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Woldegerima E, Aemiro M, Fetene G, Birhanie N. Seropositivity of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Int 2024; 102:102922. [PMID: 38997003 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102922] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, a food- and water-borne zoonotic protozoan parasite that is able to infect almost all warm-blooded vertebrates. It has a major effect on public health, particularly in underdeveloped nations. Immune-competent individuals typically exhibit no symptoms or experience a mild influenza-like sickness, while there is a possibility of severe manifestation and fatal or high-risk for life-threatening diseases in immunocompromised people like pregnant women and HIV/AIDS patients and lead to severe pathological effects on the fetus. METHOD We conducted a systematic search of databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, EMBASE, and Scopus) using the PRISMA criteria. We used specific keywords such as Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, pregnant women, prevalence, HIV/AIDS, and worldwide studies published from 2018 to 2022. We use Stata (version 14) software to estimate the pooled prevalence and heterogeneity of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and HIV-infected people using a random-effects model and the Cochran's Q-test, respectively. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Instrument and Egger's regression asymmetry test were used to assess study quality and publication bias, respectively, while the single study omission analysis was used to test the robustness of a pooled estimate. RESULTS We included and analyzed a total of 12,887 individuals in this review. The pooled prevalence of T. gondii in this review was 40% (95% CI = 0.31-0.50). The sub-group analysis revealed that the evaluation included 11,967 pregnant women. In pregnant women, the pooled sero-prevalence was 40% (95% CI = 0.31-0.50). In pregnant women and HIV/AIDS patients, 920 individuals were evaluated, and the pooled sero-prevalence was 41% (95% CI = 0.20-0.61). CONCLUSION This review identified an overall sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma infection of 40% among pregnant women and HIV/AIDS. The expansion of prevention and control strategies, with a primary focus on enhancing educational initiatives, is necessary to avoid reactivation and stop the spread of infection, so investigative sero-prevalence is important work among pregnant women and HIV patients. In order to achieve a comprehensive explanation of the disease condition and reach this goal, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in Worldwide for future use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Woldegerima
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institutes of Biotechnology, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
| | - Mulugeta Aemiro
- Department of Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Getnet Fetene
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Nega Birhanie
- Institutes of Biotechnology, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Akhtardanesh B, Aghamiri SM, Foolady D, Sadr S, Ziaali N, Jajarmi M, Shakib H, Khedri J. Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a breeding kennel with reproductive disorders. Microb Pathog 2024; 195:106848. [PMID: 39151737 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106848] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in dogs is distributed globally. Given the potential impact of T. gondii on human reproductive health and its zoonotic potential, focusing on infected dogs with breeding disorders may provide valuable new insights into the role of toxoplasmosis on reproductive disorders. This study aimed to elucidate the potential role of T. gondii on reproductive disorders by conducting a serosurvey on a kennel with breeding disorders in Kerman, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Purebred dogs with American Kennel Club-certified Pedigrees were randomly selected in both genders from a breeding kennel with a history of reproductive problems such as neonatal deaths, abortion stillbirths, and male infertility. Blood samples were collected from selected dogs, and serosurvey was done with a Toxo-Screen kit using the modified agglutination test (MAT). FINDINGS From 46 selected breeding dogs, 20 (43.5 %) were positive in the Toxoplasma MAT test, consisting of 24 samples (52.17 %) with different reproductive disorders and 22 (47.83 %) healthy dogs. However, the presence of reproductive disorder had no significant relationship with seropositivity (p = 0.067). Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis had no significant relationship with sex (p = 0.28) and age (p = 0.18) in the studied population. CONCLUSION Screening with the standard MAT method reduces the risk of transmitting toxoplasmosis by preventing the entry of infected dogs into the kennel, identifying the infected cases to start specific treatments, optimizing the proper nutritional conditions, and ensuring the hygiene of the environment. Fresh/refrigerated raw meat, unpasteurized milk feeding, rodent infestation of grass-covered dog runs, and the main dry food storage facilities were the primary risk factors in kennels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baharak Akhtardanesh
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Seyed Morteza Aghamiri
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Darya Foolady
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Soheil Sadr
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Naser Ziaali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Afzalipour Medical School, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Maziar Jajarmi
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran
| | - Hossein Shakib
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Javad Khedri
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Fereig RM, Salama DB, Salem FK, Rouby SR, Shaapan RM, Draz S, Elsawy BSM, Elgioushy MM, Altwaim SA, Aboelhadid SM, Frey CF. Frequency of Besnoitia besnoiti and Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle and small ruminants from greater Cairo and Beni Suef governorates, Egypt. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 53:101078. [PMID: 39025545 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101078] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Livestock industry is a pivotal sector for providing food, work places and monetary support for Egyptian people. Besnoitia besnoiti and Neospora caninum are protozoan parasites that are responsible for significant economic losses in ruminants, particularly in cattle. Besnoitia besnoiti can cause fertility problems and a general loss in productivity, while N. caninum is a major cause of abortion and neonatal abnormalities in infected animals. There is little information on the existence of these protozoa in Egypt, thus we conducted this study to reveal the current situation in cattle (n = 264), sheep (n = 151), and goats (n = 25). Serum samples were collected from governorates of Cairo, Giza, and Beni Suef, representing the most densely populated regions in Egypt. Using commercial ELISAs, an overall estimation among all tested animals (n = 440) revealed 7.7%, 13.2%, and 0.9% as seropositive rates for B. besnoiti, N. caninum, and mixed infection, respectively. Animal species (cattle vs sheep vs goat) and age of cattle (less than vs >1 year old) were analyzed as risk factors for infection. Regarding B. besnoiti, the seroprevalence was significantly higher in cattle than in sheep and goats and in adult cattle than calves. For N. caninum infection, no significant differences were recorded, although the seropositive rates were higher in cattle, and in adult cattle. This study provides the first seroprevalence data for B. besnoiti in all surveyed animals in the regions included, and in sheep and goats from Egypt, and supports the current knowledge for the occurrence of N. caninum in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragab M Fereig
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt.
| | - Dina B Salama
- Parasitology and Animal Disease Department, National Research Centre, Veterinary Research Institute, Giza 12622, Egypt; National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fatma K Salem
- Biochemistry department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt
| | - Sherin R Rouby
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt
| | - Raafat M Shaapan
- Zoonotic Disease Department, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Sara Draz
- Zoonotic Disease Department, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Bassma S M Elsawy
- Parasitology and Animal Disease Department, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Magdy M Elgioushy
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan 37916, Egypt
| | - Sarah A Altwaim
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21362, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shawky M Aboelhadid
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt
| | - Caroline F Frey
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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Zhang H, Wang J, Zhang K, Shi J, Gao Y, Zheng J, He J, Zhang J, Song Y, Zhang R, Shi X, Jin L, Li H. Association between heavy metals exposure and persistent infections: the mediating role of immune function. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1367644. [PMID: 39104887 PMCID: PMC11298456 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1367644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Persistent infections caused by certain viruses and parasites have been associated with multiple diseases and substantial mortality. Heavy metals are ubiquitous environmental pollutants with immunosuppressive properties. This study aimed to determine whether heavy metals exposure suppress the immune system, thereby increasing the susceptibility to persistent infections. Methods Using data from NHANES 1999-2016, we explored the associations between heavy metals exposure and persistent infections: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1), Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), and Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati (Toxocara spp.) by performing logistic regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models. Mediation analysis was used to determine the mediating role of host immune function in these associations. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed positive associations between multiple heavy metals and the increased risk of persistent infections. In WQS models, the heavy metals mixture was associated with increased risks of several persistent infections: CMV (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.14), HCV (OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.68, 5.16), HSV-1 (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.42), T. gondii (OR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.41, 2.76), and Toxocara spp. (OR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.66). BKMR models further confirmed the combined effects of heavy metals mixture and also identified the individual effect of arsenic, cadmium, and lead. On mediation analysis, the systemic immune inflammation index, which reflects the host's immune status, mediated 12.14% of the association of mixed heavy metals exposure with HSV-1 infection. Discussion The findings of this study revealed that heavy metals exposure may increase susceptibility to persistent infections, with the host's immune status potentially mediating this relationship. Reducing exposure to heavy metals may have preventive implications for persistent infections, and further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lina Jin
- School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Sun H, Fan J, Chu H, Gao Y, Fang J, Wu Q, Ding H, Zhuo X, Kong Q, Lv H, Zheng B, Lu S. RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFA combined with a digital visualization instrument to detect Toxoplasma gondii in stray dogs and cats in Zhejiang province, China. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0399823. [PMID: 38809001 PMCID: PMC11218441 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03998-23] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, is prevalent in warm-blooded animals, such as cats, dogs, and humans. T. gondii causes economic losses to livestock production and represents a potential risk to public health. Dogs and cats are common hosts in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis. The current molecular diagnostic tools for T. gondii infection require high technical skills, a laboratory environment, and complex instruments. Herein, we developed a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 12a (Cas12a) assay to detect T. gondii. The lowest limit of detection of the assay was 31 copies/μL for the T. gondii B1 gene. In addition, we established a visual RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a lateral flow band assay (RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFA) combined with a digital visualization instrument, which minimized the problem of false-negative results for weakly positive samples and avoided misinterpretation of the results by the naked eye, making the LFA assay results more accurate. The assay established in this study could identify T. gondii within 55 min with high accuracy and sensitivity, without cross-reaction with other tested parasites. The developed assay was validated by establishing a mouse model of toxoplasmosis. Finally, the developed assay was used to investigate the prevalence of T. gondii in stray cats and dogs in Zhejiang province, Eastern China. The positive rates of T. gondii infection in stray cats and dogs were 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively. In conclusion, the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFA is rapid, sensitive, and accurate for the early diagnosis of T. gondii, showing promise for on-site surveillance. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a virulent pathogen that puts millions of infected people at risk of chronic disease reactivation. Hosts of T. gondii are distributed worldwide, and cats and dogs are common hosts of T. gondii. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of early T. gondii infection and investigation of its prevalence in stray dogs and cats are essential. Here, we established a visual recombinase polymerase amplification-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 12a-assay combined with a lateral flow band assay and a digital visualization instrument. Detailed analyses found that the assay could be used for the early diagnosis of T. gondii without false-negative results. Moreover, we detected the prevalence of T. gondii in stray cats and dogs in Zhejiang province, China. Our developed assay provides technical support for the early diagnosis of T. gondii and could be applied in prevalence surveys of T. gondii in stray dogs and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Sun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiyuan Fan
