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Kunkeaw N, Nguitragool W, Takashima E, Kangwanrangsan N, Muramatsu H, Tachibana M, Ishino T, Lin PJC, Tam YK, Pichyangkul S, Tsuboi T, Pardi N, Sattabongkot J. Author Correction: A Pvs25 mRNA vaccine induces complete and durable transmission-blocking immunity to Plasmodium vivax. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:36. [PMID: 38374221 PMCID: PMC10876551 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00837-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nawapol Kunkeaw
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Niwat Kangwanrangsan
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paulo J C Lin
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ying K Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sathit Pichyangkul
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Thongpoon S, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W, Chotirat S, Tsuboi T, Takashima E, Cui L, Ishino T, Tachibana M, Miura K, Sattabongkot J. Naturally Acquired Transmission-Blocking Immunity Against Different Strains of Plasmodium vivax in a Malaria-Endemic Area in Thailand. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:567-575. [PMID: 37943633 PMCID: PMC10873188 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunity triggered by natural malaria infections impedes parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes, leading to interest in transmission-blocking vaccines. However, immunity characteristics, especially strain specificity, remain largely unexplored. We investigated naturally acquired transmission-blocking immunity (TBI) against Plasmodium vivax, a major malaria parasite. METHODS Using the direct membrane-feeding assay, we assessed TBI in plasma samples and examined the role of antibodies by removing immunoglobulins through protein G/L adsorption before mosquito feeding. Strain specificity was evaluated by conducting a direct membrane-feeding assay with plasma exchange. RESULTS Blood samples from 47 patients with P vivax were evaluated, with 37 plasma samples successfully infecting mosquitoes. Among these, 26 showed inhibition before immunoglobulin depletion. Despite substantial immunoglobulin removal, 4 samples still exhibited notable inhibition, while 22 had reduced blocking activity. Testing against heterologous strains revealed some plasma samples with broad TBI and others with strain-specific TBI. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that naturally acquired TBI is mainly mediated by antibodies, with possible contributions from other serum factors. The transmission-blocking activity of plasma samples varied by the tested parasite strain, suggesting single polymorphic or multiple targets for naturally acquired TBI. These observations improve understanding of immunity against P vivax and hold implications for transmission-blocking vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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Kunkeaw N, Nguitragool W, Takashima E, Kangwanrangsan N, Muramatsu H, Tachibana M, Ishino T, Lin PJC, Tam YK, Pichyangkul S, Tsuboi T, Pardi N, Sattabongkot J. A Pvs25 mRNA vaccine induces complete and durable transmission-blocking immunity to Plasmodium vivax. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:187. [PMID: 38092803 PMCID: PMC10719277 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00786-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) is the major malaria parasite outside of Africa and no vaccine is available against it. A vaccine that interrupts parasite transmission (transmission-blocking vaccine, TBV) is considered highly desirable to reduce the spread of P. vivax and to accelerate its elimination. However, the development of a TBV against this pathogen has been hampered by the inability to culture the parasite as well as the low immunogenicity of the vaccines developed to date. Pvs25 is the most advanced TBV antigen candidate for P. vivax. However, in previous phase I clinical trials, TBV vaccines based on Pvs25 yielded low antibody responses or had unacceptable safety profiles. As the nucleoside-modified mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccine platform proved to be safe and effective in humans, we generated and tested mRNA-LNP vaccines encoding several versions of Pvs25 in mice. We found that in a prime-boost vaccination schedule, all Pvs25 mRNA-LNP vaccines elicited robust antigen-specific antibody responses. Furthermore, when compared with a Pvs25 recombinant protein vaccine formulated with Montanide ISA-51 adjuvant, the full-length Pvs25 mRNA-LNP vaccine induced a stronger and longer-lasting functional immunity. Seven months after the second vaccination, vaccine-induced antibodies retained the ability to fully block P. vivax transmission in direct membrane feeding assays, whereas the blocking activity induced by the protein/ISA-51 vaccine dropped significantly. Taken together, we report on mRNA vaccines targeting P. vivax and demonstrate that Pvs25 mRNA-LNP outperformed an adjuvanted Pvs25 protein vaccine suggesting that it is a promising candidate for further testing in non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawapol Kunkeaw
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Niwat Kangwanrangsan
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paulo J C Lin
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ying K Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sathit Pichyangkul
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Looareesuwan P, Krudsood S, Lawpoolsri S, Tangpukdee N, Matsee W, Nguitragool W, Wilairatana P. Gametocyte prevalence and risk factors of P. falciparum malaria patients admitted at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand: a 20-year retrospective study. Malar J 2023; 22:321. [PMID: 37872594 PMCID: PMC10591378 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04728-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of malaria in Thailand has dramatically declined over the past two decades, and the goal is to eliminate malaria by 2025. Despite significant progress, one of the key challenges to malaria elimination are undetected gametocyte carriers. Human migration adds complexity to the malaria situation, as it not only sustains local transmission but also poses the risk of spreading drug-resistant parasites. Currently, no study has assessed the prevalence of gametocytes across multiple years in Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients in Thailand, and the risk factors for gametocyte carriage have not been fully explored. METHODS Medical records of all P. falciparum malaria patients admitted from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2020 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, were retrospectively examined and a total of 1962 records were included for analysis. Both P. falciparum parasites and gametocytes were diagnosed by microscopy. A regression model was used to evaluate predictors of gametocyte carriage. RESULTS The study demonstrated gametocyte prevalence in low malaria transmission areas. Nine risk factors for gametocyte carriage were identified: age between 15 and 24 years [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-3.26], Karen ethnicity (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.56-4.29), preadmission duration of fever > 7 days (aOR = 5.40, 95% CI 3.92-7.41), fever on admission (> 37.5 °C) (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.77), haemoglobin ≤ 8 g/dL (aOR = 3.32, 95% CI 2.06-5.33), asexual parasite density > 5000-25,000/µL (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.98), asexual parasite density > 25,000-100,000/µL (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.53-1.03), asexual parasite density > 100,000/µL (aOR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.36-0.72), platelet count ≤ 100,000/µL (aOR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.50-0.85, clinical features of severe malaria (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.76-3.10) and dry season (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.10-1.80). An increasing incidence of imported transnational malaria cases was observed over the past two decades. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to determine the prevalence of gametocytes among patients with symptomatic P. falciparum malaria, identify the risk factors for gametocyte carriage, and potential gametocyte carriers in Thailand. Blocking transmission is one of the key strategies for eliminating malaria in these areas. The results might provide important information for targeting gametocyte carriers and improving the allocation of resources for malaria control in Thailand. This study supports the already nationally recommended use of a single dose of primaquine in symptomatic P. falciparum malaria patients to clear gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panita Looareesuwan
