the systematic screening programs in Austria and France, highlighting the main finding of the European Union funded research in the 1990s and early 2000s. Different descriptive studies of the effect of pre- or postnatal treatment are discussed. Toxoplasma gondii has different genetic lineages with different pathogenicity in humans. This means that results in areas with a low pathogenic lineage cannot be extrapolated to an area with highly pathogenic lineages. The importance of meat as a source of infection is discussed in the light of an increased prevalence of T.gondii in organic livestock production .
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Affiliation(s)
- Eskild Petersen
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark
- European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infections Task Force, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Meroni
- Molecular Medicine Department, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Laurent Mandelbrot
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Louis Mourier, Colombes, France; Université de Paris; Inserm IAME-U1137, Paris, France; FHU PREMA, Paris, France
| | - Francois Peyron
- Institut de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale Hôpital de la Croix Rousse, Lyon, France
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Lodoen MB, Smith NC, Soldati-Favre D, Ferguson DJP, van Dooren GG. Nanos gigantium humeris insidentes: old papers informing new research into Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:1193-1212. [PMID: 34736901 PMCID: PMC10538201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Since Nicolle, Manceaux and Splendore first described Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite of rodents and rabbits in the early 20th century, a diverse and vigorous research community has been built around studying this fascinating intracellular parasite. In addition to its importance as a pathogen of humans, livestock and wildlife, modern researchers are attracted to T. gondii as a facile experimental system to study many aspects of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, host-microbe interactions, and host immunity. For new researchers entering the field, the extensive literature describing the biology of the parasite, and the interactions with its host, can be daunting. In this review, we examine four foundational studies that describe various aspects of T. gondii biology, presenting a 'journal club'-style analysis of each. We have chosen a paper that established the beguiling life cycle of the parasite (Hutchison et al., 1971), a paper that described key features of its cellular biology that the parasite shares with related organisms (Gustafson et al., 1954), a paper that characterised the origin of the unique compartment in which the parasite resides within host cells (Jones and Hirsch, 1972), and a paper that established a key mechanism in the host immune response to parasite infection (Pfefferkorn, 1984). These interesting and far-reaching studies set the stage for subsequent research into numerous facets of parasite biology. As well as providing new researchers with an entry point into the literature surrounding the parasite, revisiting these studies can remind us of the roots of our discipline, how far we have come, and the new directions in which we might head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Lodoen
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nicholas C Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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Zhang Y, Hu W, Liu Q, Ma Z, Hu S, Zhang Z, Jia H, He X. Expression of immunoproteasome subunits in the brains of Toxoplasma gondii-infected mice. Exp Mol Pathol 2021; 123:104684. [PMID: 34547302 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2021.104684] [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: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The immunoproteasomes are specific proteasomes that clear oxidant-damaged proteins under inflammatory conditions in various diseases. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infects the central nervous system and causeencephalitis. However, the relationship between the immunoproteasomes and brain inflammation during T. gondii infection is not well characterized. In this study, we established an in vivo mouse model of T. gondii PLK strain infection via intraperitoneal injection and evaluated the expression of immunoproteasome subunits in the brains of infected mice. The results demonstrated that first, pathological changes in the brains of infected mice increase in severity over time. Second, following T. gondii infection, activated microglia and astrocytes undergo a series of functional alterations and morphological transformations, including proliferation and migration. Third, T. gondii infection induces expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Fourth, the immunoproteasome subunits low-molecular-weight polypeptide 2 (LMP2), LMP7, and LMP10 mRNA and protein levels are significantly upregulated in T. gondii-infected mouse brains, as shown by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, compared with that in vehicle-treated brains, and their expression is localized in the microglia, astrocytes, and neurons of T. gondii-infected brains, as determined via immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, the western blot mean gray value for the immunoproteasome subunits and the positive microglia and astrocyte immunohistochemical signals in the brains of T. gondii-infected mice were positively correlated, indicating that the observed relationships were highly significant. Therefore, it was concluded that the induction of the immunoproteasomes is a pathogenic mechanism underlying T. gondii infection-induced inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China; Nanchong Key Laboratory of Disease Prevention, Control and Detection in Livestock and Poultry, Nanchong Vocational and Technical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Zelin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Shouping Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Honglin Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Xijun He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
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9
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De Mattos LC, Ferreira AIC, de Oliveira KY, Nakashima F, Brandão CC. The Potential Contribution of ABO, Lewis and Secretor Histo-Blood Group Carbohydrates in Infection by Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:671958. [PMID: 34222043 PMCID: PMC8251793 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.671958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The glycosyltransferases encoded by genes from the human ABO, Lewis, and Secretor histo-blood group systems synthesize part of the carbohydrate antigens in hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic tissues. The combined action of these glycosyltransferases strongly influences cell, tissue, mucosa, and exocrine secretion carbohydrate phenotypes, including those serving as habitat for mutualistic and pathogenic microorganisms. A set of reports investigated associations between Toxoplasma gondii infection and the ABO histo-blood group system, but the results are contradictory. As T. gondii uses the gastrointestinal tract as a route for infection, and in this organ, the expression of ABO, Lewis, and Secretor histo-blood group carbohydrates occurs, it is reasonable to suppose some biological relationship between them. This text reviewed association studies published in recent decades focusing on the potential contribution of the ABO, Lewis, and Secretor histo-blood group carbohydrates and infection by T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Carlos De Mattos
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Ana Iara Costa Ferreira
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Karina Younan de Oliveira
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Nakashima
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Cinara Cássia Brandão
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
- FAMERP Toxoplasma Research Group, Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine – FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
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10
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Ramakrishnan C, Smith NC. Recent achievements and doors opened for coccidian parasite research and development through transcriptomics of enteric sexual stages. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 243:111373. [PMID: 33961917 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The Coccidia is the largest group of parasites within the Apicomplexa, a phylum of unicellular, obligate parasites characterized by the possession of an apical complex of organelles and structures in the asexual stages of their life cycles, as well as by a sexual reproductive phase that occurs enterically in host animals. Coccidian sexual reproduction involves morphologically distinct microgametes and macrogametes that combine to form a diploid zygote and, ultimately, following meiosis and mitosis, haploid, infectious sporozoites, inside sporocysts within an oocyst. Recent transcriptomic analyses have identified genes involved in coccidian sexual stage development and reproduction, including genes encoding for microgamete- and macrogamete-specific proteins with roles in gamete motility, fusion and fertilization, and in the formation of the resilient oocyst wall that allows coccidians to persist for long periods in the environment. Transcriptomics has also provided important clues about the regulation of gene expression in the transformation of parasites from one developmental stage to the next, a complex sequence of events that may involve transcription factors such as the apicomplexan Apetala2 (ApiAP2) family, alternative splicing, regulatory RNAs and MORC (a microrchida homologue and regulator of sexual stage development in Toxoplasma gondii). The molecular dissection of coccidian sexual development and reproduction by transcriptomic analyses may lead to the development of novel transmission-blocking strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Ramakrishnan
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas C Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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11
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Abuseir S. Meat-borne parasites in the Arab world: a review in a One Health perspective. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:4153-4166. [PMID: 33856533 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07149-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Meat-borne parasitic zoonoses are generally not well-monitored, and so understanding extent and overall prevalence is problematic. Without sufficient attention, their prevalence can become unexpectedly and unacceptably high. This review sheds light on meat-borne parasites in the Arab world, which includes all the Arab countries situated in the continents of Asia and Africa, with more than 400 million inhabitants distributed in 22 countries. Meat-borne parasites can be divided into two main categories-helminths and protozoa. The main helminths included in this review are Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, Taenia asiatica, Echinococcus spp., Fasciola spp., and Trichinella spiralis, while the meat-borne protozoan parasites are Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium spp., and Sarcocystis spp. In addition, Linguatula serrata, which belongs to the class Pentastomida, was included. Among those, the genus Taenia is the most frequently reported in the Arab world, particularly T. saginata. Many parasitic infections that are mainly transmitted through pork, although widespread in many parts of the world, are rare in the Arab countries, primarily due to religious proscriptions. The majority of the publications concerning meat-borne parasites were from Egypt, which contains the largest population in the Arab world and the highest population density, in addition to various economic, social, and environmental reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh Abuseir
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, An-Najah National University, P. O. Box 7, Nablus, West Bank, Palestine.