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongkun Chu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yafan Gao
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiawen Fang
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinli Wu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haojie Ding
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xunhui Zhuo
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - QingMing Kong
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - HangJun Lv
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaohong Lu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Research Center of Novel Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-tech Vaccine of Zhejiang Province, School of Basic Medicine and Forensics, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
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Sabukunze S, Gu H, Zhao L, Jia H, Guo H. Comparison of the performance of SAG2, GRA6, and GRA7 for serological diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1423581. [PMID: 38898997 PMCID: PMC11186378 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1423581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii that can infect almost all warm-blooded animals worldwide, including humans. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection and its ability to cause serious harm to humans and animals, especially immunodeficient individuals, make it a key public health issue. Accurate diagnostic tools with high sensitivity are needed for controlling T. gondii infection. In the current study, we compared the performance of recombinant SAG2, GRA6, and GRA7 in ELISA for the serological diagnosis of T. gondii infection in cats. We further investigated the antigenicity of recombinant dense granule protein 3 (rGRA3), rGRA5, rGRA8, and rSRS29A expressed in a plant-based, cell-free expression system for detecting antibodies in T. gondii-infected cats. In summary, our data suggest that GRA7 is more sensitive than the other two antigens for the serodiagnosis of T. gondii infection in cats, and GRA3 expressed in the cell-free system is also a priming antigen in serological tests for detecting T. gondii infection in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serges Sabukunze
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Haorong Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Honglin Jia
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Research Center for Veterinary Biopharmaceutical Technology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Huanping Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
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Nguyen MN, Yeo SJ, Park H. Identification of novel biomarkers for anti- Toxoplasma gondii IgM detection and the potential application in rapid diagnostic fluorescent tests. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1385582. [PMID: 38894968 PMCID: PMC11184589 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1385582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, while often asymptomatic and prevalent as a foodborne disease, poses a considerable mortality risk for immunocompromised individuals during pregnancy. Point-of-care serological tests that detect specific IgG and IgM in patient sera are critical for disease management under limited resources. Despite many efforts to replace the T. gondii total lysate antigens (TLAs) by recombinant antigens (rAgs) in commercial kits, while IgG detection provides significant specificity and sensitivity, IgM detection remains comparatively low in sensitivity. In this study, we attempted to identify novel antigens targeting IgM in early infection, thereby establishing an IgM on-site detection kit. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and mouse serum immunoblotting, three novel antigens, including EF1γ, PGKI, and GAP50, were indicated to target T. gondii IgM. However, rAg EF1γ was undetectable by IgM of mice sera in Western blotting verification experiments, and ELISA coated with PGKI did not eliminate cross-reactivity, in contrast to GAP50. Subsequently, the lateral flow reaction employing a strip coated with 0.3 mg/mL purified rAg GAP50 and exhibited remarkable sensitivity compared with the conventional ELISA based on tachyzoite TLA, which successfully identified IgM in mouse sera infected with tachyzoites, ranging from 103 to 104 at 5 dpi and 104 at 7 dpi, respectively. Furthermore, by using standard T. gondii-infected human sera from WHO, the limit of detection (LOD) for the rapid fluorescence immunochromatographic test (FICT) using GAP50 was observed at 0.65 IU (international unit). These findings underline the particular immunoreactivity of GAP50, suggesting its potential as a specific biomarker for increasing the sensitivity of the FICT in IgM detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh-Ngoc Nguyen
- Department of Infection Biology, School of Medicine, Zoonosis Research Center, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Ju Yeo
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Medical Research Center, Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Park
- Department of Infection Biology, School of Medicine, Zoonosis Research Center, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea
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Vicentini LPP, Damiani LSA, Beltrame MAV, Santos GL, Mazuz ML, Müller RA, Lopes REN, Vitor RWA, Fux B. Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in goats (Capra hircus) in the state of Espírito Santo, Southeast Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 51:101032. [PMID: 38772648 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101032] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is described as a potential cause of abortion in goats and as a threat to public health. To estimate the prevalence of goats infected by T. gondii, in different cities in the Espírito Santo State, and to identify possible risk factors for infection a serological study was conducted. A total of 146 goat serum samples from the cities of Cariacica, Serra and Vila Velha were analyzed. The presence of IgG Class Immunoglobulins was serologically evaluated by Immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii was 46.6% (68/146) in both techniques and the same samples got the same results in both techniques. Among the analyzed sera, 70.6% (48/68) exhibited high-avidity IgG antibodies, and 29.4% (20/68) exhibited low-avidity IgG antibodies, suggesting that the infection was chronic in the infected animals. Female sex, age group over two years old, water from the public supply system, storage of food and supplies in an open and unprotected place, and the presence of a domestic cat on the property were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection in goats. The state of Espirito Santo has a high frequency of infected goats, and this is the first research on caprine toxoplasmosis seroepidemiology in that region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Pereira Pedrini Vicentini
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | | | - Marcus Alexandre Vaillant Beltrame
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Lima Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo - UFES, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Monica Leszkowicz Mazuz
- Parasitology Division, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Israeli Veterinary Service and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Beit Dagan 5025000, Israel
| | - Rosângela Aparecida Müller
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Rosálida Estevam Nazar Lopes
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Wagner Almeida Vitor
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Blima Fux
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
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Huertas-López A, Cantos-Barreda A, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Martínez-Carrasco C, Ibáñez-López FJ, Martínez-Subiela S, Cerón JJ, Álvarez-García G. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the validation of serological methods for detecting anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in humans and animals. Vet Parasitol 2024; 328:110173. [PMID: 38537410 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110173] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a paradigmatic zoonotic parasite from the One Health perspective, since it is broadly distributed and virtually infects all warm-blooded species. A wide variety of serological techniques have been developed to detect T. gondii infection in humans and animals. Our aim was to describe and compare the main characteristics of these serological tests and validation processes and to critically analyze whether these tests meet the standards required to ensure an accurate serological diagnosis. The current systematic review and meta-analysis included 134 studies that were published from 2013 to 2023. QUADAS 2 tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. A total of 52 variables related to the characteristics of the techniques and analytical and diagnostic validation parameters were studied. A wider panel of tests was developed for humans, including techniques exclusively developed for humans that involve costly equipment and the measurement of different Ig isotypes that are considered biomarkers of congenital toxoplasmosis. Studies conducted in humans frequently employed commercial techniques as reference tests, measured different immunoglobulin isotypes with a predominance for IgG (>50%) and discriminated between acute and chronic infections. In animals, the most commonly used reference techniques were in-house tests, which almost exclusively detected IgG. Common limitations identified in a large number of studies were some misunderstandings of the terms "gold standard" and "reference test" and the absence of information about the negative and positive control sera used or the exact cutoff employed, which were independent of the quality of the study. There is a lack of analytical validation, with few evaluations of cross-reactivity with other pathogens. Diagnostic odds ratio values showed that indirect ELISA based on native or chimeric antigens performed better than other tests. The reproducibility of serological test results in both humans and animals is not guaranteed due to a lack of relevant information and analytical validation. Thus, several key issues should be considered in the future, including interlaboratory ring trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Huertas-López
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain.
| | - Ana Cantos-Barreda
- Animal Health Department, University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Javier Ibáñez-López
- Statistical Support Section (SAE), Scientific and Research Area (ACTI), University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain
| | - Silvia Martínez-Subiela
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain
| | - José Joaquín Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia, Murcia, Espinardo 30100, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain
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10
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Fadel EF, EL-Hady HA, Ahmed AM, Tolba MEM. Molecular diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis: the state of the art. J Parasit Dis 2024; 48:201-216. [PMID: 38840888 PMCID: PMC11147977 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-024-01667-1] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis. Approximately one-third of the world's population is currently T. gondii-seropositive. Although most infections are symptomless, a few can produce retinal lesions and, in immunocompromised persons or when congenitally contracted, can progress to life-threatening central nervous system disseminated infections. Therefore, quick, and precise diagnosis is a must. Molecular techniques nowadays play a crucial role in toxoplasmosis diagnosis, particularly in immunocompromised patients or congenital toxoplasmosis. This review aimed to detail recent advancements in molecular diagnostics of T. gondii infections. The terms "Toxoplasmosis," "Molecular diagnostics," "PCR," "qPCR," "B1," and "rep529" were used to search the English-language literature. In developed nations, conventional PCR (PCR) and nested PCR have been supplanted by quantitative PCR (qPCR), although they are still widely employed in poor nations. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis has been revolutionized by the emergence of molecular diagnostics. Unfortunately, there is still substantial interlaboratory variability. There is an immediate need for standardization to increase the comparability of results between laboratories and clinical trials. Graphical abstract A graphical abstract highlighting the summary of Toxoplasma molecular diagnostics, created using Biorender.com.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Fathi Fadel
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Hanaa Ahmed EL-Hady
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Amal Mostafa Ahmed
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Mohammed Essa Marghany Tolba