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Srivicha Krudsood
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Clinical Malaria Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Noppadon Tangpukdee
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Wasin Matsee
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Polrat Wilairatana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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Win KM, Aung PL, Ring Z, Linn NYY, Kyaw MP, Nguitragool W, Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Lawpoolsri S. Interventions for promoting patients' adherence to 14-day primaquine treatment in a highly malaria-endemic township in Myanmar: a qualitative study among key stakeholders. Malar J 2023; 22:302. [PMID: 37814267 PMCID: PMC10563334 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04743-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax malaria is considered a major threat to malaria eradication. The radical cure for P. vivax malaria normally requires a 14-day administration of primaquine (PQ) to clear hypnozoites. However, maintaining adherence to PQ treatment is a significant challenge, particularly in malaria-endemic rural areas. Hence, this study aimed to formulate interventions for promoting patients' commitment to PQ treatment in a highly malaria-endemic township in Myanmar. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted in Waingmaw Township in northern Myanmar, where P. vivax malaria is highly endemic. Key stakeholders including public health officers and community members participated in focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) in September 2022. Data were collected using validated guidelines, translated into English, and visualized through thematic analysis. RESULTS Responsible individuals from different levels of the Myanmar National Malaria Control Programme participated in the IDIs. Most of them reported being aware of the markedly increasing trend of P. vivax and the possibility of relapse cases, especially among migrants who are lost to follow-up. Workload was a key concern surrounding intervention implementation. The respondents discussed possible interventions, such as implementing directly observed treatment (DOT) by family members, piloting a shorter PQ regimen, expanding the community's malaria volunteer network, and strengthening health education activities using local languages to promote reasonable drug adherence. FGDs among community members revealed that although people were knowledgeable about malaria symptoms, places to seek treatment, and the use of bed nets to prevent mosquito bites, most of them still preferred to be treated by quack doctors and rarely used insecticide-treated nets at worksites. Many often stopped taking the prescribed drugs once the symptoms disappeared. Nevertheless, some respondents requested more bed nets to be distributed and health promotion activities to be conducted. CONCLUSION In rural areas where human resources are limited, interventions such as implementing family member DOT or shortening PQ regimens should be introduced to enhance the radical cure for the P. vivax infection. Disseminating information about the importance of taking the entire treatment course and emphasizing the burden of relapse is also essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyawt Mon Win
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Naypyitaw, Myanmar
| | - Pyae Linn Aung
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Zau Ring
- State Public Health Department, Kachin State, Ministry of Health, Myitkyina, Myanmar
| | - Nay Yi Yi Linn
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Naypyitaw, Myanmar
| | | | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Win KM, Aung PL, Ring Z, Linn NYY, Kyaw MP, Nguitragool W, Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Lawpoolsri S. Interventions for promoting patients' adherence to 14-day primaquine treatment in a highly malaria-endemic township in Myanmar: A qualitative study among key stakeholders. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3312278. [PMID: 37720045 PMCID: PMC10503836 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3312278/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax malaria is considered a major threat to malaria eradication. The radical cure for P. vivax malaria normally requires a 14-day administration of primaquine (PQ) to clear hypnozoites. However, maintaining adherence to PQ treatment is a significant challenge, particularly in malaria-endemic rural areas. Hence, this study aimed to formulate interventions for promoting patients' commitment to PQ treatment in a highly malaria-endemic township in Myanmar. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in Waingmaw Township in northern Myanmar, where P. vivax malaria is highly endemic. Key stakeholders including public health officers and community members participated in focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) in September 2022. Data were collected using validated guidelines, translated into English, and visualized through thematic analysis. Results Responsible individuals from different levels of the Myanmar National Malaria Control Program participated in the IDIs. Most of them reported being aware of the markedly increasing trend of P. vivax and the possibility of relapse cases, especially among migrants who are lost to follow-up. Workload was a key concern surrounding intervention implementation. The respondents discussed possible interventions, such as implementing directly observed treatment (DOT) by family members, piloting a shorter PQ regimen, expanding the community's malaria volunteer network, and strengthening health education activities using local languages to promote reasonable drug adherence. FGDs among community members revealed that although people were knowledgeable about malaria symptoms, places to seek treatment, and the use of bed nets to prevent mosquito bites, most of them still preferred to be treated by quack doctors and rarely used insecticide-treated nets at worksites. Many often stopped taking the prescribed drugs once the symptoms disappeared. Nevertheless, some respondents requested more bed nets to be distributed and health promotion activities to be conducted. Conclusion In rural areas where human resources are limited, interventions such as implementing family member DOT or shortening PQ regimens should be introduced to enhance the radical cure for the P. vivax infection. Disseminating information about the importance of taking the entire treatment course and emphasizing the burden of relapse is also essential.