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12
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Kakakhel MA, Wu F, Anwar Z, Saif I, Akbar NU, Gul N, Ali I, Feng H, Wang W. The presence of Toxoplasma gondii in soil, their transmission, and their influence on the small ruminants and human population: A review. Microb Pathog 2021; 158:104850. [PMID: 33766632 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The ecosystem approach has been developed since the 1940s. An ecosystem is a community of living organism and their interaction and conjugation with abiotic factors of the environment. The ecosystem is not endemic to the aquatic environment only but, the terrestrial environment is also considered to be a part of an ecosystem. Soil act as mother role for the survival of different microorganism. The Toxoplasma gondii oocysts stay survive for a long time in the soil. This presence of these oocysts might critically enhance the success of this parasite in two ways. First, this parasite can widespread; second, it can create a lot of consequences regarding animals and their economic value. Soil contamination caused by Toxoplasma gondii Y is a significant and profound issue for animals and public health. Therefore, the current study was aimed to summarize and correlate the soil and parasite, their transmission, infection, and some aspects related to T. gondii. The small animals are pose at a high risk therefore, it was concluded that some preventive measures should be taken to keep secure itself from zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mian Adnan Kakakhel
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Fasi Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; National Research Center for Conservation of Ancient Wall Paintings and Earthen Sites, Conservation Institute, Dunhuang Academy, Dunhuang, Gansu, 736200, PR China
| | - Zahid Anwar
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, 330031, PR China
| | - Irfan Saif
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Noor Ul Akbar
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Naila Gul
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Ihsan Ali
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, 710069, PR China
| | - Huyuan Feng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
| | - Wanfu Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China; National Research Center for Conservation of Ancient Wall Paintings and Earthen Sites, Conservation Institute, Dunhuang Academy, Dunhuang, Gansu, 736200, PR China; Key Scientific Research Base of Conservation for Ancient Mural, State Administration for Cultural Heritage, Dunhuang, 736200, Gansu, PR China.
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13
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Dehydroepiandrosterone Effect on Toxoplasma gondii: Molecular Mechanisms Associated to Parasite Death. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030513. [PMID: 33801356 PMCID: PMC8000356 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the apicomplexa protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This disease is a health burden, mainly in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has proved to be an important molecule that could drive resistance against a variety of infections, including intracellular parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanozoma cruzi, among others. However, to date, the role of DHEA on T. gondii has not been explored. Here, we demonstrated for the first time the toxoplasmicidal effect of DHEA on extracellular tachyzoites. Ultrastructural analysis of treated parasites showed that DHEA alters the cytoskeleton structures, leading to the loss of the organelle structure and organization as well as the loss of the cellular shape. In vitro treatment with DHEA reduces the viability of extracellular tachyzoites and the passive invasion process. Two-dimensional (2D) SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that in the presence of the hormone, a progesterone receptor membrane component (PGRMC) with a cytochrome b5 family heme/steroid binding domain-containing protein was expressed, while the expression of proteins that are essential for motility and virulence was highly reduced. Finally, in vivo DHEA treatment induced a reduction of parasitic load in male, but not in female mice.
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Smith NC, Goulart C, Hayward JA, Kupz A, Miller CM, van Dooren GG. Control of human toxoplasmosis. Int J Parasitol 2020; 51:95-121. [PMID: 33347832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite that is able to infect any nucleated cell in any warm-blooded animal. Toxoplasma gondii infects around 2 billion people and, whilst only a small percentage of infected people will suffer serious disease, the prevalence of the parasite makes it one of the most damaging zoonotic diseases in the world. Toxoplasmosis is a disease with multiple manifestations: it can cause a fatal encephalitis in immunosuppressed people; if first contracted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage or congenital defects in the neonate; and it can cause serious ocular disease, even in immunocompetent people. The disease has a complex epidemiology, being transmitted by ingestion of oocysts that are shed in the faeces of definitive feline hosts and contaminate water, soil and crops, or by consumption of intracellular cysts in undercooked meat from intermediate hosts. In this review we examine current and future approaches to control toxoplasmosis, which encompass a variety of measures that target different components of the life cycle of T. gondii. These include: education programs about the parasite and avoidance of contact with infectious stages; biosecurity and sanitation to ensure food and water safety; chemo- and immunotherapeutics to control active infections and disease; prophylactic options to prevent acquisition of infection by livestock and cyst formation in meat; and vaccines to prevent shedding of oocysts by definitive feline hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
| | - Cibelly Goulart
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Jenni A Hayward
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Andreas Kupz
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Catherine M Miller
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Science, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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15
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de Campos VS, Calaza KC, Adesse D. Implications of TORCH Diseases in Retinal Development-Special Focus on Congenital Toxoplasmosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:585727. [PMID: 33194824 PMCID: PMC7649341 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.585727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There are certain critical periods during pregnancy when the fetus is at high risk for exposure to teratogens. Some microorganisms, including Toxoplasma gondii, are known to exhibit teratogenic effects, interfering with fetal development and causing irreversible disturbances. T. gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite and the etiological agent of Toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis that affects one third of the world's population. Although congenital infection can cause severe fetal damage, the injury extension depends on the gestational period of infection, among other factors, like parasite genotype and host immunity. This parasite invades the Central Nervous System (CNS), forming tissue cysts, and can interfere with neurodevelopment, leading to frequent neurological abnormalities associated with T. gondii infection. Therefore, T. gondii is included in the TORCH complex of infectious diseases that may lead to neurological malformations (Toxoplasmosis, Others, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes). The retina is part of CNS, as it is derived from the diencephalon. Except for astrocytes and microglia, retinal cells originate from multipotent neural progenitors. After cell cycle exit, cells migrate to specific layers, undergo morphological and neurochemical differentiation, form synapses and establish their circuits. The retina is organized in nuclear layers intercalated by plexus, responsible for translating and preprocessing light stimuli and for sending this information to the brain visual nuclei for image perception. Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is a very debilitating condition and may present high severity in areas in which virulent strains are found. However, little is known about the effect of congenital infection on the biology of retinal progenitors/ immature cells and how this infection may affect the development of this tissue. In this context, this study reviews the effects that congenital infections may cause to the developing retina and the cellular and molecular aspects of these diseases, with special focus on congenital OT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Souza de Campos
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Retina, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karin C. Calaza
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Retina, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil
| | - Daniel Adesse