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Khaled University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Foroutan M, Majidiani H, Hassanipour S, Badri M. Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in the Iranian blood donors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28013. [PMID: 38509978 PMCID: PMC10951657 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The present systematic review and meta-analysis was done to assess the rate of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) exposure among Iranian healthy blood donors. Methods We searched four English (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) and two Persian databases (Magiran and SID) as well as Google Scholar as a specialized article search engine using specific keywords for relevant papers from the inception up to November 30, 2023. Results In total, 19 studies enrolling 8226 apparently healthy blood donors were examined regarding T. gondii-specific IgG and/or IgM antibodies, among which 2666 [32.9% (95% CI: 25.3%-41.6%)], 168 [1.4% (95% CI: 0.9%-2.1%)], and 83 [1.7% (95% CI: 1.3%-2.1%)] subjects were seropositive regarding IgG, IgM, and both IgG/IgM antibodies, respectively. Five risk factors were significantly associated with T. gondii seroprevalence, including gender (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.52-2.58; P < 0.001), contact with cat (OR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.70-3.41; P < 0.001), contact with soil (OR = 2.83; 95% CI: 1.07-7.45; P = 0.035), consuming raw/undercooked meat (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.03-3.70; P = 0.039), and raw/unwashed vegetables (OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.25-2.31; P = 0.001). Conclusion A moderate rate of T. gondii exposure was found in the Iranian blood donors, with the association of several risk factors, including gender, contact with cat, contact with soil, consumption of unwashed vegetables and/or undercooked meat. Still, more studies are recommended regarding T. gondii exposure among blood donors in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Foroutan
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Majidiani
- Healthy Aging Research Centre, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Soheil Hassanipour
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Milad Badri
- Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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12
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Memariani H, Memariani M, Ghasemian A. Quercetin as a Promising Antiprotozoan Phytochemical: Current Knowledge and Future Research Avenues. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 2024:7632408. [PMID: 38456097 PMCID: PMC10919984 DOI: 10.1155/2024/7632408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite tremendous advances in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, only few antiparasitic drugs have been developed to date. Protozoan infections such as malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis continue to exact an enormous toll on public health worldwide, underscoring the need to discover novel antiprotozoan drugs. Recently, there has been an explosion of research into the antiprotozoan properties of quercetin, one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. In this review, we tried to consolidate the current knowledge on the antiprotozoal effects of quercetin and to provide the most fruitful avenues for future research. Quercetin exerts potent antiprotozoan activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens such as Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Trichomonas spp., and Toxoplasma gondii. In addition to its immunomodulatory roles, quercetin disrupts mitochondrial function, induces apoptotic/necrotic cell death, impairs iron uptake, inhibits multiple enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis and the glycolytic pathways, suppresses the activity of DNA topoisomerases, and downregulates the expression of various heat shock proteins in these pathogens. In vivo studies also show that quercetin is effective in reducing parasitic loads, histopathological damage, and mortality in animals. Future research should focus on designing effective drug delivery systems to increase the oral bioavailability of quercetin. Incorporating quercetin into various nanocarrier systems would be a promising approach to manage localized cutaneous infections. Nevertheless, clinical trials are needed to validate the efficacy of quercetin in treating various protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolmajid Ghasemian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
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13
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Fan J, Sun H, Fang J, Gao Y, Ding H, Zheng B, Kong Q, Zhuo X, Lu S. Application of gold immunochromatographic assay strip combined with digital evaluation for early detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in multiple species. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:81. [PMID: 38389080 PMCID: PMC10882914 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06180-1] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Timely diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection is necessary to prevent and control toxoplasmosis transmission. The gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) is a means of rapidly detecting pathogen in samples. GICA-based diagnostic methods have been developed to accurately detect pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity, and their application in T. gondii diagnosis is expected to yield good results. METHODS Colloidal gold test strips were produced using T. gondii C-terminal truncated apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1C). Colloidal gold-AMA1C and colloidal gold-murine protein conjugate were synthesized under optimal conditions. A nitrocellulose membrane was treated with AMA1C and goat anti-mouse antibody as the test line and control line, respectively. In total, 90 cat serum samples were tested using AMA1C-GICA and a commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The GICA results were digitally displayed using a portable colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strip analyzer (HMREADER). The sensitivity, specificity, and stability of AMA1C-GICA were assessed, and this was then used to examine clinical samples, including 203 human sera, 266 cat sera, and 81 dog sera. RESULTS AMA1C-GICA had a detection threshold of 1:32 for T. gondii-positive serum. The GICA strips specifically detected T. gondii antibodies and exhibited no reactivity with Plasmodium vivax, Paragonimus kellicotti, Schistosoma japonicum, Clonorchis sinensis, and Schistosoma mansoni. Consequently, 15 (16.7%) positive samples were detected using the AMA1C-GICA and commercial ELISA kits for each of the assays. The receiver-operating characteristic curve showed that GICA had a relative sensitivity of 85.3% and specificity of 92%, with an area under the curve of 98%. After analyzing clinical samples using HMREADER, 1.2%-23.4% of these samples were found to be positive for T. gondii. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a novel assay that enables timely and efficient detection of serum antibodies against T. gondii, thereby allowing for its early clinical diagnosis. Furthermore, the integration of digital detection using HMREADER can enhance the implementation of GICA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyuan Fan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310013, 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, 310013, 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
| | - Jiawen Fang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310013, 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
| | - Yafan Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310013, 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, 310013, 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
| | - Bin Zheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310013, 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, 310013, 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, 310013, 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, 310013, 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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14
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Ying Z, Yin M, Zhu Z, Shang Z, Pei Y, Liu J, Liu Q. Iron Stress Affects the Growth and Differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2493. [PMID: 38473741 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Iron is an indispensable nutrient for the survival of Toxoplasma gondii; however, excessive amounts can lead to toxicity. The parasite must overcome the host's "nutritional immunity" barrier and compete with the host for iron. Since T. gondii can infect most nucleated cells, it encounters increased iron stress during parasitism. This study assessed the impact of iron stress, encompassing both iron depletion and iron accumulation, on the growth of T. gondii. Iron accumulation disrupted the redox balance of T. gondii while enhancing the parasite's ability to adhere in high-iron environments. Conversely, iron depletion promoted the differentiation of tachyzoites into bradyzoites. Proteomic analysis further revealed proteins affected by iron depletion and identified the involvement of phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator proteins in bradyzoite formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Ying
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Meng Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zifu Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zheng Shang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yanqun Pei
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
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15
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Franco PS, Scussel ACMO, Silva RJ, Araújo TE, Gonzaga HT, Marcon CF, Brito-de-Sousa JP, Diniz ALD, Paschoini MC, Barbosa BF, Martins-Filho OA, Mineo JR, Ferro EAV, Gomes AO. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Congenital Toxoplasmosis Diagnosis: Advances and Challenges. J Trop Med 2024; 2024:1514178. [PMID: 38419946 PMCID: PMC10901580 DOI: 10.1155/2024/1514178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To understand how congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) diagnosis has evolved over the years, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the kind of analysis that has been employed for CT diagnosis. Methods PubMed and Lilacs databases were used in order to access the kind of analysis that has been employed for CT diagnosis in several samples. Our search combined the following combining terms: "congenital toxoplasmosis" or "gestational toxoplasmosis" and "diagnosis" and "blood," "serum," "amniotic fluid," "placenta," or "colostrum." We extracted data on true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative to generate pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Random-effects models using MetaDTA were used for analysis. Results Sixty-five articles were included in the study aiming for comparisons (75.4%), diagnosis performance (52.3%), diagnosis improvement (32.3%), or to distinguish acute/chronic infection phases (36.9%). Amniotic fluid (AF) and placenta were used in 36.9% and 10.8% of articles, respectively, targeting parasites and/or T. gondii DNA. Blood was used in 86% of articles for enzymatic assays. Colostrum was used in one article to search for antibodies. In meta-analysis, PCR in AF showed the best performance for CT diagnosis based on the highest summary sensitivity (85.1%) and specificity (99.7%) added to lower magnitude heterogeneity. Conclusion Most of the assays being researched to diagnose CT are basically the same traditional approaches available for clinical purposes. The range in diagnostic performance and the challenges imposed by CT diagnosis indicate the need to better explore pregnancy samples in search of new possibilities for diagnostic tools. Exploring immunological markers and using bioinformatics tools and T. gondii recombinant antigens should address the research needed for a new generation of diagnostic tools to face these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Silva Franco
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Rafaela José Silva
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Thadia Evelyn Araújo
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Henrique Tomaz Gonzaga
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Camila Ferreira Marcon
- Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Rua Frei Paulino, 30, Nossa Sra. da Abadia 38025-180, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Joaquim Pedro Brito-de-Sousa
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Angélica Lemos Debs Diniz
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Marina Carvalho Paschoini
- Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Rua Frei Paulino, 30, Nossa Sra. da Abadia 38025-180, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Olindo Assis Martins-Filho
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Eloisa Amália Vieira Ferro
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila 2121, Uberlândia, Santa Mônica 38408-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Angelica Oliveira Gomes
- Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Rua Frei Paulino, 30, Nossa Sra. da Abadia 38025-180, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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16
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Seeber F. Past and present seroprevalence and disease burden estimates of Toxoplasma gondii infections in Germany: An appreciation of the role of serodiagnostics. Int J Med Microbiol 2023; 313:151592. [PMID: 38056090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2023.151592] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is one of the major foodborne parasitic diseases in Germany, with 49% of its population chronically infected with its causative agent, Toxoplasma gondii. Although the acute disease is usually benign in immunocompetent individuals, it is a threat for immunocompromised patients as well as for fetuses of seronegative mothers. As a result of infection, congenital and ocular toxoplasmosis can have serious lifelong consequences. Here I will highlight the epidemiologic situation, from its past in the two separate parts of Germany, to its unification 30 years ago and up to the present day. The main identified risk factor for infection in Germany is thought to be the consumption of undercooked or raw meat or sausages. However, the relative impact of this risky eating habit as well as that of other risk factors are changing and are discussed and compared to the situation in the Netherlands. Finally, the importance of robust and efficient high-throughput serological assays for obtaining reliable epidemiological data, on which public health decisions can be made, is highlighted. The potential of bead-based multiplex assays, which allow the incorporation of multiple antigens with different analytical properties and thus yield additional information, are described in this context. It illustrates the interdependence of new analytic assay developments and sound epidemiology, a foundation that decades-old data from Germany did not have.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Seeber
- FG 16 - Mycotic and parasitic agents and mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institut, Seestrasse 10, D-13353 Berlin, Germany.