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Tapaopong P, da Silva G, Chainarin S, Suansomjit C, Manopwisedjaroen K, Cui L, Koepfli C, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Genetic diversity and molecular evolution of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein and Merozoite Surface Protein-1 in northwestern Thailand. Infect Genet Evol 2023; 113:105467. [PMID: 37330027 PMCID: PMC10548344 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The local diversity and population structure of malaria parasites vary across different regions of the world, reflecting variations in transmission intensity, host immunity, and vector species. This study aimed to use amplicon sequencing to investigate the genotypic patterns and population structure of P. vivax isolates from a highly endemic province of Thailand in recent years. Amplicon deep sequencing was performed on 70 samples for the 42-kDa region of pvmsp1 and domain II of pvdbp. Unique haplotypes were identified and a network constructed to illustrate genetic relatedness in northwestern Thailand. Based on this dataset of 70 samples collected between 2015 and 2021, 16 and 40 unique haplotypes were identified in pvdbpII and pvmsp142kDa, respectively. Nucleotide diversity was higher in pvmsp142kDa than in pvdbpII (π = 0.027 and 0.012), as was haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.962 and 0.849). pvmsp142kDa also showed a higher recombination rate and higher levels of genetic differentiation (Fst) in northwestern Thailand versus other regions (0.2761-0.4881). These data together suggested that the genetic diversity of P. vivax in northwestern Thailand at these two studied loci evolved under a balancing selection, most likely host immunity. The lower genetic diversity of pvdbpII may reflect its stronger functional constrain. In addition, despite the balancing selection, a decrease in genetic diversity was observed. Hd of pvdbpII decreased from 0.874 in 2015-2016 to 0.778 in 2018-2021; π of pvmsp142kDa decreased from 0.030 to 0.022 over the same period. Thus, the control activities must have had a strong impact on the parasite population size. The findings from this study provide an understanding of P. vivax population structure and the evolutionary force on vaccine candidates. They also established a new baseline for tracking future changes in P. vivax diversity in the most malarious area of Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parsakorn Tapaopong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Gustavo da Silva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sittinont Chainarin
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Sandfort M, Monteiro W, Lacerda M, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Waltmann A, Salje H, Vantaux A, Witkowski B, Robinson LJ, Mueller I, White M. The spatial signature of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infections: quantifying the clustering of infections in cross-sectional surveys and cohort studies. Malar J 2023; 22:75. [PMID: 36870976 PMCID: PMC9985228 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04515-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last decades, enormous successes have been achieved in reducing malaria burden globally. In Latin America, South East Asia, and the Western Pacific, many countries now pursue the goal of malaria elimination by 2030. It is widely acknowledged that Plasmodium spp. infections cluster spatially so that interventions need to be spatially informed, e.g. spatially targeted reactive case detection strategies. Here, the spatial signature method is introduced as a tool to quantify the distance around an index infection within which other infections significantly cluster. METHODS Data were considered from cross-sectional surveys from Brazil, Thailand, Cambodia, and Solomon Islands, conducted between 2012 and 2018. Household locations were recorded by GPS and finger-prick blood samples from participants were tested for Plasmodium infection by PCR. Cohort studies from Brazil and Thailand with monthly sampling over a year from 2013 until 2014 were also included. The prevalence of PCR-confirmed infections was calculated at increasing distance around index infections (and growing time intervals in the cohort studies). Statistical significance was defined as prevalence outside of a 95%-quantile interval of a bootstrap null distribution after random re-allocation of locations of infections. RESULTS Prevalence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infections was elevated in close proximity around index infections and decreased with distance in most study sites, e.g. from 21.3% at 0 km to the global study prevalence of 6.4% for P. vivax in the Cambodian survey. In the cohort studies, the clustering decreased with longer time windows. The distance from index infections to a 50% reduction of prevalence ranged from 25 m to 3175 m, tending to shorter distances at lower global study prevalence. CONCLUSIONS The spatial signatures of P. vivax and P. falciparum infections demonstrate spatial clustering across a diverse set of study sites, quantifying the distance within which the clustering occurs. The method offers a novel tool in malaria epidemiology, potentially informing reactive intervention strategies regarding radius choices of operations around detected infections and thus strengthening malaria elimination endeavours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Sandfort
- Unité Malaria : Parasites Et Hôtes, Département Parasites Et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. .,Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, Paris, France.
| | - Wuelton Monteiro
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil.,Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Marcus Lacerda
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil.,Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil.,Instituto de Pesquisas Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Andreea Waltmann
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Henrik Salje
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amélie Vantaux
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Benoit Witkowski
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Leanne J Robinson
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Unité Malaria : Parasites Et Hôtes, Département Parasites Et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael White
- Unité Malaria : Parasites Et Hôtes, Département Parasites Et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,G5 Épidémiologie et Analyse des Maladies Infectieuses, Département de Santé Globale, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Thongbamrer C, Teerakantrakorn P, Nongpong U, Apiratikul N, Roobsoong W, Kunkeaw N, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Yingyongnarongkul BE. In vitro transfection efficiencies of T-shaped spermine-based cationic lipids with identical and nonidentical tails under high serum conditions. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:1967-1979. [PMID: 36762533 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob02129c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
T-shaped spermine-based cationic lipids with identical and nonidentical hydrophobic tails having variable carbon lengths (from C10 to C18) were designed and synthesized. These lipids were characterized, and their structure-activity relationships were determined for DNA binding and transfection ability of these compounds when formulated as cationic liposomes. These liposomes were then applied as non-viral vectors to transfect HEK293T, HeLa, PC3, H460, HepG2, and Calu'3 cell lines with plasmid DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein. ST9, ST12 and ST13 with nonidentical tails could deliver DNA into HEK293T cells up to 60% under serum-free conditions. The lipid ST15 bearing nonidentical tails was found to be a potent gene transfer agent under 40% serum conditions in HEK293T and HeLa cells. Besides their low cytotoxicity, these lipoplexes also exhibited greater transfection efficiency than the commercially available transfection agent, Lipofectamine 3000.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chopaka Thongbamrer
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 10240 Thailand
| | - Purichaya Teerakantrakorn
- Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School, 40 Ramkhamhaeng 43/1, Plabpla Wangthonglang, Bangkok, 10310 Thailand.