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Polyphyletic origin, intracellular invasion, and meiotic genes in the putatively asexual agamococcidians (Apicomplexa incertae sedis). Sci Rep 2020; 10:15847. [PMID: 32985520 PMCID: PMC7522995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72287-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Agamococcidians are enigmatic and poorly studied parasites of marine invertebrates with unexplored diversity and unclear relationships to other sporozoans such as the human pathogens Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. It is believed that agamococcidians are not capable of sexual reproduction, which is essential for life cycle completion in all well studied parasitic apicomplexans. Here, we describe three new species of agamococcidians belonging to the genus Rhytidocystis. We examined their cell morphology and ultrastructure, resolved their phylogenetic position by using near-complete rRNA operon sequences, and searched for genes associated with meiosis and oocyst wall formation in two rhytidocystid transcriptomes. Phylogenetic analyses consistently recovered rhytidocystids as basal coccidiomorphs and away from the corallicolids, demonstrating that the order Agamococcidiorida Levine, 1979 is polyphyletic. Light and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the development of rhytidocystids begins inside the gut epithelial cells, a characteristic which links them specifically with other coccidiomorphs to the exclusion of gregarines and suggests that intracellular invasion evolved early in the coccidiomorphs. We propose a new superorder Eococcidia for early coccidiomorphs. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that both the meiotic machinery and oocyst wall proteins are preserved in rhytidocystids. The conservation of meiotic genes and ultrastructural similarity of rhytidocystid trophozoites to macrogamonts of true coccidians point to an undescribed, cryptic sexual process in the group.
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Ottaru S, Mirambo MM, Kabyemera R, Kidenya BR, Seugendo M, Msanga DR, Ngoya P, Morona D, Mshana SE. Predictors of Toxoplasma gondii IgG Seropositivity and Cranial Ultrasound Patterns among Children with Hydrocephalus. Int J Pediatr 2020; 2020:8326348. [PMID: 32963556 PMCID: PMC7492872 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8326348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy is associated with serious neonatal complications, including hydrocephalus. In many high-income countries, T. gondii screening and treatment during the antenatal period are routinely carried out to prevent associated complications, whereas in most low-income countries, there is no routine screening of T. gondii during pregnancy. Despite the parasite being common in Tanzania, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence of T. gondii and cranial ultrasound patterns among children with hydrocephalus. METHODS An analytical cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 125 infants with hydrocephalus attending the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) was conducted between May 2017 and February 2018. Sociodemographic and other relevant information was collected using a pretested data collection tool. Venous blood samples were collected, and sera were used for the detection of specific T. gondii antibodies by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as per manufacturer's instructions. Data were analysed using STATA version 13 software. RESULTS The mean age of enrolled children was 4.8 ± 3.5 months. Out of 125 infants with hydrocephalus, 29 (23.2%, 95% CI: 21-36) were seropositive for T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies. By multiple generalized linear model analysis, being male (aRR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9-1.5, p = 0.049), higher birth order (aRR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0-1.5, p = 0.023), consumption of fish meat (aRR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.3, p = 0.003), and using other methods of cooking meat than boiling (aRR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.5, p = 0.015) were independent risk factors for T. gondii IgG seropositivity. Obstructive hydrocephalus was significantly more common among T. gondii-seronegative infants compared to IgG-seropositive infants (31.3% [30/96] vs. 13.8% [4/29]; p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS A significant proportion of infants with nonobstructive hydrocephalus are T. gondii IgG seropositive, and this is predicted by male gender, increase of birth order, consuming fish, and using other methods of cooking meat than boiling. These facts highlight the importance of continuing health education for pregnant women regarding T. gondii transmission and the need to follow-up their infants so that appropriate counselling and management can be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Ottaru
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Bugando Medical Centre, P.O. Box 370, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Mariam M. Mirambo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Rogatus Kabyemera
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Bugando Medical Centre, P.O. Box 370, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Benson R. Kidenya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Mwanaisha Seugendo
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Bugando Medical Centre, P.O. Box 370, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Delfina R. Msanga
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Bugando Medical Centre, P.O. Box 370, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Patrick Ngoya
- Department of Radiology, Bugando Medical Centre, P.O. Box 370, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Domenica Morona
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Stephen E. Mshana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania
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Araki T, Kawai S, Kakuta S, Kobayashi H, Umeki Y, Saito-Nakano Y, Sasaki T, Nagamune K, Yasutomi Y, Nozaki T, Franke-Fayard B, Khan SM, Hisaeda H, Annoura T. Three-dimensional electron microscopy analysis reveals endopolygeny-like nuclear architecture segregation in Plasmodium oocyst development. Parasitol Int 2019; 76:102034. [PMID: 31805442 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Plasmodium is a unicellular eukaryotic parasite that is the causative agent of malaria, which is transmitted by Anopheline mosquito. There are a total of three developmental stages in the production of haploid parasites in the Plasmodium life cycle: the oocyst stage in mosquitoes and the liver and blood stages in mammalian hosts. The Plasmodium oocyst stage plays an important role in the production of the first generation of haploid parasites. Nuclear division is the most important event that occurs during the proliferation of all eukaryotes. However, obtaining the details of nuclear division at the oocyst stage is challenging owing to difficulties in preparation. In this study, we used focused-ion-beam-milling combined with scanning-electron-microscopy to report the 3D architecture during nuclear segregations in oocyst stage. This advanced technology allowed us to analyse the 3D details of organelle segregation inside the oocyst during sporogony formation. It was revealed that multiple nuclei were involved with several centrosomes in one germ nucleus during sporozoite budding (endopolygeny). Our high-resolution 3D analysis uncovered the endopolygeny-like nuclear architecture of Plasmodium in the definitive host. This nuclear segregation was different from that in the blood stage, and its similarity to other apicomplexan parasite nuclear divisions such as Sarcocystis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamasa Araki
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Satoru Kawai
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Soichiro Kakuta
- Laboratory of Morphology and Image Analysis, Research Support Center, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kobayashi
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yuko Umeki
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yumiko Saito-Nakano
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Toshinori Sasaki
- Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Kisaburo Nagamune
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yasutomi
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Vaccine Research, Tsukuba Primate Research Center, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-1 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0843, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Shahid M Khan
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hajime Hisaeda
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Takeshi Annoura
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
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Freppel W, Ferguson DJ, Shapiro K, Dubey JP, Puech PH, Dumètre A. Structure, composition, and roles of the Toxoplasma gondii oocyst and sporocyst walls. Cell Surf 2019; 5:100016. [PMID: 32743133 PMCID: PMC7389338 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2018.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a coccidian parasite with the cat as its definitive host but any warm-blooded animal, including humans, may act as intermediate hosts. It has a worldwide distribution where it may cause acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. Infection can result from ingestion either of tissue cysts in infected meat of intermediate hosts or oocysts found in cat faeces via contaminated water or food. In this review, we highlight how the oocyst and sporocyst walls sustain the persistence and transmission of infective T. gondii parasites from terrestrial and aquatic environments to the host. We further discuss why targeting the oocyst wall structure and molecules may reduce the burden of foodborne and waterborne T. gondii infections.