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17
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Fernandez‐Becerra C, Xander P, Alfandari D, Dong G, Aparici‐Herraiz I, Rosenhek‐Goldian I, Shokouhy M, Gualdron‐Lopez M, Lozano N, Cortes‐Serra N, Karam PA, Meneghetti P, Madeira RP, Porat Z, Soares RP, Costa AO, Rafati S, da Silva A, Santarém N, Fernandez‐Prada C, Ramirez MI, Bernal D, Marcilla A, Pereira‐Chioccola VL, Alves LR, Portillo HD, Regev‐Rudzki N, de Almeida IC, Schenkman S, Olivier M, Torrecilhas AC. Guidelines for the purification and characterization of extracellular vesicles of parasites. JOURNAL OF EXTRACELLULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 2:e117. [PMID: 38939734 PMCID: PMC11080789 DOI: 10.1002/jex2.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Parasites are responsible for the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting over a billion people worldwide (WHO, 2015) and accounting for billions of cases a year and responsible for several millions of deaths. Research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) has increased in recent years and demonstrated that EVs shed by pathogenic parasites interact with host cells playing an important role in the parasite's survival, such as facilitation of infection, immunomodulation, parasite adaptation to the host environment and the transfer of drug resistance factors. Thus, EVs released by parasites mediate parasite-parasite and parasite-host intercellular communication. In addition, they are being explored as biomarkers of asymptomatic infections and disease prognosis after drug treatment. However, most current protocols used for the isolation, size determination, quantification and characterization of molecular cargo of EVs lack greater rigor, standardization, and adequate quality controls to certify the enrichment or purity of the ensuing bioproducts. We are now initiating major guidelines based on the evolution of collective knowledge in recent years. The main points covered in this position paper are methods for the isolation and molecular characterization of EVs obtained from parasite-infected cell cultures, experimental animals, and patients. The guideline also includes a discussion of suggested protocols and functional assays in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Fernandez‐Becerra
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global HealthHospital Clínic‐Universitatde BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- IGTP Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i PujolBadalona (Barcelona)Spain
- CIBERINFECISCIII‐CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - Patrícia Xander
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasLaboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e ProtozoáriosDepartamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasInstituto de Ciências AmbientaisQuímicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloBrazil
| | - Daniel Alfandari
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesWeizmann Institute of Science (WIS)RehovotIsrael
| | - George Dong
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreMcGill UniversityMontréalQuébecCanada
| | - Iris Aparici‐Herraiz
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global HealthHospital Clínic‐Universitatde BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | | | - Mehrdad Shokouhy
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine ResearchPasteur Institute of IranTehranIran
| | - Melisa Gualdron‐Lopez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global HealthHospital Clínic‐Universitatde BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Nicholy Lozano
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasLaboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e ProtozoáriosDepartamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasInstituto de Ciências AmbientaisQuímicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloBrazil
| | - Nuria Cortes‐Serra
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global HealthHospital Clínic‐Universitatde BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Paula Abou Karam
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesWeizmann Institute of Science (WIS)RehovotIsrael
| | - Paula Meneghetti
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasLaboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e ProtozoáriosDepartamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasInstituto de Ciências AmbientaisQuímicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloBrazil
| | - Rafael Pedro Madeira
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasLaboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e ProtozoáriosDepartamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasInstituto de Ciências AmbientaisQuímicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloBrazil
| | - Ziv Porat
- Flow Cytometry UnitLife Sciences Core Facilities, WISRehovotIsrael
| | | | - Adriana Oliveira Costa
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e ToxicológicasFaculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)Belo HorizonteMinas GeraisBrasil
| | - Sima Rafati
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine ResearchPasteur Institute of IranTehranIran
| | - Anabela‐Cordeiro da Silva
- Host‐Parasite Interactions GroupInstitute of Research and Innovation in HealthUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
- Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of PharmacyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Nuno Santarém
- Host‐Parasite Interactions GroupInstitute of Research and Innovation in HealthUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
- Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of PharmacyUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | | | - Marcel I. Ramirez
- EVAHPI ‐ Extracellular Vesicles and Host‐Parasite Interactions Research Group Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Sistemática de TripanossomatideosInstituto Carlos Chagas‐FiocruzCuritibaParanáBrasil
| | - Dolores Bernal
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Ciències BiològiquesUniversitat de ValènciaBurjassotValenciaSpain
| | - Antonio Marcilla
- Àrea de Parasitologia, Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i ParasitologiaUniversitat de ValènciaBurjassotValenciaSpain
| | - Vera Lucia Pereira‐Chioccola
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Parasitas e Fungos, Centro de Parasitologia e MicologiaInstituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL)São PauloBrasil
| | - Lysangela Ronalte Alves
- Laboratório de Regulação da Expressão GênicaInstituto Carlos ChagasFiocruz ParanáCuritibaBrazil
- Research Center in Infectious DiseasesDivision of Infectious Disease and Immunity CHU de Quebec Research CenterDepartment of MicrobiologyInfectious Disease and ImmunologyFaculty of MedicineUniversity LavalQuebec CityQuebecCanada
| | - Hernando Del Portillo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global HealthHospital Clínic‐Universitatde BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- IGTP Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i PujolBadalona (Barcelona)Spain
- ICREA Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avanc¸ats (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Neta Regev‐Rudzki
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesWeizmann Institute of Science (WIS)RehovotIsrael
| | - Igor Correia de Almeida
- Department of Biological SciencesBorder Biomedical Research CenterThe University of Texas at El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de MicrobiologiaImunologia e Parasitologia, UNIFESPSão PauloBrazil
| | - Martin Olivier
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreMcGill UniversityMontréalQuébecCanada
| | - Ana Claudia Torrecilhas
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasLaboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e ProtozoáriosDepartamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasInstituto de Ciências AmbientaisQuímicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São PauloBrazil
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18
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Márquez-Mauricio A, Caballero-Ortega H, Gómez-Chávez F. Congenital Toxoplasmosis Diagnosis: Current Approaches and New Insights. Acta Parasitol 2023; 68:473-480. [PMID: 37368128 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00693-y] [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: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study is to describe and discuss current disadvantages in congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) diagnosis, and what can be improved or changed through new perspectives and technological advances. METHODS We used Pubmed, Cochrane, and EBSCO databases to research publications from 10 years to date describing current diagnostic methods for CT. The keywords used for this Mini-Review were Toxoplasma gondii, congenital toxoplasmosis, diagnosis, and prospects using Boolean operators such as AND, OR, identifying scientific publications highlighting the importance of implementing new diagnostic methods. RESULTS Current diagnosis methods have several disadvantages, i.e., time-consuming, low sensitivity or specificity, and non-cost effective, that bring up the necessity of improving or developing new approaches. Recombinant proteins can help improve specificity by generating tests that use circulating strains in a specific geographical region, SAG1 and BAG1, as they are expressed during a particular stage of the disease (acute or chronic, respectively), for its use in serological diagnoses, such as capture ELISA and immunochromatography. Point of Care (POC) tests are methods performed at the patient care site, which leads to rapid patient treatment; despite the advantages, several improvements and perspectives are necessary to be implemented globally. CONCLUSIONS Although already established diagnosis methods for CT may be sufficient in some regions, there is still a persistent demand to develop tests with higher throughput, cost, and time reduction in developing countries, where prevalence is high. New approaches in CT diagnosis, such as recombinant proteins, capture ELISA, immunochromatography, and POC tests methods, can increase performance in terms of specificity and sensitivity simplifying diagnostic tests' requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fernando Gómez-Chávez
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Osteoarticulares e Inmunológicas, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, ENMyH-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico.
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19
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Radoi CL, Zlatian OM, Balasoiu M, Giubelan L, Stoian AC, Dragonu L, Neacsu A, Iliescu DG. Toxoplasma gondii Seroprevalence and Trends in Women Presenting for Toxoplasma Screening in South-West Romania. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2057. [PMID: 37630617 PMCID: PMC10458910 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082057] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is a globally prevalent zoonotic disease with potentially severe implications for immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and their fetuses/children. This study examined the prevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies in two groups of childbearing age women, including 653 participants in Group 1 (2013-2016) and 3221 participants in Group 2 (2019-2022). Our results revealed a decrease in the overall positivity rate of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies from 2.32% to 1.06%, suggesting improved public health interventions over time. However, there were variations among different age groups and between rural and urban environments, with a significant decrease in urban areas across all age groups from Group 1 to Group 2. Regarding anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, we did not observe a significant change in the seropositivity rate between the two groups. In the rural population with an age group over 35 years, we observed the highest positivity rate in Group 2. This study provided information on the risk factors and burden of toxoplasmosis in women of childbearing age with data that can be valuable to public health policies and the planning of healthcare measures for effective toxoplasmosis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Luiza Radoi
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.L.R.); (A.N.)
| | - Ovidiu Mircea Zlatian
- Medical Laboratory, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
- Microbiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Maria Balasoiu
- Medical Laboratory, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
- Microbiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Lucian Giubelan
- Infectious Diseases Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (L.G.); (A.C.S.); (L.D.)
- “Victor Babes” Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology Clinical Hospital, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Andreea Cristina Stoian
- Infectious Diseases Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (L.G.); (A.C.S.); (L.D.)
| | - Livia Dragonu
- Infectious Diseases Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (L.G.); (A.C.S.); (L.D.)
- “Victor Babes” Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology Clinical Hospital, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Alexandru Neacsu
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.L.R.); (A.N.)