| | - Ussanee Nongpong
- Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School, 40 Ramkhamhaeng 43/1, Plabpla Wangthonglang, Bangkok, 10310 Thailand.
| | - Nuttapon Apiratikul
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Nawapol Kunkeaw
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Boon-Ek Yingyongnarongkul
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry (PERCH-CIC), Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 10240 Thailand
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10
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Dey RK, Imad HA, Aung PL, Faisham M, Moosa M, Hasna M, Afaa A, Ngamprasertchai T, Matsee W, Nguitragool W, Nakayama EE, Shioda T. Concurrent Infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Orientia tsutsugamushi during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Maldives. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8020082. [PMID: 36828498 PMCID: PMC9959419 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8020082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic was the worst public-health crisis in recent history. The impact of the pandemic in tropical regions was further complicated by other endemic tropical diseases, which can cause concurrent infections along with COVID-19. Here, we describe the clinical course of a patient with concurrent COVID-19 and scrub typhus infection. The patient's de-identified clinical data were retrieved retrospectively. The patient had progressive breathlessness at the time of presentation and was hospitalized for COVID-19. Respiratory examination revealed dyspnea, tachypnea, and coarse crepitations bilaterally over the entire lung field. Oxygenation was impaired, and a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 229 suggested acute respiratory distress syndrome. Laboratory tests indicated leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, ferritinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and transaminitis. Upon revaluation for persistent fever, physical examination revealed an eschar in the right antecubital fossa. Serology further confirmed scrub typhus, with IgM and IgG antibody positivity. A remarkable clinical recovery was achieved with doxycycline. The COVID-19 pandemic might have masked endemic tropical diseases. Clinicians working in endemic regions must always consider common tropical diseases that may present as a co-infection, as in our case. Travel and exposure history are critical guides for narrowing down a differential diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajib Kumar Dey
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives
| | - Hisham Ahmed Imad
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Correspondence: or
| | - Pyae Linn Aung
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Mohamed Faisham
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives
| | - Muaz Moosa
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives
| | - Mariyam Hasna
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives
| | - Aminath Afaa
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives
| | - Thundon Ngamprasertchai
- Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Wasin Matsee
- Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Emi E. Nakayama
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Shioda
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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11
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Surit T, Sripoorote P, Kumpitak C, Suansomjit C, Maneechai N, Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W. Transmission efficiency of Plasmodium vivax at low parasitaemia. Malar J 2023; 22:22. [PMID: 36658583 PMCID: PMC9854148 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04435-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax is responsible for much of malaria outside Africa. Although most P. vivax infections in endemic areas are asymptomatic and have low parasite densities, they are considered a potentially important source of transmission. Several studies have demonstrated that asymptomatic P. vivax carriers can transmit the parasite to mosquitoes, but the efficiency has not been well quantified. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between parasite density and mosquito infectivity, particularly at low parasitaemia. METHODS Membrane feeding assays were performed using serial dilutions of P. vivax-infected blood to define the relationship between parasitaemia and mosquito infectivity. RESULTS The infection rate (oocyst prevalence) and intensity (oocyst load) were positively correlated with the parasite density in the blood. There was a broad case-to-case variation in parasite infectivity. The geometric mean parasite density yielding a 10% mosquito infection rate was 33 (CI 95 9-120) parasites/µl or 4 (CI 95 1-17) gametocytes/µl. The geometric mean parasite density yielding a 50% mosquito infection rate was 146 (CI 95 36-586) parasites/µl or 13 (CI 95 3-49) gametocytes/µl. CONCLUSION This study quantified the ability of P. vivax to infect Anopheles dirus at over a broad range of parasite densities. It provides important information about parasite infectivity at low parasitaemia common among asymptomatic P. vivax carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thitiporn Surit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Piyarat Sripoorote
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nongnuj Maneechai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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12
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Win KN, Manopwisedjaroen K, Phumchuea K, Suansomjit C, Chotivanich K, Lawpoolsri S, Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Molecular markers of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine resistance in northwestern Thailand. Malar J 2022; 21:352. [PMID: 36437462 PMCID: PMC9701414 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04382-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) combination therapy is the current first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Thailand. Since its introduction in 2015, resistance to this drug combination has emerged in the eastern part of the Greater Mekong Subregion including the eastern part of Thailand near Cambodia. This study aimed to assess whether the resistance genotypes have arisen the western part of country. METHODS Fifty-seven P. falciparum-infected blood samples were collected in Tak province of northwestern Thailand between 2013 and 2019. Resistance to DHA was examined through the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of kelch13. PPQ resistance was examined through the copy number plasmepsin-2 and the SNPs of Pfcrt. RESULTS Among the samples whose kelch13 were successfully sequenced, approximately half (31/55; 56%) had mutation associated with artemisinin resistance, including G533S (23/55; 42%), C580Y (6/55; 11%), and G538V (2/55; 4%). During the study period, G533S mutation appeared and increased from 20% (4/20) in 2014 to 100% (9/9) in 2019. No plasmepsin-2 gene amplification was observed, but one sample (1/54) had the Pfcrt F145I mutation previously implicated in PPQ resistance. CONCLUSIONS Kelch13 mutation was common in Tak Province in 2013-2019. A new mutation G533S emerged in 2014 and rose to dominance in 2019. PPQ resistance marker Pfcrt F145I was also detected in 2019. Continued surveillance of treatment efficacy and drug resistance markers is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khine Nwe Win
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Khajohnpong Manopwisedjaroen
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Kanit Phumchuea
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Kesinee Chotivanich