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Leroy J, Houzé S, Dardé ML, Yéra H, Rossi B, Delhaes L, Gabriel F, Loubet P, Deleplancque AS, Senneville E, Ajana F, Sendid B, Malvy D. Severe toxoplasmosis imported from tropical Africa in immunocompetent patients: A case series. Travel Med Infect Dis 2019; 35:101509. [PMID: 31712179 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2019.101509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. In immunocompetent patients the infection is usually benign. However, cases of severe and even lethal primo-infections are regularly reported in South America. In contrast, data from tropical Africa are fragmentary. METHODS Data for French cases of severe toxoplasmosis acquired between 2013 and 2018, in tropical Africa and among immunocompetent patients were collected retrospectively in 2018. RESULTS Four male patients with a mean age of 34-years were identified. All infections originated in West or Central Africa. The clinical presentations were heterogeneous: two patients had severe disseminated toxoplasmosis, of which one presented with chorioretinitis associated with myositis and the other with febrile pneumopathy; one patient presented with post-infectious acute cerebellar ataxia and the final case had general symptoms and skin manifestations. The diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis was confirmed by serology in four patients. Molecular diagnosis confirmed T. gondii infection in three patients with Africa 1 as the dominant genotype. The infection was cured with anti-infective treatment in all four patients. Ocular sequelae were reported in the two patients with chorioretinitis. CONCLUSIONS Imported cases of severe toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients are rare in France. However, this aetiology should be evoked rapidly in a patient with a severe infectious syndrome who has recently visited or originated from tropical Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Leroy
- CHU Lille, Parasitology Mycology Department, Univ. Lille, Inserm, U995 - LIRIC - Lille Inflammation Research International Center, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Sandrine Houzé
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat Claude Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure Dardé
- Inserm UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges, 87025, France; Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042, Limoges, France
| | - Hélène Yéra
- Department of Parasitology-Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpitaux Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, CHU Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Rossi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Beaujon Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Nord Val de Seine, APHP, Clichy, France
| | - Laurence Delhaes
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Bordeaux Hospital University Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Frédéric Gabriel
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Bordeaux Hospital University Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Paul Loubet
- IAME, UMR 1137, Inserm, Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, AP-HP, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, Infectious Diseases Department, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Deleplancque
- CHU Lille, Parasitology Mycology Department, Univ. Lille, Inserm, U995 - LIRIC - Lille Inflammation Research International Center, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Eric Senneville
- Infectious Diseases Department, Gustave Dron Hospital, Tourcoing, France
| | - Faïza Ajana
- Infectious Diseases Department, Gustave Dron Hospital, Tourcoing, France
| | - Boualem Sendid
- CHU Lille, Parasitology Mycology Department, Univ. Lille, Inserm, U995 - LIRIC - Lille Inflammation Research International Center, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Denis Malvy
- Department for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Hospital Centre of Bordeaux, Inserm 1219, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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Zeeshan M, Ferguson DJ, Abel S, Burrrell A, Rea E, Brady D, Daniel E, Delves M, Vaughan S, Holder AA, Le Roch KG, Moores CA, Tewari R. Kinesin-8B controls basal body function and flagellum formation and is key to malaria transmission. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:e201900488. [PMID: 31409625 PMCID: PMC6696982 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic flagella are conserved microtubule-based organelles that drive cell motility. Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has a single flagellate stage: the male gamete in the mosquito. Three rounds of endomitotic division in male gametocyte together with an unusual mode of flagellum assembly rapidly produce eight motile gametes. These processes are tightly coordinated, but their regulation is poorly understood. To understand this important developmental stage, we studied the function and location of the microtubule-based motor kinesin-8B, using gene-targeting, electron microscopy, and live cell imaging. Deletion of the kinesin-8B gene showed no effect on mitosis but disrupted 9+2 axoneme assembly and flagellum formation during male gamete development and also completely ablated parasite transmission. Live cell imaging showed that kinesin-8B-GFP did not co-localise with kinetochores in the nucleus but instead revealed a dynamic, cytoplasmic localisation with the basal bodies and the assembling axoneme during flagellum formation. We, thus, uncovered an unexpected role for kinesin-8B in parasite flagellum formation that is vital for the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - David Jp Ferguson
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Alana Burrrell
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Emilie Daniel
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Delves
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel, London, UK
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, UK
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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22
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Munhoz AD, Souza MA, Costa SCL, Freitas JDS, Silva AND, Lacerda LC, Cruz RDS, Albuquerque GR, Pereira MJS. Factors associated with the distribution of natural Toxoplasma gondii infection among equids in Northeastern Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 28:283-290. [PMID: 31215612 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612019035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected equids in northeastern Brazil. Serum samples from 569 equids (528 horses, 8 mules and 33 donkeys) were subjected to the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associated factors. Among the 569 animals sampled, 118 (30.6%) living in rural areas and 14 (26.42%) in urban areas were seropositive (p>0.05). Seropositive animals were observed on 95% of the farms and in all the municipalities. Donkeys/mules as the host, presence of domestic cats and rats on the farm, ingestion of lagoon water and goat rearing remained in the final model as factors associated with infection. Preventive measures such as avoiding the presence of domestic cats close to rearing areas, pastures and sources of water for the animals should be adopted. The wide-ranging distribution of positive animals also indicated that infection in other domestic animals and in humans, through the contaminated environment, was possible. It should be highlighted that there was the possibility that donkeys and mules would continue to have detectable titers for longer, thus explaining the prevalence found. Further studies are needed to confirm this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Dias Munhoz
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Monia Andrade Souza
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Sonia Carmen Lopo Costa
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Jéssica de Souza Freitas
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Aísla Nascimento da Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Luciana Carvalho Lacerda
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Rebeca Dálety Santos Cruz
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - George Rêgo Albuquerque
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz - UESC, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, Brasil
| | - Maria Julia Salim Pereira
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
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Shapiro K, Bahia-Oliveira L, Dixon B, Dumètre A, de Wit LA, VanWormer E, Villena I. Environmental transmission of Toxoplasma gondii: Oocysts in water, soil and food. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2019; 15:e00049. [PMID: 32095620 PMCID: PMC7033973 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2019.e00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that can cause morbidity and mortality in humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The environmentally robust oocyst stage of T. gondii is fundamentally critical to the parasite's success, both in terms of its worldwide distribution as well as the extensive range of infected intermediate hosts. Despite the limited definitive host species (domestic and wild felids), infections have been reported on every continent, and in terrestrial as well as aquatic environments. The remarkable resistance of the oocyst wall enables dissemination of T. gondii through watersheds and ecosystems, and long-term persistence in diverse foods such as shellfish and fresh produce. Here, we review the key attributes of oocyst biophysical properties that confer their ability to disseminate and survive in the environment, as well as the epidemiological dynamics of oocyst sources including domestic and wild felids. This manuscript further provides a comprehensive review of the pathways by which T. gondii oocysts can infect animals and people through the environment, including in contaminated foods, water or soil. We conclude by identifying critical control points for reducing risk of exposure to oocysts as well as opportunities for future synergies and new directions for research aimed at reducing the burden of oocyst-borne toxoplasmosis in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Shapiro