| | - Dominic Gabriel Iliescu
- Obstetric and Gynecology Department, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
- Obstetric and Gynecology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
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20
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Mathison BA, Pritt BS. The Landscape of Parasitic Infections in the United States. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100217. [PMID: 37182583 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100217] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The landscape of parasitic infections in the United States has shifted dramatically over the past century. Although infections such as malaria have been successfully eliminated, others remain endemic and pose a significant public health risk. Numerous parasitic infections are also imported each year. This article focuses on endemic parasitic infections that may be commonly seen in anatomical pathology preparations and discusses their biology, diagnostic histopathological features, and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaine A Mathison
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Bobbi S Pritt
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Divisions of Clinical Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
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21
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Król G, Fortunka K, Majchrzak M, Piktel E, Paprocka P, Mańkowska A, Lesiak A, Karasiński M, Strzelecka A, Durnaś B, Bucki R. Metallic Nanoparticles and Core-Shell Nanosystems in the Treatment, Diagnosis, and Prevention of Parasitic Diseases. Pathogens 2023; 12:838. [PMID: 37375528 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The usage of nanotechnology in the fight against parasitic diseases is in the early stages of development, but it brings hopes that this new field will provide a solution to target the early stages of parasitosis, compensate for the lack of vaccines for most parasitic diseases, and also provide new treatment options for diseases in which parasites show increased resistance to current drugs. The huge physicochemical diversity of nanomaterials developed so far, mainly for antibacterial and anti-cancer therapies, requires additional studies to determine their antiparasitic potential. When designing metallic nanoparticles (MeNPs) and specific nanosystems, such as complexes of MeNPs, with the shell of attached drugs, several physicochemical properties need to be considered. The most important are: size, shape, surface charge, type of surfactants that control their dispersion, and shell molecules that should assure specific molecular interaction with targeted molecules of parasites' cells. Therefore, it can be expected that the development of antiparasitic drugs using strategies provided by nanotechnology and the use of nanomaterials for diagnostic purposes will soon provide new and effective methods of antiparasitic therapy and effective diagnostic tools that will improve the prevention and reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Król
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Kamila Fortunka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Michał Majchrzak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Ewelina Piktel
- Independent Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2B, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
| | - Paulina Paprocka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Angelika Mańkowska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Agata Lesiak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Maciej Karasiński
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Strzelecka
- Department of Public Health , Institute of Health Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Bonita Durnaś
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Robert Bucki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
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22
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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23
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Dambrun M, Sare N, Vianou B, Amagbégnon R, Fievet N, Massougbodji A, Houzé S, Migot-Nabias F. Serological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: comparison between a manual commercial ELISA assay and the automated VIDAS ® kit. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2023; 42:759-769. [PMID: 37095264 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-023-04603-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of the toxoplasmosis serological status in pregnant women is important to allow adequate management for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis of those who are not immunized. Serological screening is generally carried out using commercial kits to determine the presence or absence of immunoglobulins M or G in the maternal blood. Robust results are therefore needed. We evaluated the performances of a commercial ELISA assay composed of several recombinant parasite antigens and of a commercial assay using parasite lysate to determine the serological status against Toxoplasma gondii of African pregnant women. A recruitment of 106 pregnant women during their third trimester of pregnancy was carried out in Benin. Serologies were performed with recomWell Toxoplasma IgM and IgG kits. Subsequently, the serological assays were carried out by an automaton method with the VIDAS® TOXO IgM and IgG II kits. Here we compared recomWell Toxoplasma to VIDAS® TOXO results. Reproducibility tests of the recomWell kits were assessed following the discrepancies observed in the results. Of 106 plasmas tested, 47 showed anti-T. gondii IgG (44.3%), including 5 with IgM and high IgG avidity (4.7%). Of the two techniques, VIDAS® TOXO was more robust and specific for IgG while the recomWell Toxoplasma gave more false positive results. The combination of several techniques for the determination of serological toxoplasmosis status remains relevant. Methods using native proteins are closer to the reality of the environment. Therefore, kits using recombinant proteins should be tested on highly geographically diverse populations to refine their composition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nawal Sare
- Centre d'Etude et de Recherche sur les Pathologies Associées à la Grossesse et à L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Bertin Vianou
- Centre d'Etude et de Recherche sur les Pathologies Associées à la Grossesse et à L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Richard Amagbégnon
- Laboratoire de Biologie Médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Mère et de L'Enfant-Lagune (CHU-MEL), 01 BP 107, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Nadine Fievet
- Universite Paris Cite, MERIT, IRD, Paris, F-75006, France
| | - Achille Massougbodji
- Centre d'Etude et de Recherche sur les Pathologies Associées à la Grossesse et à L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Sandrine Houzé
- Universite Paris Cite, MERIT, IRD, Paris, F-75006, France
- Service de Parasitologie, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Groupe Hospitalier Bichat Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
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24
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Uddin AM, Hasan T, Hossain D, Nahar K, Islam T, Islam MT, Saraf MSH, Karim MR, Atikuzzaman M, Ahsan MI. First report of knowledge and practices towards toxoplasmosis among cat owners: A cross-sectional survey in Bangladesh. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:134-145. [PMID: 36441054 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13012] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Raising awareness about Toxoplasma gondii infection among cat owners in Bangladesh is indispensable to formulate persuasive management tactics to avoid zoonotic infections from pet cats. However, to the authors' best knowledge, no studies have been performed in Bangladesh to determine knowledge and practices of toxoplasmosis in cat owners. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to cover this research gap. We carried out a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh from June 2020 through December 2021. A structured online questionnaire was distributed to cat owners, which were voluntarily completed by them. The questionnaire included socio-demographic data, aetiology, transmissions, clinical signs, and preventive practices towards toxoplasmosis. Overall, 1,019 cat owners participated voluntarily in the cross-sectional survey. Among them, 793 (77.82%) participants showed poor knowledge regarding toxoplasmosis. Under specific knowledge sections, 62.51% of the participants revealed incorrect knowledge that toxoplasmosis was a zoonotic disease. In the same way, (72.03-85.77) % of the cat owners were unaware that the disease could be transmitted from improperly washed vegetables, raw or undercooked meat and fish, and contaminated water and milk with cat faeces. Respondents' age, education, occupation, residence type, and marital status were significantly (p < .05) associated with their knowledge level. Besides, 94.11% of cat owners had a good practice level. They followed good practices in different issues; however, they practiced those activities without knowing their impacts on disease control. Cat owners' age, education, occupation, and residence type had a significant (p < .05) association with the practice level against toxoplasmosis. This is the first study highlighting the low level of knowledge among cat owners about toxoplasmosis in Bangladesh. These knowledge gaps could increase the risk and transmission of Toxoplasma gondii infection among them and their families. The survey recommends the arrangement of educational training and programmes to increase the awareness of toxoplasmosis among cat owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahm Musleh Uddin
- Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Tanjila Hasan
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Delower Hossain
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Tauhidul Islam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Md Tanvir Islam
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Md Sawkat Hasan Saraf
- Department of Dairy Science, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Md Robiul Karim
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Atikuzzaman
- Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Md Irtija Ahsan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
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Huertas-López A, Álvarez-García G, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Cantos-Barreda A, Ibáñez-López FJ, Martínez-Subiela S, Cerón JJ, Martínez-Carrasco C. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the serological diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection highlight the lack of a One Health integrative research. Res Vet Sci 2023; 155:137-149. [PMID: 36682338 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed food-borne zoonotic parasite with numerous infection sources. The control of this zoonosis requires a One Health response that partially depends on serological monitoring in humans and animals. Herein, a systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed to analyse and compare the transdisciplinary and integrative research under the One Health approach. We searched for articles published between January 1st 2014 and September 5th 2022, focused on the development and evaluation of serological techniques for the diagnosis of T. gondii infection in humans and animals. After an exhaustive search on three scientific databases, a quality assessment was performed on 291 articles by QUADAS-2 tool, and 113 articles were finally selected. A total of 18 variables were extracted and analysed, including bibliometric characteristics, study aims and methodology. Remarkably, none of the studies included in the meta-analysis explicitly quoted the words "One Health", and only 23.9% of them alluded to the principles underlying the One Health approach; in particular, none were conducted by physician-only teams, with the majority of these studies involving interdisciplinary research teams, followed by veterinarians and by non-physician or non-veterinarian researchers. The One Health approach followed in the serodiagnosis of T. gondii still needs further integration among scientific disciplines, which is essential to design effective control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Huertas-López
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cantos-Barreda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain; Animal Health Department, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Ibáñez-López
- Statistical Support Section (SAE), Scientific and Research Area (ACTI), University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Silvia Martínez-Subiela
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - José Joaquín Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Carlos Martínez-Carrasco
- Animal Health Department, University of Murcia - Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
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Advances and Challenges in Diagnostics of Toxoplasmosis in HIV-Infected Patients. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010110. [PMID: 36678458 PMCID: PMC9862295 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide distributed protozoan parasite. This apicomplexan parasite infects one-third of the population worldwide, causing toxoplasmosis, considered one of the neglected parasitic infections. In healthy humans, most infections are asymptomatic. However, in immunocompromised patients, the course of the disease can be life-threatening. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients have a very high burden of Toxoplasma gondii co-infection. Thus, it is essential to use modern, sensitive, and specific methods to properly monitor the course of toxoplasmosis in immunodeficient patients.
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Dámek F, Swart A, Waap H, Jokelainen P, Le Roux D, Deksne G, Deng H, Schares G, Lundén A, Álvarez-García G, Betson M, Davidson RK, Györke A, Antolová D, Hurníková Z, Wisselink HJ, Sroka J, van der Giessen JWB, Blaga R, Opsteegh M. Systematic Review and Modelling of Age-Dependent Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Livestock, Wildlife and Felids in Europe. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010097. [PMID: 36678447 PMCID: PMC9865579 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of importance to both human and animal health. The parasite has various transmission routes, and the meat of infected animals appears to be a major source of human infections in Europe. We aimed to estimate T. gondii prevalence in a selection of animal host species. A systematic literature review resulting in 226 eligible publications was carried out, and serological data were analyzed using an age-dependent Bayesian hierarchical model to obtain estimates for the regional T. gondii seroprevalence in livestock, wildlife, and felids. Prevalence estimates varied between species, regions, indoor/outdoor rearing, and types of detection methods applied. The lowest estimated seroprevalence was observed for indoor-kept lagomorphs at 4.8% (95% CI: 1.8-7.5%) and the highest for outdoor-kept sheep at 63.3% (95% CI: 53.0-79.3%). Overall, T. gondii seroprevalence estimates were highest within Eastern Europe, whilst being lowest in Northern Europe. Prevalence data based on direct detection methods were scarce and were not modelled but rather directly summarized by species. The outcomes of the meta-analysis can be used to extrapolate data to areas with a lack of data and provide valuable inputs for future source attribution approaches aiming to estimate the relative contribution of different sources of T. gondii human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Dámek
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Arno Swart
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Helga Waap
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pikka Jokelainen
- Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Delphine Le Roux
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Gunita Deksne
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, LV-1076 Riga, Latvia
| | - Huifang Deng
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gereon Schares
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anna Lundén
- Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Martha Betson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7AL, UK
| | - Rebecca K. Davidson
- Food Safety and Animal Health, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 9016 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Adriana Györke
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniela Antolová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Hurníková
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Henk J. Wisselink
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Jacek Sroka
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland
| | - Joke W. B. van der Giessen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Radu Blaga
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, BIPAR, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marieke Opsteegh
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control—Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-6-29651388
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Toxoplasmosis diagnostic techniques: Current developed methods and biosensors. Talanta 2023; 252:123828. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Qi T, Ai J, Sun Y, Ma H, Kang M, You X, Li J. Application of Toxoplasma gondii-specific SAG1, GRA7 and BAG1 proteins in serodiagnosis of animal toxoplasmosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1029768. [PMID: 36590582 PMCID: PMC9798413 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1029768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite T. gondii which is widely prevalent in humans and animals worldwide. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and distinguishing acute or chronic T. gondii infections have utmost importance for humans and animals. The TgSAG1, TgGRA7, and TgBAG1 proteins were used in the present study to develop the serological rSAG1-ELISA, rGRA7-ELISA and rBAG1-ELISA methods for the testing of T. gondii specific IgG and IgM antibodies and differentiating acute or chronic toxoplasmosis in 3733 animals, including Tibetan sheep, yaks, pigs, cows, cattle, horses, chickens, camels and donkeys from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The ELISA tests showed that the overall positivity of IgG antibody was 21.1% (786/3733), 15.3% (570/3733) and 18.2% (680/3733) for rSAG1-, rGRA7- and rBAG1-ELISA, respectively, and the positivity of IgM antibody was 11.8% (439/3733), 13.0% (486/3733) and 11.8% (442/3733) for rSAG1-, rGRA7- and rBAG1-ELISA, respectively. A total of 241 animals (6.5%) positive for all rSAG1-, rGRA7- and rBAG1-IgG were found in this study, and the 141 animals (3.8%) tested were anti-T. gondii IgM positive in all three ELISAs. Moreover, the 338, 284 and 377 animals were IgG positive in rSAG1 + rGRA7-, rBAG1 + rGRA7- and rSAG1 + rBAG1- ELISAs respectively, and the 346, 178 and 166 animals in rSAG1 + rGRA7-, rBAG1 + rGRA7- and rSAG1 + rBAG1-ELISAs were IgM positive respectively. The results confirmed that the application of SAG1, GRA7, and BAG1 recombinant antigens could successfully be used in the detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies for distinguishing between acute or chronic T. gondii infections. It is inferred that the forms in which current animal species in the plateau area were infected with T. gondii, and the period of infection or the clinical manifestations of the current infections may be different. The present study provides substantial clinical evidence for the differential diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, and the classification of acute and chronic T. gondii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Jingkai Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Diseases and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Hejia Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Ming Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Xiaoqian You
- Qinghai Animal Disease Control Center, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Qinghai Province, Xining, China
| | - Jixu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Diseases and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Qinghai University, Xining, China,*Correspondence: Jixu Li,
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Recombinant AMA1 Virus-like Particle Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10112812. [PMID: 36359332 PMCID: PMC9687185 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis diagnosis predominantly relies on serology testing via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), but these results are highly variable. Consequently, various antigens are being evaluated to improve the sensitivity and specificity of toxoplasmosis serological diagnosis. Here, we generated Toxoplasma gondii virus-like particles displaying AMA1 of T. gondii and evaluated their diagnostic potential. We found that AMA1 VLPs were highly sensitive and reacted with the sera acquired from mice infected with either T. gondii ME49 or RH strains. The overall IgG and IgM antibody responses elicited by AMA1 VLPs were substantially higher than those induced by the conventionally used T. gondii lysate antigen (TLA). Importantly, AMA1 VLPs were capable of detecting parasitic infection with T. gondii RH and ME49 as early as 1 week post-infection, even when mice were exposed to low infectious doses (5 × 103 and 10 cysts, respectively). AMA1 VLPs also did not cross-react with the immune sera acquired from Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Compared to TLA, stronger antibody responses were induced by AMA1 VLPs when tested using T. gondii-infected human sera. The sensitivities and specificities of the two antigens were substantially different, with AMA1 VLPs demonstrating over 90% sensitivity and specificity, whereas these values were in the 70% range for the TLA. These results indicated that AMA1 VLPs can detect infections of both T. gondii ME49 and RH at an early stage of infection caused by very low infection doses in mice, and these could be used for serological diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis.