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- grid.170693.a0000 0001 2353 285XDepartment of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand ,grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Rd, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
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13
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Jaroenram W, Chatnuntawech I, Kampeera J, Pengpanich S, Leaungwutiwong P, Tondee B, Sirithammajak S, Suvannakad R, Khumwan P, Dangtip S, Arunrut N, Bantuchai S, Nguitragool W, Wongwaroran S, Khanchaitit P, Sattabongkot J, Teerapittayanon S, Kiatpathomchai W. One-step colorimetric isothermal detection of COVID-19 with AI-assisted automated result analysis: A platform model for future emerging point-of-care RNA/DNA disease diagnosis. Talanta 2022; 249:123375. [PMID: 35738204 PMCID: PMC9404558 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Colorimetric loop-mediated DNA isothermal amplification-based assays have gained momentum in the diagnosis of COVID-19 owing to their unmatched feasibility in low-resource settings. However, the vast majority of them are restricted to proprietary pH-sensitive dyes that limit downstream assay optimization or hinder efficient result interpretation. To address this problem, we developed a novel dual colorimetric RT-LAMP assay using in-house pH-dependent indicators to maximize the visual detection and assay simplicity, and further integrated it with the artificial intelligence (AI) operated tool (RT-LAMP-DETR) to enable a more precise and rapid result analysis in large scale testing. The dual assay leverages xylenol orange (XO) and a newly formulated lavender green (LG) dye for distinctive colorimetric readouts, which enhance the test accuracy when performed and analyzed simultaneously. Our RT-LAMP assay has a detection limit of 50 viral copies/reaction with the cycle threshold (Ct) value ≤ 39.7 ± 0.4 determined by the WHO-approved RT-qPCR assay. RT-LAMP-DETR exhibited a complete concordance with the results from naked-eye observation and RT-qPCR, achieving 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy that altogether render it suitable for ultrasensitive point-of-care COVID-19 screening efforts. From the perspective of pandemic preparedness, our method offers a simpler, faster, and cheaper (∼$8/test) approach for COVID-19 testing and other emerging pathogens with respect to RT-qPCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wansadaj Jaroenram
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Itthi Chatnuntawech
- National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Jantana Kampeera
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Sukanya Pengpanich
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Pornsawan Leaungwutiwong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Benyatip Tondee
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Sarawut Sirithammajak
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Rapheephat Suvannakad
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Pakapreud Khumwan
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Sirintip Dangtip
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Narong Arunrut
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Sirasate Bantuchai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suchawit Wongwaroran
- National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand,Electrical Engineering Department, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paisan Khanchaitit
- National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surat Teerapittayanon
- National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand,Corresponding author
| | - Wansika Kiatpathomchai
- Bioengineering and Sensing Technology Research Team (IBST), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand,Corresponding author
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14
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Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Aung PL, Brashear A, Cao Y, Kaewkungwal J, Khamsiriwatchara A, Kyaw MP, Lawpoolsri S, Menezes L, Miao J, Nguitragool W, Parker D, Phuanukoonnon S, Roobsoong W, Siddiqui F, Soe MT, Sriwichai P, Yang Z, Zhao Y, Zhong D. Multidisciplinary Investigations of Sustained Malaria Transmission in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:138-151. [PMID: 36228909 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In the course of malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria epidemiology has experienced drastic spatiotemporal changes with residual transmission concentrated along international borders and the rising predominance of Plasmodium vivax. The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to artemisinin and partner drugs renders artemisinin-based combination therapies less effective while the potential spread of multidrug-resistant parasites elicits concern. Vector behavioral changes and insecticide resistance have reduced the effectiveness of core vector control measures. In recognition of these problems, the Southeast Asian International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) has been conducting multidisciplinary research to determine how human migration, antimalarial drug resistance, vector behavior, and insecticide resistance sustain malaria transmission at international borders. These efforts allow us to comprehensively understand the ecology of border malaria transmission and develop population genomics tools to identify and track parasite introduction. In addition to employing in vivo, in vitro, and molecular approaches to monitor the emergence and spread of drug-resistant parasites, we also use genomic and genetic methods to reveal novel mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance of parasites. We also use omics and population genetics approaches to study insecticide resistance in malaria vectors and identify changes in mosquito community structure, vectorial potential, and seasonal dynamics. Collectively, the scientific findings from the ICEMR research activities offer a systematic view of the factors sustaining residual malaria transmission and identify potential solutions to these problems to accelerate malaria elimination in the GMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | | | | | - Awtum Brashear
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Lynette Menezes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel Parker
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | | | | | - Faiza Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Myat Thu Soe
- Myanmar Health Network Organization, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Patchara Sriwichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Immunology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
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15