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, One Shields Ave, 4206 VM3A, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-5270, USA
| | - Lillian Bahia-Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - Brent Dixon
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, A.L. 2204E, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Aurélien Dumètre
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 257, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Luz A. de Wit
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95050, USA
| | - Elizabeth VanWormer
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, VBS 111, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Isabelle Villena
- EA 7510, UFR Medicine, University Reims Champagne-Ardenne, National Reference Center on Toxoplasmosis, Hospital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
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Tonouhewa ABN, Akpo Y, Sessou P, Adoligbe C, Yessinou E, Hounmanou YG, Assogba MN, Youssao I, Farougou S. Toxoplasma gondii infection in meat animals from Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis of sero-epidemiological studies. Vet World 2017; 10:194-208. [PMID: 28344403 PMCID: PMC5352845 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2017.194-208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Toxoplasma gondii is an ubiquitous apicomplexan parasite which causes toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. Felids especially cats are definitive hosts and almost all warm-blooded mammals, including livestock and human can serve as intermediate hosts. Food animals can be reservoirs for T. gondii and act as one of the sources for parasite transmission to humans. The objective of this study is to collect serological data on the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody, and risk factors for certain food animals from Africa to provide a quantitative estimate of T. gondii infection among these species from different African countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four databases were used to search seroepidemiological data on the prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody in food animals between 1969 and 2016 from African countries. The search focused on data obtained by serologic test in food animals and meta-analyses were performed per species. RESULTS A total of 30,742 individual samples from 24 countries, described in 68 articles were studied. The overall estimated prevalence for toxoplasmosis in chicken, camel, cattle, sheep, goat, pig were 37.4% (29.2-46.0%), 36% (18-56%), 12% (8-17%), 26.1% (17.0-37.0%), 22.9% (12.3-36.0%), and 26.0% (20-32.0%), respectively. Moreover, major risk factor of infection was age, farming system, and farm location. CONCLUSIONS A significant variation in the seroepidemiological data was observed within each species and country. The results can aid in an updated epidemiological analysis but also can be used as an important input in quantitative microbial risk assessment models. Further studies are required for a better and continual evaluation of the occurrence of this zoonotic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yao Akpo
- Laboratory of Ecology, Health and animal Production, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, P.O. Box 123 Parakou, Benin
| | - Philippe Sessou
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Camus Adoligbe
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Eric Yessinou
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Yaovi Gildas Hounmanou
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3121, Chuo Kikoo, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Marc Napoléon Assogba
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Issaka Youssao
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Souaïbou Farougou
- Laboratory of Research in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 P.O. Box 2009, Cotonou, Benin
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Machumi I, Mirambo MM, Ruganuza D, Rambau P, Massinde AN, Kihunrwa A, Mshana SE, Morona D. Factors Associated With Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM Antibodies, and Placental Histopathological Changes Among Women With Spontaneous Abortion in Mwanza City, Tanzania. East Afr Health Res J 2017; 1:86-94. [PMID: 34308163 PMCID: PMC8279292 DOI: 10.24248/eahrj-d-16-00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection in early pregnancy has been associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcomes. Despite being common in the city of Mwanza, its association with spontaneous abortion has never been studied. Here, we report the IgG and IgM seropositivity and histopathological changes of toxoplasmosis among women with spontaneous abortion. Methods: A total of 260 women with spontaneous abortion were enrolled between November 2015 and April 2016 from 4 hospitals in Mwanza city. Specific T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were detected from sera by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) while the conceptus tissues were stained with haematoxylin and eosin to demonstrate histo-pathological changes. Data were analysed by using Stata version 13. Results: The mean age of the enrolled women was 2665.9 years. The seropositivity of IgG and IgM antibodies were 144/260 (55.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 49–61) and 6/260 (2.3%; 95% CI, 3–8), respectively. IgG seropositivity was significantly high among women in the first trimester (59.1% vs.43.5%; P=.03). Only low gestation age (odds ratio [OR] 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02–1.20; P=.02) and keeping a cat (OR 11.80; 95% CI, 1.32–10.5; P=.03) independently predicted IgG and IgM seropositivity, respectively. Presence of inflammation (OR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.05–3.64; P=.03), calcification (OR 3.28; 95% CI, 1.01–10.63; P=.04), necrosis (OR 2.86; 95% CI, 1.39–5.89; P=.04), and lymphocyte infiltrations (OR 2.24; 95% CI, 1.17–4.24; P=.01) were significantly associated with T. gondii IgG seropositivity. Conclusion: Almost half of women with spontaneous abortion in the city of Mwanza have specific T. gondii IgG antibodies. Placental histopathological changes suggestive of toxoplasmosis were significantly found among IgG seropositive women. This calls for the need to screen these women during antenatal visits in order to institute appropriate measures, such as treatment and counselling, to prevent complications associated T. gondii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Illuminata Machumi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Mariam M Mirambo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Deodatus Ruganuza
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Peter Rambau
- Department of Pathology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Anthony N Massinde
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Albert Kihunrwa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Stephen E Mshana
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Domenica Morona
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania
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Macrophages facilitate the excystation and differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii sporozoites into tachyzoites following oocyst internalisation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33654. [PMID: 27641141 PMCID: PMC5027544 DOI: 10.1038/srep33654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite of humans and animals, which is transmitted via oocysts in cat faeces or tissue cysts in contaminated meat. The robust oocyst and sporocyst walls protect the infective sporozoites from deleterious external attacks including disinfectants. Upon oocyst acquisition, these walls lose their integrity to let the sporozoites excyst and invade host cells following a process that remains poorly understood. Given the resistance of the oocyst wall to digestive enzymes and the ability of oocysts to cause parenteral infections, the present study investigated the possible contribution of macrophages in supporting sporozoite excystation following oocyst internalisation. By using single cell micromanipulations, real-time and time-point imaging techniques, we demonstrated that RAW macrophages could interact rapidly with oocysts and engulfed them by remodelling of their actin cytoskeleton. Internalised oocysts were associated to macrophage acidic compartments and showed evidences of wall disruption. Sporozoites were observed in macrophages containing oocyst remnants or in new macrophages, giving rise to dividing tachyzoites. All together, these results highlight an unexpected role of phagocytic cells in processing T. gondii oocysts, in line with non-classical routes of infection, and open new perspectives to identify chemical factors that lead to oocyst wall disruption under physiological conditions.