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Development, structural, spectroscopic and in silico investigation of new complexes relevant as anti-toxoplasma metallopharmacs. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Grzelak S, Bień-Kalinowska J, Stachyra A. Trichinella britovi recombinant proteins produced in Pichia pastoris expression system for specific IgG antibody detection in the sera of mice and pigs infected with Trichinella spp. Exp Parasitol 2022; 242:108386. [PMID: 36179852 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Trichinellosis, a disease caused by infection with Trichinella spp, poses an economic problem in the animal sector and a recurrent health problem for humans. Discovering the new diagnostic tests may be achieved by identification and production of species- and stage-specific recombinant proteins of Trichinella genus which are recognized by the host antibodies after infection. In this study the T. britovi proteins identified earlier in excretory-secretory (ES) products: CTRL, ES21 and HSP20, were cloned and produced using a eukaryotic Pichia pastoris system. Their immunodiagnostic properties were verified by measuring the abundance of specific IgG antibodies in sera from mice and pigs experimentally infected with T. britovi or T. spiralis. The rTbCTRL and the rTbES21 proteins were more effectively produced and stable than rTbHSP20. The most sensitive protein for serodiagnostic purposes occurred to be CTRL; anti-rTbCTRL IgG level increased at 41 days post infection (dpi) in pigs infected with T. britovi and 45 dpi for those infected with T. spiralis. The rTbES21 protein was the most specific for the T. britovi species, as no antibody titers were observed in pigs infected with T. spiralis. Following the multiple-antigen strategy, the combination of rTbCTRL + rTbES21 was applied in ELISA, but no significant difference in IgG level was detected in the tested conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Grzelak
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Justyna Bień-Kalinowska
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Stachyra
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland
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Cao Z, Zhang K, Yin D, Zhang Q, Yu Y, Wen J, Ni H. Clinical validation of visual LAMP and qLAMP assays for the rapid detection of Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1024690. [PMID: 36225232 PMCID: PMC9548649 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1024690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are exposed to Toxoplasma gondii infection as pet cats gradually become family members and represent an increasing public health risk worldwide. Toxoplasmosis diagnosis constitutes an important measure for disease prevention and control. In this study, real-time fluorescence quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) and visual LAMP detection technologies were established to conduct tests of T. gondii based on the membrane DNA extraction method, and the optimal detection mix was determined by adding the protective reagent trehalose and screening the concentrations of Mg2+ and dNTPs. Paraffin and lyophilization were used to reduce and even remove aerosol pollution, constructing a detailed anti-contamination protocol. Based on the positive standard plasmid DNA, the LODs of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 92 copies/μL and 92 copies/μL, and the standard curve of qLAMP was Y=2.9503X+20.8992 with R2 = 0.99. The applicability of the qLAMP and visual LAMP assays in disease diagnosis was assessed by evaluating 200 clinical cat faeces samples. The assays showed good diagnostic consistency, with kappa values of 1.0 and 0.99 compared with TaqMan qPCR, respectively. Compared with TaqMan qPCR, the diagnostic specificity/sensitivity of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 100%/100% and 100%/80%, respectively. The qLAMP and visual LAMP assays reported here are rapid and simple tests without extensive sample preparation and have a short turnaround time within 60 min, making them suitable for point-of-care testing.
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de Barros RAM, Torrecilhas AC, Marciano MAM, Mazuz ML, Pereira-Chioccola VL, Fux B. Toxoplasmosis in Human and Animals Around the World. Diagnosis and Perspectives in the One Health Approach. Acta Trop 2022; 231:106432. [PMID: 35390311 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a unique health disease that significantly affects the health of humans, domestic animals, wildlife and is present in ecosystems, including water, soil and food. Toxoplasma gondii is one of the best-adapted parasites in the word. This parasite is able to persist for long periods in its hosts, in different geographic regions of the word. This review summarizes the current literature of these themes, focusing on: (1) toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic infection; (2) One health approach and toxoplasmosis; (3) human toxoplasmosis; (4) animal toxoplasmosis; (5) toxoplasmosis diagnosis, as immunological, parasitological and molecular diagnosis; (6) T. gondii outbreaks caused by infected meat, milk and dairy products, as well as, vegetables and water consume; (7) studies in experimental models; (8) genetic characterization of T. gondii strains; (9) extracellular vesicles and miRNA; and (10) future perspectives on T. gondii and toxoplasmosis. The vast prevalence of toxoplasmosis in both humans and animals and the dispersion and resistence of T. gondii parasites in environment highlight the importance of the one health approach in diagnostic and control of the disease. Here the different aspects of the one health approach are presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosangela Aparecida Müller de Barros
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil.; Programa em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil..
| | - Ana Claudia Torrecilhas
- Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e Protozoários, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Campus Diadema, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil..
| | | | - Monica Leszkowicz Mazuz
- Parasitology Division, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Israeli Veterinary Service and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Beit Dagan, 5025000, Israel..
| | | | - Blima Fux
- Unidade de Medicina Tropical, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil.; Programa em Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil..
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Duong HD, Taniguchi Y, Takashima Y, Sekiguchi S, Aye KM, Ahmadi P, Bui LK, Irie T, Nagayasu E, Yoshida A. Diagnostic value of recombinant nanoluciferase fused Toxoplasma gondii antigens in Luciferase-linked Antibody Capture Assay (LACA) for Toxoplasma infection in pigs. J Vet Med Sci 2022; 84:905-913. [PMID: 35584943 PMCID: PMC9353080 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.22-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a widespread protozoan zoonosis. Since ingesting undercooked meat harboring Toxoplasma gondii cyst is considered one of the major transmission routes to
humans, the screening of T. gondii in meat-producing animals can reduce the risk of food-borne toxoplasmosis in humans. Among serological diagnostic methods,
Luciferase-linked Antibody Capture Assay (LACA) has been found to be a promising platform with high sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate recombinant
nanoluciferase fused-T. gondii antigens (rNluc-GRA6, rNluc-GRA7, rNluc-GRA8 and rNluc-BAG1) for their potential use in LACA for pigs. As a result, the sensitivity of GRA6-,
GRA7-, GRA8- and BAG1-LACA were 70.0%, 80.0%, 80.0% and 30.0% with specificity 87.0%, 81.5%, 74.1% and 50.0%, respectively. The cocktail LACA using a mixture of rNluc-GRA6, rNluc-GRA7 and
rNluc-GRA8 indicated higher sensitivity (90.0%) and a similar specificity (96.3%) in comparison with the commercial ELISA kit. Compared to the Dye-Test as a reference test, cocktail LACA
showed strong agreement (kappa value=0.811) when we assessed pig sera collected at the slaughterhouse. In addition, we also successfully established the rapid LACA format for the detection
of Toxoplasma infection in pigs (called Rapid-LACA) in which the test could be performed within 30 min. In Rapid-LACA, the protein A pre-coated/blocked plates could be
preserved at −30°C, 4°C or room temperature conditions for at least two months without compromising on the quality of assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu Duc Duong
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki.,Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
| | - Yuji Taniguchi
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University
| | - Yasuhiro Takashima
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University
| | - Satoshi Sekiguchi
- Laboratory of Animal Infectious Disease and Prevention, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki.,Centre for Animal Diseases Control (CADIC), University of Miyazaki
| | - Khin Myo Aye
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki.,Parasitology Research Division, Department of Medical Research
| | - Parnian Ahmadi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki
| | - Linh Khanh Bui
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture
| | - Takao Irie
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki.,Centre for Animal Diseases Control (CADIC), University of Miyazaki
| | - Eiji Nagayasu
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki
| | - Ayako Yoshida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki.,Centre for Animal Diseases Control (CADIC), University of Miyazaki
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Mining the Proteome of Toxoplasma Parasites Seeking Vaccine and Diagnostic Candidates. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091098. [PMID: 35565525 PMCID: PMC9099775 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The One Health concept to toxoplasmosis highlights that the health of humans is closely related to the health of animals and our common environment. Toxoplasmosis outcomes might be severe and fatal in patients with immunodeficiency, diabetes, and pregnant women and infants. Consequently, the development of effective vaccine and diagnostic strategies is urgent for the elimination of this disease. Proteomics analysis has allowed the identification of key proteins that can be utilized in the development of novel disease diagnostics and vaccines. This work presents relevant proteins found in the proteome of the life cycle-specific stages of Toxoplasma parasites. In fact, it brings together the main functionality key proteins from Toxoplasma parasites coming from proteomic approaches that are most likely to be useful in improving the disease management, and critically proposes innovative directions to finally develop promising vaccines and diagnostics tools. Abstract Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that infects the nucleated cells of warm-blooded hosts leading to an infectious zoonotic disease known as toxoplasmosis. The infection outcomes might be severe and fatal in patients with immunodeficiency, diabetes, and pregnant women and infants. The One Health approach to toxoplasmosis highlights that the health of humans is closely related to the health of animals and our common environment. The presence of drug resistance and side effects, the further improvement of sensitivity and specificity of serodiagnostic tools and the potentiality of vaccine candidates to induce the host immune response are considered as justifiable reasons for the identification of novel targets for the better management of toxoplasmosis. Thus, the identification of new critical proteins in the proteome of Toxoplasma parasites can also be helpful in designing and test more effective drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tools. Accordingly, in this study we present important proteins found in the proteome of the life cycle-specific stages of Toxoplasma parasites that are potential diagnostic or vaccine candidates. The current study might help to understand the complexity of these parasites and provide a possible source of strategies and biomolecules that can be further evaluated in the pathobiology of Toxoplasma parasites and for diagnostics and vaccine trials against this disease.