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Sattabongkot J, Cui L, Bantuchai S, Chotirat S, Kaewkungwal J, Khamsiriwatchara A, Kiattibutr K, Kyaw MP, Lawpoolsri S, Linn NYY, Menezes L, Miao J, Nguitragool W, Parker D, Prikchoo P, Roobsoong W, Sa-Angchai P, Samung Y, Sirichaisinthop J, Sriwichai P, Suk-Uam K, Thammapalo S, Wang B, Zhong D. Malaria Research for Tailored Control and Elimination Strategies in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:152-159. [PMID: 36228914 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria landscape in the Greater Mekong Subregion has experienced drastic changes with the ramp-up of the control efforts, revealing formidable challenges that slowed down the progress toward malaria elimination. Problems such as border malaria and cross-border malaria introduction, multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the persistence of Plasmodium vivax, the asymptomatic parasite reservoirs, and insecticide resistance in primary vectors require integrated strategies tailored for individual nations in the region. In recognition of these challenges and the need for research, the Southeast Asian International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research has established a network of researchers and stakeholders and conducted basic and translational research to identify existing and emerging problems and develop new countermeasures. The installation of a comprehensive disease and vector surveillance system at sentinel sites in border areas with the implementation of passive/active case detection and cross-sectional surveys allowed timely detection and management of malaria cases, provided updated knowledge for effective vector control measures, and facilitated the efficacy studies of antimalarials. Incorporating sensitive molecular diagnosis to expose the significance of asymptomatic parasite reservoirs for sustaining transmission helped establish the necessary evidence to guide targeted control to eliminate residual transmission. In addition, this program has developed point-of-care diagnostics to monitor the quality of artemisinin combination therapies, delivering the needed information to the drug regulatory authorities to take measures against falsified and substandard antimalarials. To accelerate malaria elimination, this program has actively engaged with stakeholders of all levels, fostered vertical and horizontal collaborations, and enabled the effective dissemination of research findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | | | - Sadudee Chotirat
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Kirakorn Kiattibutr
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Nay Yi Yi Linn
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Lynette Menezes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel Parker
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Pathomporn Prikchoo
- Office of Disease Prevention and Control 12, Ministry of Public Health, Songkla, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Yudthana Samung
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jeeraphat Sirichaisinthop
- Vector-Borne Disease Control Center, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patchara Sriwichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kritsana Suk-Uam
- Vector Borne Disease Control Center 2.3, Ministry of Public Health, Tak, Thailand
| | - Suwich Thammapalo
- Vector-Borne Disease Control Center, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Baomin Wang
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
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16
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Qian P, Wang X, Zhong CQ, Wang J, Cai M, Nguitragool W, Li J, Cui H, Yuan J. Inner membrane complex proteomics reveals a palmitoylation regulation critical for intraerythrocytic development of malaria parasite. eLife 2022; 11:77447. [PMID: 35775739 PMCID: PMC9293000 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is caused by infection of the erythrocytes by the parasites Plasmodium. Inside the erythrocytes, the parasites multiply via schizogony, an unconventional cell division mode. The inner membrane complex (IMC), an organelle located beneath the parasite plasma membrane, serving as the platform for protein anchorage, is essential for schizogony. So far, the complete repertoire of IMC proteins and their localization determinants remain unclear. Here we used biotin ligase (TurboID)-based proximity labeling to compile the proteome of the schizont IMC of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii. In total, 300 TurboID-interacting proteins were identified. 18 of 21 selected candidates were confirmed to localize in the IMC, indicating good reliability. In light of the existing palmitome of Plasmodium falciparum, 83 proteins of the P. yoelii IMC proteome are potentially palmitoylated. We further identified DHHC2 as the major resident palmitoyl-acyl-transferase of the IMC. Depletion of DHHC2 led to defective schizont segmentation and growth arrest both in vitro and in vivo. DHHC2 was found to palmitoylate two critical IMC proteins CDPK1 and GAP45 for their IMC localization. In summary, this study reports an inventory of new IMC proteins and demonstrates a central role of DHHC2 in governing the IMC localization of proteins during the schizont development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengge Qian
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Chuan-Qi Zhong
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jiaxu Wang
- Xiamen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xiamen, China
| | - Mengya Cai
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jian Li
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huiting Cui
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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17
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Zhang X, Wei H, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Wang L, Hu Y, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Adams J, Cui L, Cao Y, Wang Q. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b in global parasite populations. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:205. [PMID: 35698238 PMCID: PMC9191549 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05296-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b (PvRBP2b) plays a critical role in parasite invasion of reticulocytes by binding the transferrin receptor 1. PvRBP2b is a vaccine candidate based on the negative correlation between antibody titers against PvRBP2b recombinant proteins and parasitemia and risk of vivax malaria. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of the PvRBP2b gene in the global P. vivax populations. Methods Near full-length PvRBP2b nucleotide sequences (190–8349 bp) were obtained from 88 P. vivax isolates collected from the China–Myanmar border (n = 44) and Thailand (n = 44). An additional 224 PvRBP2b sequences were retrieved from genome sequences from parasite populations worldwide. The genetic diversity, neutral selection, haplotype distribution and genetic differentiation of PvRBP2b were examined. Results The genetic diversity of PvRBP2b was distributed unevenly, with peak diversity found in the reticulocyte binding region in the N-terminus. Neutrality analysis suggested that this region is subjected to balancing selection or population bottlenecks. Several amino acid variants were found in all or nearly all P. vivax endemic regions. However, the critical residues responsible for reticulocyte binding were highly conserved. There was substantial population differentiation according to the geographical separation. The distribution of haplotypes in the reticulocyte binding region varied among regions; even the two major haplotypes Hap_6 and Hap_8 were found in only five populations. Conclusions Our data show considerable genetic variations of PvRBPb in global parasite populations. The geographic divergence may pose a challenge to PvRBP2b-based vaccine development. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05296-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuexing Zhang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Haichao Wei
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.,Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, 110015, Liaoning, China
| | - Yangminghui Zhang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.,Department of Blood Transfusion, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China
| | - Yubing Hu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.,Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - John Adams
- College of Public Health, Global Health Infectious Disease Research (GHIDR) Program, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- College of Public Health, Global Health Infectious Disease Research (GHIDR) Program, Tampa, FL, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 304, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.
| | - Qinghui Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.