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Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that screening and treatment for toxoplasmosis during gestation result in a decrease of vertical transmission and clinical sequelae. Early treatment was associated with improved outcomes. Thus, laboratory methods should aim for early identification of infants with congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). Diagnostic approaches should include, at least, detection of Toxoplasma IgG, IgM, and IgA and a comprehensive review of maternal history, including the gestational age at which the mother was infected and treatment. Here, we review laboratory methods for the diagnosis of CT, with emphasis on serological tools. A diagnostic algorithm that takes into account maternal history is presented.
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28
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The morphological analysis of autophagy in primary skeletal muscle cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:2853-61. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5040-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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The fine structure of sexual stage development and sporogony of Cryptosporidium parvum in cell-free culture. Parasitology 2016; 143:749-61. [PMID: 26935529 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016000275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The sexual stages and new oocysts development of Cryptosporidium parvum were investigated in a cell-free culture system using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sexual development was extremely rapid after inoculation of oocysts into the medium. The process began within 1/2-12 h and was completed with new oocyst formation 120 h post-inoculation. The macrogamonts were bounded by two membranes and had amylopectin granules and two distinct types of wall-forming bodies. The microgamonts had a large nucleus showing lobe projections and condensation of chromatin, giving rise to peripherally budding microgametes. The microgametes contained a large area of granular substance containing groups of microtubules surrounding the electron-dense nucleus. In some instances, the dividing microgamy was observed in cell-free cultures with no preceding merogonic process. Fertilization was observed with the bullet-shaped microgamete penetrating an immature macrogamont at 24 and 216 h. The new thin- and thick-walled oocysts had a large residuum with polysaccharide granules and sporogony noted inside these oocysts. Novel immature four-layer walled thick oocysts with irregular knob-like protrusions on the outer layer resembling the immature Eimeria oocysts were also observed. The present study confirms the gametogony and sporogony of C. parvum in cell-free culture and describes their ultra-structure for the first time.
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Brüggmann D, Handl V, Klingelhöfer D, Jaque J, Groneberg DA. Congenital toxoplasmosis: an in-depth density-equalizing mapping analysis to explore its global research architecture. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:646. [PMID: 26691532 PMCID: PMC4687351 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1263-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis endangers the unborn child if its infectious agent--toxoplasma gondii--is transmitted transplacentally during pregnancy. Although this condition occurs in all parts of the world and represents a major public health burden, no detailed knowledge on the global research architecture of congenital toxoplasmosis is available thus far. Hence, it was the aim of this study to assess the related global research activity over the past 110 years. METHODS We employed the NewQIS platform, which combines established scientometric and socioeconomic analysis tools with novel visualizing techniques such as density equalizing mapping projections. RESULTS In the Web of Science, 13,044 congenital toxoplasmosis-related items published between 1900 and 2012 were identified. These were issued by 26,483 authors originating from 125 countries. The US was the dominating nation (38.7 % of total scientific output), followed by France (10.9 %) and Great Britain (9.2 %). The US also led the ranking in regards to semi-qualitative parameters (total citations, country-specific h-indices and citation rates). When research activity was related to economic figures, the ratio of total toxoplasmosis publications to the total GDP listed Switzerland first with an average of 589.35 toxoplasmosis-related publications per GDP in 1000 Bio US-$, followed by France (545.16), the UK (486.13) and Brazil (431.84) and the US (311.11). The relation of toxoplasmosis-specific publications to the economic power indicator GDP per capita in 1000 US-$ revealed that the US was ranked first with 97.65 toxoplasmosis-related publications/GDP per capita in 1000 US-$, followed by Brazil (85.95). Subject area analysis indicated a relative shortage of studies that addressed pharmacological or public health aspects of congenital toxoplasmosis. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first in-depth approach to sketch a global picture of the congenital toxoplasmosis research architecture. In contrast to other fields of biomedical research, not only high-income countries play a major role regarding congenital toxoplasmosis research but also countries such as Brazil that have a high incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dörthe Brüggmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Department of Female Health and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Vanessa Handl
- Department of Female Health and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Doris Klingelhöfer
- Department of Female Health and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Jenny Jaque
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - David A Groneberg
- Department of Female Health and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Abstract
AbstractToxoplasma gondiiis a protozoa that causes toxoplasmosis in people and other animals. It is considered one of the most common parasitic infections in the world due to its impressive range of hosts, widespread environmental contamination and the diverse means by which animals can be infected. Despite its ubiquity and numerous ongoing research efforts into both its basic biology and clinical management, many aspects of diagnosis and management of this disease are poorly understood. The range of diagnostic options that is available for veterinary diagnostic investigators are notably more limited than those available to medical diagnosticians, making accurate interpretation of each test result critical. The current review joins other reviews on the parasite with a particular emphasis on the history and continued development of diagnostic tests that are useful for veterinary diagnostic investigations. An understanding of the strengths and shortcomings of current diagnostic techniques will assist veterinary and public health officials in formulating effective treatment and control strategies in diverse animal populations.
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Mercier C, Cesbron-Delauw MF. Toxoplasma secretory granules: one population or more? Trends Parasitol 2015; 31:60-71. [PMID: 25599584 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In Toxoplasma gondii, dense granules are known as the storage secretory organelles of the so-called GRA proteins (for dense granule proteins), which are destined to the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and the PV-derived cyst wall. Recently, newly annotated GRA proteins targeted to the host cell nucleus have enlarged this view. Here we provide an update on the latest developments on the Toxoplasma secreted proteins, which to date have been mainly studied at both the tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages, and we point out that recent discoveries could open the issue of a possible, yet uncharacterized, distinct secretory pathway in Toxoplasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Mercier
- Laboratoire Adaptation et Pathogénie des Microorganismes (LAPM), CNRS UMR 5163 - Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.
| | - Marie-France Cesbron-Delauw
- Laboratoire Adaptation et Pathogénie des Microorganismes (LAPM), CNRS UMR 5163 - Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.