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Suwan E, Chalermwong P, Rucksaken R, Sussadee M, Kaewmongkol S, Udonsom R, Jittapalapong S, Mangkit B. Development and evaluation of indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant dense granule antigen 7 protein for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats in Thailand. Vet World 2022; 15:602-610. [PMID: 35497967 PMCID: PMC9047132 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.602-610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: Toxoplasma gondii is recognized as a zoonosis causing toxoplasmosis in animals globally. Cat is a definitive host of T. gondii and sheds oocyst through feces, which can infect human beings and animals through contaminated food ingestion. A precise diagnostic test is essential to prevent T. gondii infection in both humans and animals. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the pETite-dense granule antigen 7(GRA7)-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect T. gondii infection in cats. Materials and Methods: T. gondii-GRA7 was cloned and expressed in the Expresso®small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) T7 Cloning and Expression System. The recombinant pETite-GRA7 was purified using HisTrap affinity chromatography and confirmed using Western blot analysis. The recombinant protein was used to develop and evaluate the indirect ELISA for T. gondii infection detection. In total, 200 cat sera were tested using pETite-GRA7-based indirect ELISA and indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The statistical analysis based on Kappa value, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, χ2 test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of the test. Results: A 606 bp GRA7 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product was obtained from T. gondii RH strain genomic DNA. The gene was cloned into the pETite™ vector and transformed to HI-Control Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) for protein expression. Approximately 35 kDa of recombinant pETite-GRA7 was observed and Western blot analysis showed positive bands against anti-6-His antibody and positive-T. gondii cat serum. A sample of 0.5 μg/mL of pETite-GRA7 was subjected to indirect ELISA to detect T. gondii infection in the cat sera. The results showed sensitivity and specificity of pETite-GRA7-based indirect ELISA at 72% and 96%, respectively. An acceptable diagnostic performance was characterized by high concordant results (94%) and substantial agreement (Kappa value=0.65) with IFAT. The seroprevalence levels of ELISA and IFAT were 10% and 9%, respectively, and were not significantly (p>0.05) different. The expected performance of ELISA at different cutoff points using the ROC curve analysis revealed 89% sensitivity and 92% specificity at the cutoff value of 0.146, with a high overall assay accuracy (area under the curve=0.94). Conclusion: In this study, the pETite™ vector, N-terminal 6xHis SUMO fusion tag, was used to improve the solubility and expression level of GRA7. The recombinant pETite-GRA7 showed enhanced protein solubility and purification without special condition requirements. This pETite-GRA7-based indirect ELISA showed high concordant results and substantial agreement with IFAT. ELISA revealed an acceptable sensitivity and specificity. These initial data obtained from cats’ sera demonstrated that pETite-GRA7-based indirect ELISA could be a useful method for local serological diagnosis of T. gondii infection in cats in Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eukote Suwan
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Piangjai Chalermwong
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rucksak Rucksaken
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Metita Sussadee
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sarawan Kaewmongkol
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ruenruetai Udonsom
- Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Bandid Mangkit
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Huertas-López A, Rojo MC, Sukhumavasi W, Martínez-Subiela S, Álvarez-García G, López-Ureña NM, Cerón JJ, Martínez-Carrasco C. Comparative performance of five recombinant and chimeric antigens in a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats. Vet Parasitol 2022; 304:109703. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Ybañez RH, Nishikawa Y. Comparative Performance of Recombinant GRA6, GRA7, and GRA14 for the Serodetection of T. gondii Infection and Analysis of IgG Subclasses in Human Sera from the Philippines. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020277. [PMID: 35215219 PMCID: PMC8874886 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly specific and sensitive diagnostic methods are vital for the effective control and treatment of toxoplasmosis. Routine diagnosis is primarily serological because T. gondii infections stimulate persistently high IgG antibody responses. The sensitivity and specificity of methods are crucial factors for the proper diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, primarily dependent on the antigens used in different assays. In the present study, we compared the serodiagnostic performances of three recombinant dense granule antigens, namely, the GRA6, GRA7, and GRA14, to detect IgG antibodies against T. gondii in human sera from the Philippines. Moreover, we evaluated the IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 responses against the different recombinant antigens, which has not been performed previously. Our results revealed that the TgGRA7 has consistently displayed superior diagnostic capability, while TgGRA6 can be a satisfactory alternative antigen among the GRA proteins. Furthermore, IgG1 is the predominant subclass stimulated by the different recombinant antigens. This study's results provide options to researchers and manufacturers to choose recombinant antigens suitable for their purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle Haidee Ybañez
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan;
- Institute of Molecular Parasitology and Protozoan Diseases, Main Campus and College of Veterinary Medicine, Barili Campus, Cebu Technological University, Cebu City 6000, Philippines
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan;
- Correspondence:
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Identification of Oocyst-Driven Toxoplasma gondii Infections in Humans and Animals through Stage-Specific Serology-Current Status and Future Perspectives. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112346. [PMID: 34835471 PMCID: PMC8618849 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii has three infective stages: sporozoites in sporulated oocysts, which are shed in unsporulated form into the environment by infected felids; tissue cysts containing bradyzoites, and fast replicating tachyzoites that are responsible for acute toxoplasmosis. The contribution of oocysts to infections in both humans and animals is understudied despite being highly relevant. Only a few diagnostic antigens have been described to be capable of discriminating which parasite stage has caused an infection. Here we provide an extensive overview of the antigens and serological assays used to detect oocyst-driven infections in humans and animals according to the literature. In addition, we critically discuss the possibility to exploit the increasing knowledge of the T. gondii genome and the various 'omics datasets available, by applying predictive algorithms, for the identification of new oocyst-specific proteins for diagnostic purposes. Finally, we propose a workflow for how such antigens and assays based on them should be evaluated to ensure reproducible and robust results.
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Warner RC, Chapman RC, Davis BN, Davis PH. REVIEW OF DNA VACCINE APPROACHES AGAINST THE PARASITE TOXOPLASMA GONDII. J Parasitol 2021; 107:882-903. [PMID: 34852176 DOI: 10.1645/20-157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite that affects both humans and livestock. Transmitted to humans through ingestion, it is the second-leading cause of foodborne illness-related death. Currently, there exists no approved vaccine for humans or most livestock against the parasite. DNA vaccines, a type of subunit vaccine which uses segments of the pathogen's DNA to generate immunity, have shown varying degrees of experimental efficacy against infection caused by the parasite. This review compiles DNA vaccine efforts against Toxoplasma gondii, segmenting the analysis by parasite antigen, as well as a review of concomitant adjuvant usage. No single antigenic group was consistently more effective within in vivo trials relative to others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalie C Warner
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
| | - Ryan C Chapman
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
| | - Brianna N Davis
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
| | - Paul H Davis
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182
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Cook EAJ, Gitahi N, de Glanville WA, Thomas LF, Kariuki S, Kang'ethe E, Fèvre EM. Prevalence and risk factors for exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in slaughterhouse workers in western Kenya. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:944. [PMID: 34511066 PMCID: PMC8436527 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06658-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infecting warm-blooded animals. Infection in people can occur through ingestion of oocysts passed in the faeces of the definitive hosts; ingestion of bradyzoites in the tissue of infected intermediate hosts; or exposure to tachyzoites in raw milk and eggs. Slaughterhouse workers are considered a high-risk group for T. gondii exposure because of their contact with raw meat, although a positive relationship between handling raw meat and T. gondii seropositivity has not been demonstrated in all studies. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in slaughterhouse workers in Kenya and identify risk factors associated with seropositivity. Methods A survey of slaughterhouse workers was conducted in 142 slaughter facilities in the study area. Information regarding demographics, contact with livestock, meat consumption, and practices in the slaughterhouse was collected using structured questionnaires. Commercial ELISAs were used to detect IgM and IgG antibodies against T. gondii and a multi-level logistic regression model was used to identify potential risk factors for seropositivity in slaughterhouse workers. Results The apparent prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was 84.0% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 81.2–86.5%) for IgG and 2.2% (95% CI 1.3–3.5%) for IgM antibodies. All IgM positive individuals were IgG positive. Risk factors for exposure to T. gondii were: increasing age (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.05); owning poultry (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.11–3.62); and consuming animal blood (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.21–3.03). Conclusions The seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was very high in this population and considerably higher than published values in the general population. Risk factors included age, owning poultry and drinking animal blood which were consistent with previous reports but none were specifically associated with working in the slaughterhouse. In this instance slaughterhouse workers may represent a useful sentinel for the general population where the level of exposure is also likely to be high and may signify an unidentified public health risk to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women. A detailed understanding of the epidemiology of infection is required, which should include an assessment of incidence, mortality, and burden since T. gondii infection is likely to have life-long sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Anne Jessie Cook
- International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. .,Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.