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de Muno RM, Moura MA, de Carvalho LC, Seabra SH, Barbosa HS. Spontaneous cystogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii in feline epithelial cells in vitro. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2014. [DOI: 10.14411/fp.2014.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Worliczek HL, Ruttkowski B, Schwarz L, Witter K, Tschulenk W, Joachim A. Isospora suis in an epithelial cell culture system - an in vitro model for sexual development in coccidia. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69797. [PMID: 23861983 PMCID: PMC3702598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidian parasites are of major importance in animal production, public health and food safety. The most frequently used representative in basic research on this group is Toxoplasma gondii. Although this parasite is well investigated there is no adequate in vitro model for its sexual development available and knowledge on this important life cycle phase is therefore scarce. The use of Isosporasuis, a sister taxon to T. gondii and the causative agent of piglet coccidiosis, could provide a solution for this. In the present study an in vitro model for neonatal porcine coccidiosis in cells representative for the in vivo situation in the piglet gut was developed and evaluated. The parasite development was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy and optimum culture conditions were evaluated. Intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) adequately representing the natural host cells supported the development of all endogenous life cycle stages of I. suis, including gametocytes and oocysts. A concentration of 5% fetal calf serum in the culture medium led to highest gametocyte densities on day 12 post infection. Low infection doses (≤1 sporozoite for 100 host cells) were best for oocyst and gametocyte development. The presented system can also be used for immunostaining with established antibodies developed against T. gondii (in our case, anti-TgIMC3 antibodies directed against the inner membrane complex 3). The complete life cycle of I. suis in a cell line representing the natural host cell type and species provides a unique model among coccidian parasites and can be used to address a wide range of topics, especially with regard to the sexual development of coccidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Lucia Worliczek
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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Guimarães LA, Bezerra RA, Rocha DDS, Albuquerque GR. Prevalence and risk factors associated with anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in sheep from Bahia state, Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2013; 22:220-4. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612013000200041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence ofToxoplasma gondii antibodies and identify risk factors associated with this infection in sheep from the southern region of Bahia state. Between February and December 2010, 795 sheep from 31 farms located in nine municipalities were tested. We found seroprevalence of 30.2% (240/795), with titers of 64 (38.3%), 256 (34.2%), 1,024 (18.3%), and 4,096 (9.2%) by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Seropositive sheep were detected in all farms sampled. Univariate statistical analysis detected association between T. gondii seropositivity and the variables age, use of fresh food mainly, water source, stocking rate, production system, presence and number of cats on the farm, and transit of cats (p < 0.05). In the logistic regression model, transit of cats (p = 0.001), production system (p = 0.007), and age (p = 0.027) were identified as risk factors associated with T. gondiiinfection.
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, an Apicomplexan, is a pathogic protozoan that can infect the central nervous system. Infection during pregnancy can result in a congenial infection with severe neurological sequelae. In immunocompromised individuals reactivation of latent neurological foci can result in encephalitis. Immunocompetent individuals infected with T. gondii are typically asymptomatic and maintain this infection for life. However, recent studies suggest that these asymptomatic infections may have effects on behavior and other physiological processes. Toxoplasma gondii infects approximately one-third of the world population, making it one of the most successful parasitic organisms. Cats and other felidae serve as the definite host producing oocysts, an environmentally resistant life cycle stage found in cat feces, which can transmit the infection when ingested orally. A wide variety of warm-blooded animals, including humans, can serve as the intermediate host in which tissue cysts (containing bradyzoites) develop. Transmission also occurs due to ingestion of the tissue cysts. There are three predominant clonal lineages, termed Types I, II and III, and an association with higher pathogenicity with the Type I strains in humans has emerged. This chapter presents a review of the biology of this infection including the life cycle, transmission, epidemiology, parasite strains, and the host immune response. The major clinical outcomes of congenital infection, chorioretinitis and encephalitis, and the possible association of infection of toxoplasmosis with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra K Halonen
- Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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Ferguson DJP, Bowker C, Jeffery KJM, Chamberlain P, Squier W. Congenital toxoplasmosis: continued parasite proliferation in the fetal brain despite maternal immunological control in other tissues. Clin Infect Dis 2012; 56:204-8. [PMID: 23074307 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital toxoplasmosis is a serious condition but little is known of the natural history of parasite development and associated fetal tissue destruction. METHODS Two cases identified by ultrasound underwent induced abortion at 21 and 30 weeks' gestation. At autopsy, the placenta and fetal organs were examined by histology and immunocytochemistry employing anti-Toxoplasma stage-specific antibodies to confirm diagnosis and also provide information on the stage of parasite development. RESULTS In both cases, maternal serology prior to termination showed both specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG), whereas retrospective analysis of an earlier sample (12-14 weeks' gestation) showed only IgM reactivity consistent with infection occurring in the first trimester. The finding of a number of tissue cysts but few or no tachyzoites within the placenta and fetal adrenal and heart is characteristic of a chronic infection. However, in contrast, there were still areas of the fetal brain with large numbers of actively dividing, tissue-destructive tachyzoites. CONCLUSIONS These observations show that continued parasite proliferation and tissue destruction can occur within the fetal brain even when there is a marked maternal immune response including maternal IgG. This finding strongly suggests that there may be benefits from treating cases of recently acquired congenital infection to destroy any remaining proliferating parasites located in immunologically protected sites such as the fetal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Oxford University Hospital, UK.
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Fabiani S, Pinto B, Bruschi F. Toxoplasmosis and neuropsychiatric diseases: can serological studies establish a clear relationship? Neurol Sci 2012; 34:417-25. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-012-1197-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Carson MJ. Molecular Mechanisms and Consequences of Immune and Nervous System Interactions. BASIC NEUROCHEMISTRY 2012. [PMCID: PMC7149717 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-374947-5.00033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview on the multiple mechanisms by which the nervous system regulates and directs immune function towards what is needed and tolerated by the nervous system. The immune system plays two essential roles necessary for the survival of complex organisms, including tissue homeostasis and tissue defense against pathogens. These immune functions are essential to maintain the functions of all organs in the body and are studied as a part of the general field of immunology. The immune system is divided into two arms: a rapid “innate” immune response system and a slow “adaptive” immune response system. The receptors for the types of “alarm” signals detected by the innate immune system are preformed and stably encoded in the genome. By contrast, the receptors for the types of signals that trigger the adaptive immune system are in part stochastically generated and in part shaped by the types and frequency of the pathogens encountered.
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Katzer F, Brülisauer F, Collantes-Fernández E, Bartley PM, Burrells A, Gunn G, Maley SW, Cousens C, Innes EA. Increased Toxoplasma gondii positivity relative to age in 125 Scottish sheep flocks; evidence of frequent acquired infection. Vet Res 2011; 42:121. [PMID: 22189159 PMCID: PMC3284422 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-42-121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was determined in 3333 sheep sera from 125 distinct sheep flocks in Scotland, with the majority of flocks being represented by 27 samples, which were collected between July 2006 and August 2008. The selected farms give a representative sample of 14,400 sheep holdings identified in the Scottish Government census data from 2004. Overall T. gondii seroprevalence, at individual sheep level, was determined to be 56.6%; each flock tested, had at least a single positive animal and in four flocks all ewes tested positive. The seroprevalence of sheep increased from 37.7% in one year old stock to 73.8% in ewes that were older than six years, showing that acquired infections during the life of the animals is frequent and that environmental contamination by T. gondii oocysts must be significant. The median within-flock seroprevalence varied significantly across Scotland, with the lowest seroprevalence of 42.3% in the South and the highest seroprevalence of 69.2% in the far North of Scotland and the Scottish Islands, while the central part of Scotland had a seroprevalence of 57.7%. This distribution disequilibrium may be due to the spread and survival of oocysts on pasture and lambing areas. A questionnaire accompanying sampling of flocks identified farms that used Toxovax®, a commercial vaccine that protects sheep from abortion due to T. gondii infection. Only 24.7% of farmers used the vaccine and the vaccine did not significantly affect the within flock seroprevalence for T. gondii. The implications for food safety and human infection are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Katzer
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Franz Brülisauer
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scottish Agricultural College, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
- SAC Consulting, Veterinary Services, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul M Bartley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Alison Burrells
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - George Gunn
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Scottish Agricultural College, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Stephen W Maley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Chris Cousens
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Elisabeth A Innes
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
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Jiang W, Sullivan AM, Su C, Zhao X. An agent-based model for the transmission dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii. J Theor Biol 2011; 293:15-26. [PMID: 22004993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Revised: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a unicellular protozoan that infects up to one-third of the world's human population. Numerous studies revealed that a latent infection of T. gondii can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immunocompromised people and also has significant effects on the behavior of healthy people and animals. However, the overall transmission of T. gondii has not been well understood although many factors affecting this process have been found out by different biologists separately. Here we synthesize what is currently known about the natural history of T. gondii by developing a prototype agent-based model to mimic the transmission process of T. gondii in a farm system. The present model takes into account the complete life cycle of T. gondii, which includes the transitions of the parasite from cats to environment through feces, from contaminated environment to mice through oocysts, from mice to cats through tissue cysts, from environment to cats through oocysts as well as the vertical transmission among mice. Although the current model does not explicitly include humans and other end-receivers, the effect of the transition to end-receivers is estimated by a developed infection risk index. The current model can also be extended to include human activities and thus be used to investigate the influences of human management on disease control. Simulation results reveal that most cats are infected through preying on infected mice while mice are infected through vertical transmission more often than through infection with oocysts, which clearly suggests the important role of mice during the transmission of T. gondii. Furthermore, our simulation results show that decreasing the number of mice on a farm can lead to the eradication of the disease and thus can lower the infection risk of other intermediate hosts on the farm. In addition, with the assumption that the relation between virulence and transmission satisfies a normal function, we show that intermediate virulent lineages (type II) can sustain the disease most efficiently, which can qualitatively agree with the fact that the evolution of the parasite favors intermediate virulence. The effects of other related factors on transmission, including the latent period and imprudent behavior of mice, and prevention strategies are also studied based on the present model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jiang
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2030, United States
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Innes EA, Bartley PM, Rocchi M, Benavidas-Silvan J, Burrells A, Hotchkiss E, Chianini F, Canton G, Katzer F. Developing vaccines to control protozoan parasites in ruminants: Dead or alive? Vet Parasitol 2011; 180:155-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Jittapalapong S, Sarataphan N, Maruyama S, Hugot JP, Morand S, Herbreteau V. Toxoplasmosis in rodents: ecological survey and first evidences in Thailand. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 11:231-7. [PMID: 20645868 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2009.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic and wild rodents known as the most abundant and diversified order of mammals have a key role in the ecological food chain and also in the transmission of parasites and pathogens to other animals. While foraging on the ground, they can get infected by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, which is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. Therefore, they serve as intermediate hosts of T. gondii and can transmit it to their predators. To assess their role in the maintenance of T. gondii lifecycle in Thailand, we sampled rodents in a range of biotopes representative of the high biodiversity and conducted a serological survey with latex agglutination test to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies. Overall, 21 of 461 (4.6%) rodents had diagnostically significant antibody titers (cutoff, 1:64). Every species with at least 37 individuals captured tested positive, confirming the wide range of potential mammalian hosts of toxoplasmosis. None of the ecological traits (sex, maturity, morphology, season, or habitat) was found significant to predict the susceptibility to T. gondii both univariately and in a multivariate analysis. However, high prevalences were reported in either forested or anthropized areas. This survey constitutes the first confirmed serological investigation of T. gondii in rodents in Thailand. The rarity of both domestic and wild felids in Thailand emphasizes the importance of rodents in maintaining T. gondii, and questions the involvement of other carnivores in the life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sathaporn Jittapalapong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Pereira KS, Franco RMB, Leal DAG. Transmission of toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii) by foods. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2010; 60:1-19. [PMID: 20691951 DOI: 10.1016/s1043-4526(10)60001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protozoan foodborne diseases are generally underrecognized. Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, one of the most prevalent parasitic infections to humans and domestic animals. The most likely source of T. gondii occurring through food is the consumption of raw or undercooked meat contaminated with tissue cysts. Sporulated T. gondii oocysts, from the feces of infected cats, present in the environment are a potential source of infection. The ingestion of water contaminated with oocysts and the eating of unwashed raw vegetables or fruits were identified as an important risk factor in most epidemiological studies. This review presents information and data to show the importance of T. gondii transmission by foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Signori Pereira
- Departamento de Engenharia Bioquímica, Escola de Química, Centro de Tecnologia Bloco E - Sala 203, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Abstract
SUMMARYCongenital infection with Toxoplasma gondii is an important cause of abortion in sheep worldwide. The cat is the definitive host of the parasite, and infected cats may shed millions of oocysts in their faeces resulting in extensive environmental contamination and an important source of infection for grazing herbivorous animals. Studies looking at development of specific antibodies in sheep, as an indicator of exposure to T. gondii, have shown that there is an increase in seroprevalence associated with age indicating that most infections in sheep occur following birth. The stage of gestation when transplacental transmission of T. gondii to the developing foetus occurs is critical in determining the clinical outcome. The importance of endogenous transplacental transmission in persistently infected ewes and its clinical importance is a subject of current debate. Ewes infected prior to mating develop immune responses that help protect against disease in a subsequent pregnancy and also against experimental challenge administered during pregnancy. Both innate and adaptive immune responses are activated following T. gondii infection and experiments involving the chronic cannulation of peripheral lymph nodes in sheep have allowed the dynamics of the immune responses to be analysed in real time. A live vaccine, Toxovax® is the only commercially available vaccine worldwide to protect against congenital toxoplasmosis.
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