| | - Nduhiu Gitahi
- University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, 00625, Kenya
| | - William Anson de Glanville
- International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.,Center for One Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Lian F Thomas
- International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.,Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Samuel Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, P.O. Box 19464, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya
| | | | - Eric Maurice Fèvre
- International Livestock Research Institute, Old Naivasha Road, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.,Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
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Hasan T, Mannan A, Hossain D, Rekha A, Hossan MM, Alim MA, Uddin AHMM. Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in aborted fetuses of goats in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Vet World 2021; 14:2386-2391. [PMID: 34840458 PMCID: PMC8613768 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2386-2391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is responsible for the major cause of congenital diseases, abortion, and stillbirth in humans and farm animals. Primary infection in pregnant goats due to T. gondii leads to abortion and significant economic losses in the livestock industry. Moreover, very few studies have been performed for the identification of T. gondii from aborted fetuses of goats. The study was conducted for the molecular identification of Toxoplasma gondii from aborted fetuses of goats in Chattogram, Bangladesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty aborted fetuses of goats were collected from 52 farms in the study area. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the B1 gene was performed, and a positive sample yield of 197 bp amplified DNA products consistent with T. gondii. RESULTS The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis in the aborted fetus of goats was 35%. Heart muscle, liver, brain, and placenta showed positive PCR results. The risk factors related to the does age, presence of cats in farms, and aborted fetus age were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Our results showed that T. gondii is a major possible causal factor for abortion and reproductive failure in goats. The high prevalence of T. gondii infection in aborted fetuses of goats revealed that T. gondii could be imperative in causing reproductive failure in goats. CONCLUSION Active or congenital toxoplasmosis was shown by the presence of T. gondii in fetal tissues, which is a matter of concern as this parasite has zoonotic significance and causes economic hazards to the livestock industry by causing various reproductive problems. Therefore, proper control measures and strategies are needed to reduce the rate of abortion in goats, ultimately saving the livestock industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanjila Hasan
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
| | - Abdul Mannan
- Teaching and Training Pet Hospital and Research Center, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
| | - Delower Hossain
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Azizunnesa Rekha
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Monir Hossan
- Upazila Livestock Office, Department of Livestock Services, Farmgate, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Abdul Alim
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
| | - AHM Musleh Uddin
- Department of Surgery and Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
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Antinarelli LMR, Silva MR, Guimarães RJDPSE, Terror MS, Lima PE, Ishii JDSC, Muniz PF, Coimbra ES. Rural residence remains a risk factor for Toxoplasma infection among pregnant women in a highly urbanized Brazilian area: a robust cross-sectional study. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 115:896-903. [PMID: 33347595 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/traa153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite high seroprevalence of asymptomatic infection in humans, toxoplasmosis can manifest as a severe systemic disease, as occurs in the congenital infection. Here we evaluate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among pregnant women in a highly urbanized area of Brazil. METHODS A robust seroepidemiological study was conducted using laboratory databases of anti-Toxoplasma gondii serological results together with information on age, month/year of diagnosis and place of residence of pregnant women in the public health system of the city of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. RESULTS Of 5895 pregnant women analysed, 54.7% showed seronegativity and 44.4% showed seropositivity for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. This seropositivity rate increased to 68.3% when only considering participants from rural areas. Multivariate analysis revealed higher odds of being seropositive associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.06 [confidence interval {CI} 1.05 to 1.07]) and with living in rural areas (OR 2.96 [CI 1.64 to 5.36]). The spatial distribution of IgG seropositivity indicated a higher prevalence concentrated in rural and peripheral neighbourhoods. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report to use spatial analysis to show a cluster of Toxoplasma infection in rural and peripheral neighbourhoods of a highly urbanized municipality, which highlights the need for adequate healthcare actions to be implemented for women living in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Maria Ribeiro Antinarelli
- Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil.,Laboratório Central da Prefeitura de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36020-485, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Sequetto Terror
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Enham Lima
- Laboratório Central da Prefeitura de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36020-485, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Fabiano Muniz
- Laboratório Central da Prefeitura de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36020-485, Brazil
| | - Elaine Soares Coimbra
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais 36036-900, Brazil
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Assessment of an In-House Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and IgG Avidity Test Based on SAG1 and GRA7 Proteins for Discriminating between Acute and Chronic Toxoplasmosis in Humans. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 59:e0041621. [PMID: 34077255 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00416-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To improve serodiagnostic methods for diagnosis of acute from chronic toxoplasmosis, an economical in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring Toxoplasma-specific IgG, IgM, and IgG avidity has been developed and assessed based on use of various Toxoplasma gondii antigens, including SAG1, GRA7, and a combination of SAG1 and GRA7 (SAG1+GRA7), as well as Toxoplasma lysate antigens (TLAs). Performances of in-house IgM, IgG, and IgG avidity assays were compared to those of ELISA commercial kits and VIDAS Toxo IgG avidity. A set of 138 sera from patients with acquired T. gondii infection and seronegative people were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed an area under curve (AUC) of 0.98, 0.97, 0.99, and 0.99 for IgM-TLAs, IgM-SAG1, IgM-GRA7, and IgM-SAG1+GRA7, respectively. Furthermore, AUC was calculated as 0.99, 0.99, 0.98, and 0.99 for IgG-TLAs, IgG-SAG1, IgG-GRA7, and IgG-SAG1+GRA7, respectively. The current study showed that GRA7 included 100% sensitivity for the detection of Toxo IgM, while SAG1 included 89.7% sensitivity. Furthermore, the highest specificity (97.2%) to detect Toxo IgM was achieved using SAG1+GRA7 antigen. For the detection of Toxo IgG, the highest sensitivity (100%) was recorded for SAG1+GRA7, followed by TLAs (97.9%). The SAG1+GRA7 showed the greatest potential for assessing avidity of IgG antibodies, with 97.1% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity compared to those of VIDAS Toxo IgG avidity. The preliminary results have promised better discriminations between acute and chronic infections using a combination of SAG1 and GRA7 recombinant antigens compared to those using TLAs.
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Bulka CM, Avula V, Fry RC. Associations of exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances individually and in mixtures with persistent infections: Recent findings from NHANES 1999-2016. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 275:116619. [PMID: 33578314 PMCID: PMC7957906 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Certain viruses and parasites can cause persistent infections that often co-occur and have been associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Separate lines of research indicate exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) suppress the immune system. We hypothesized that PFAS exposures might systematically increase susceptibility to persistent infections resulting in a higher pathogen burden. We used data from 8778 individuals (3189 adolescents, 5589 adults) in the nationally-representative U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2016 to examine cross-sectional associations between serum concentrations of four highly detected PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA) with the presence of antibodies to cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus, hepatitis C and E, herpes simplex 1 and 2, HIV, T. gondii, and Toxocara spp. Seropositivity was summed to calculate a pathogen burden score reflecting the total number of infections. Separate survey-weighted multivariable regression models were fitted to analyze PFAS individually and quantile g-computation was used to analyze PFAS mixtures. Among adolescents, 38.7% had at least one persistent infection while 14.9% had two or more; among adults, these percentages were 48.0% and 19.7%. Each PFAS was individually associated with significantly higher pathogen burdens and the most pronounced associations were observed in adolescents [e.g., among adolescents, a doubling of PFOS was associated with 30% (95% CI: 25-36%) higher pathogen burden]. Quantile g-computation revealed PFAS mixtures as a whole were also associated with higher pathogen burdens. Taken together, these results suggest PFAS exposure may increase susceptibility to and foster the clustering of persistent infections, particularly among adolescents. Since persistent infections are important contributors to long-term health, prospective data are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Bulka
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Vennela Avula
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Curriculum in Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Functions of ROS in Macrophages and Antimicrobial Immunity. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10020313. [PMID: 33669824 PMCID: PMC7923022 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10020313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 77.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a chemically defined group of reactive molecules derived from molecular oxygen. ROS are involved in a plethora of processes in cells in all domains of life, ranging from bacteria, plants and animals, including humans. The importance of ROS for macrophage-mediated immunity is unquestioned. Their functions comprise direct antimicrobial activity against bacteria and parasites as well as redox-regulation of immune signaling and induction of inflammasome activation. However, only a few studies have performed in-depth ROS analyses and even fewer have identified the precise redox-regulated target molecules. In this review, we will give a brief introduction to ROS and their sources in macrophages, summarize the versatile roles of ROS in direct and indirect antimicrobial immune defense, and provide an overview of commonly used ROS probes, scavengers and inhibitors.
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S Al-Malki E. Toxoplasmosis: stages of the protozoan life cycle and risk assessment in humans and animals for an enhanced awareness and an improved socio-economic status. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:962-969. [PMID: 33424388 PMCID: PMC7783816 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite distributed globally. It causes toxoplasmosis, which is prevalent in animals, birds, and soil. T. gondii infection leads to severe pathological impacts in immunodeficient patients and congenital cases. This review indicated that high prevalence groups had close contact with cats, dogs, consumed uncooked raw fruits, meat, or vegetables and the socio-economic level noted to be one of the crucial factors that influence toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis infection is high in low-income countries and low in developed European countries. Immunosuppressed groups and pregnant women were the highly vulnerable groups. The epidemiology of the parasite enumerated various routes of infections; but consumption of T. gondii contaminated food was the major route of disease transmission. However, the role of meat and meat-producing animals on disease transmission remained unclear. Unfiltered water acts as the primary reservoir of toxoplasmosis transmission. The diagnostic methods for determining T. gondii infection are not the gold standard, and different approaches have been prescribed to analyze the infected populations based on the organs affected. Although toxoplasmosis was reported before 70 years, no appropriate solution noted to be recommended to treat this disease. Based on the present analyses, it concluded that the eradication of toxoplasmosis would be challenging from the world until people's socio-economic level is improved. The main aim of the present study was to analyze and update the disease transmission, epidemiology, and possible clinical interventions of toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esam S Al-Malki
- Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
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Proximity ligation assay: an ultrasensitive method for protein quantification and its applications in pathogen detection. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:923-935. [PMID: 33427935 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-11049-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
It is of great significance to establish sensitive and accurate pathogen detection methods, considering the continuous emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases seriously influences the safety of human and animals. Proximity ligation assay (PLA) is developed for the sensitive protein detection and also can be used for the detection of pathogens. PLA employs aptamer or monoclonal/polyclonal antibody-nucleic acid complexes as proximity probes. When the paired proximity probes bind to the same target protein or protein complex, they will be adjacent to each other and form an amplifiable DNA sequence through ligation. Combining the specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PLA transforms the detection of protein into the detection of DNA nucleic acid sequence. Therefore, as an ultrasensitive protein assay, PLA has great potential for quantification, localization of protein, and clinical diagnostics. In this review, we summarize the basic principles of PLA and its applications in pathogen detection. KEY POINTS: • Different forms of proximity ligation assay are introduced. • Applications of proximity ligation assay in pathogen detection are summarized. • Proximity ligation assay is an ultrasensitive method to quantify protein and pathogen.
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50
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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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