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18
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Chandna A, Chew R, Shwe Nwe Htun N, Peto TJ, Zhang M, Liverani M, Brummaier T, Phommasone K, Perrone C, Pyae Phyo A, Sattabongkot J, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W, Sen A, Ibna Zaman S, Sandar Zaw A, Batty E, Waithira N, Abdad MY, Blacksell SD, Bodhidatta L, Callery JJ, Fagnark W, Huangsuranun W, Islam S, Lertcharoenchoke S, Lohavittayavikant S, Mukaka M, Moul V, Kumer Neogi A, Nedsuwan S, Pongvongsa T, Ponsap P, Richard-Greenblatt M, Schilling WH, Thaipadungpanit J, Tripura R, Dondorp AM, Mayxay M, White NJ, Nosten F, Smithuis F, Ashley EA, Maude RJ, Day NP, Lubell Y. Defining the burden of febrile illness in rural South and Southeast Asia: an open letter to announce the launch of the Rural Febrile Illness project. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 6:64. [PMID: 34017924 PMCID: PMC8080974 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16393.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In rural areas of South and Southeast Asia malaria is declining but febrile illnesses still account for substantial morbidity and mortality. Village health workers (VHWs) are often the first point of contact with the formal health system, and for patients with febrile illnesses they can provide early diagnosis and treatment of malaria. However, for the majority of febrile patients, VHWs lack the training, support and resources to provide further care. Consequently, treatable bacterial illnesses are missed, antibiotics are overused and poorly targeted, and patient attendance wanes along with declining malaria. This
Open Letter announces the start of a new initiative, the Rural Febrile Illness (RFI) project, the first in a series of projects to be implemented as part of the South and Southeast Asian Community-based Trials Network (SEACTN) research programme. This multi-country, multi-site project will run in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Myanmar. It will define the epidemiological baseline of febrile illness in nine remote and underserved areas of Asia where malaria endemicity is declining and access to health services is limited. The RFI project aims to determine the incidence, causes and outcomes of febrile illness; understand the opportunities, barriers and appetite for adjustment of the role of VHWs to include management of non-malarial febrile illnesses; and establish a network of community healthcare providers and facilities capable of implementing interventions designed to triage, diagnose and treat patients presenting with febrile illnesses within these communities in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chandna
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit, Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia
| | - Rusheng Chew
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nan Shwe Nwe Htun
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomas J. Peto
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Meiwen Zhang
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marco Liverani
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tobias Brummaier
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Koukeo Phommasone
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Carlo Perrone
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Aung Pyae Phyo
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Aninda Sen
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sazid Ibna Zaman
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Elizabeth Batty
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Naomi Waithira
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stuart D. Blacksell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ladaporn Bodhidatta
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - James J. Callery
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Watcharintorn Fagnark
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Witchayoot Huangsuranun
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Shayla Islam
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sanchai Lertcharoenchoke
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Salisa Lohavittayavikant
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Vanna Moul
- Communicable Diseases Programme, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Tiengkham Pongvongsa
- Savannakhet Provincial Health Department, Savannakhet, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Pimsiri Ponsap
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - William H.K. Schilling
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Janjira Thaipadungpanit
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rupam Tripura
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arjen M. Dondorp
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Nicholas J. White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - François Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Frank Smithuis
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Elizabeth A. Ashley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
| | - Richard J. Maude
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Nicholas P.J. Day
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yoel Lubell
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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19
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Imad HA, Ali AA, Nahuza M, Gurung R, Ubaid A, Maeesha A, Didi SA, Dey RK, Hilmy AI, Hareera A, Afzal I, Matsee W, Nguitragool W, Nakayama EE, Shioda T. Acalculous Cholecystitis in a Young Adult with Scrub Typhus: A Case Report and Epidemiology of Scrub Typhus in the Maldives. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6040208. [PMID: 34941664 PMCID: PMC8707333 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6040208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Scrub typhus is a neglected tropical disease predominantly occurring in Asia. The causative agent is a bacterium transmitted by the larval stage of mites found in rural vegetation in endemic regions. Cases of scrub typhus frequently present as acute undifferentiated febrile illness, and without early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can develop fatal complications. We retrospectively reviewed de-identified data from a 23-year-old woman who presented to an emergency department with complaints of worsening abdominal pain. On presentation, she appeared jaundiced and toxic-looking. Other positive findings on abdominal examination were a positive Murphey’s sign, abdominal guarding and hepatosplenomegaly. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography demonstrated acalculous cholecystitis. Additional findings included eschar on the medial aspect of the left thigh with inguinal regional lymphadenopathy. Further, positive results were obtained for immunoglobulins M and G, confirming scrub typhus. The workup for other infectious causes of acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) detected antibodies against human herpesvirus 4 (Epstein–Barr virus), suggesting an alternative cause of AAC. Whether that represented re-activation of the Epstein–Barr virus could not be determined. As other reports have described acute acalculous cholecystitis in adult scrub typhus patients, we recommend doxycycline to treat acute acalculous cholecystitis in endemic regions while awaiting serological confirmation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham Ahmed Imad
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +66-631501402
| | - Aishath Azna Ali
- Department of Surgery, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.A.A.); (M.N.); (R.G.); (A.U.)
| | - Mariyam Nahuza
- Department of Surgery, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.A.A.); (M.N.); (R.G.); (A.U.)
| | - Rajan Gurung
- Department of Surgery, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.A.A.); (M.N.); (R.G.); (A.U.)
| | - Abdulla Ubaid
- Department of Surgery, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.A.A.); (M.N.); (R.G.); (A.U.)
| | - Aishath Maeesha
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (S.A.D.); (R.K.D.); (A.I.H.)
| | - Sariu Ali Didi
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (S.A.D.); (R.K.D.); (A.I.H.)
| | - Rajib Kumar Dey
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (S.A.D.); (R.K.D.); (A.I.H.)
| | - Abdullah Isneen Hilmy
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (S.A.D.); (R.K.D.); (A.I.H.)
- Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa
| | - Aishath Hareera
- Health Protection Agency, Ministry of Public Health, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.H.); (I.A.)
| | - Ibrahim Afzal
- Health Protection Agency, Ministry of Public Health, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.H.); (I.A.)
| | - Wasin Matsee
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Emi. E. Nakayama
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Tatsuo Shioda
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
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20
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Bantuchai S, Imad H, Nguitragool W. Plasmodium vivax gametocytes and transmission. Parasitol Int 2021; 87:102497. [PMID: 34748969 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Malaria elimination means cessation of parasite transmission. At present, the declining malaria incidence in many countries has made elimination a feasible goal. Transmission control has thus been placed at the center of the national malaria control programs. The efficient transmission of Plasmodium vivax from humans to mosquitoes is a key factor that helps perpetuate malaria in endemic areas. A better understanding of transmission is crucial to the success of elimination efforts. Biological delineation of the parasite transmission process is important for identifying and prioritizing new targets of intervention. Identification of the infectious parasite reservoir in the community is key to devising an effective elimination strategy. Here we describe the fundamental characteristics of P. vivax gametocytes - the dynamics of their production, longevity, and the relationship with the total parasitemia - as well as recent advances in the molecular understanding of parasite sexual development. In relation to malaria elimination, factors influencing the human infectivity and the current evidence for a role of asymptomatic carriers in transmission are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirasate Bantuchai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Hisham Imad
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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21
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Miqdhaadh A, Imad HA, Fazeena A, Ngamprasertchai T, Nguitragool W, Nakayama EE, Shioda T. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in an Adult: A Case Report from the Maldives. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6040187. [PMID: 34698279 PMCID: PMC8544693 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6040187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is a novel syndrome observed during COVID-19 outbreaks. This hyper-inflammatory syndrome is seen predominantly in children and adolescents. The case of an adult from the Maldives who had asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection three weeks before presenting to the hospital with fever, rash, and shock is presented. De-identified clinical data were retrospectively collected to summarize the clinical progression and treatment during hospitalization and the six-month follow-up. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by RT-PCR. Other laboratory findings included anemia (hemoglobin: 9.8 g/dL), leukocytosis (leukocytes: 20,900/µL), neutrophilia (neutrophils: 18,580/µL) and lymphopenia (lymphocytes: 5067/µL), and elevated inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (34.8 mg/dL) and ferritin (2716.0 ng/dL). The electrocardiogram had low-voltage complexes, and the echocardiogram showed hypokinesia, ventricular dysfunction, and a pericardial effusion suggestive of myocardial dysfunction compromising hemodynamics and causing circulatory shock. These findings fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of MIS-A. The case was managed in the intensive care unit and required non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, inotropes, and steroids. With the new surges of COVID-19 cases, more cases of MIS-A that require the management of organ failure and long-term follow-up to recovery are anticipated. Clinicians should therefore be vigilant in identifying cases of MIS-A during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Miqdhaadh
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Hisham Ahmed Imad
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +66-631501402
| | - Aminath Fazeena
- Department of Medicine, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Malé 20002, Maldives; (A.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Thundon Ngamprasertchai
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Emi E. Nakayama
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Tatsuo Shioda
- Department of Viral Infections, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; (E.E.N.); (T.S.)
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22
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Kumpitak C, Nguitragool W, Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Bantuchai S. Detection of Plasmodium Sporozoites in Anopheles Mosquitoes using an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 34661581 DOI: 10.3791/63158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites are the infective stage of malaria parasites that infect humans. The sporozoites residing in the salivary glands of female Anopheles mosquitoes are transmitted to humans via mosquito bites during blood feeding. The presence of sporozoites in the mosquito salivary glands thus defines mosquito infectiousness. To determine whether an Anopheles mosquito carries Plasmodium sporozoites, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method has been the standard tool to detect the Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein (CSP), the major surface protein of the sporozoites. In this method, the head along with the thorax of each mosquito is separated from the abdomen, homogenized, and subjected to a sandwich ELISA to detect the presence of CSP specific to Plasmodium falciparum and each of the two subtypes, VK210 and VK247, of Plasmodium vivax.This method has been used to study malaria transmission, including the seasonal dynamics of mosquito infection and the species of the major malaria vectors in the study sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida
| | | | - Sirasate Bantuchai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University;
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23
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Orbán Á, Longley RJ, Sripoorote P, Maneechai N, Nguitragool W, Butykai Á, Mueller I, Sattabongkot J, Karl S, Kézsmárki I. Sensitive detection of Plasmodium vivax malaria by the rotating-crystal magneto-optical method in Thailand. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18547. [PMID: 34535695 PMCID: PMC8448879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97532-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The rotating-crystal magneto-optical detection (RMOD) method has been developed for the rapid and quantitative diagnosis of malaria and tested systematically on various malaria infection models. Very recently, an extended field trial in a high-transmission region of Papua New Guinea demonstrated its great potential for detecting malaria infections, in particular Plasmodium vivax. In the present small-scale field test, carried out in a low-transmission area of Thailand, RMOD confirmed malaria in all samples found to be infected with Plasmodium vivax by microscopy, our reference method. Moreover, the magneto-optical signal for this sample set was typically 1–3 orders of magnitude higher than the cut-off value of RMOD determined on uninfected samples. Based on the serial dilution of the original patient samples, we expect that the method can detect Plasmodium vivax malaria in blood samples with parasite densities as low as \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\sim$$\end{document}∼5–10 parasites per microliter, a limit around the pyrogenic threshold of the infection. In addition, by investigating the correlation between the magnitude of the magneto-optical signal, the parasite density and the erythrocytic stage distribution, we estimate the relative hemozoin production rates of the ring and the trophozoite stages of in vivo Plasmodium vivax infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Orbán
- Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Rhea J Longley
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ádám Butykai
- Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Unité Malaria: Parasites et Hôtes, Département Parasites et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Stephan Karl
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Madang Province 511, Papua New Guinea.,Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Smithfield, QLD, Australia
| | - István Kézsmárki
- Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Experimental Physics 5, Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
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24
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Koepfli C, Nguitragool W, de Almeida ACG, Kuehn A, Waltmann A, Kattenberg E, Ome-Kaius M, Rarau P, Obadia T, Kazura J, Monteiro W, Darcy AW, Wini L, Bassat Q, Felger I, Sattabongkot J, Robinson LJ, Lacerda M, Mueller I. Identification of the asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax gametocyte reservoir under different transmission intensities. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009672. [PMID: 34449764 PMCID: PMC8428688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding epidemiological variables affecting gametocyte carriage and density is essential to design interventions that most effectively reduce malaria human-to-mosquito transmission. Methodology/Principal findings Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax parasites and gametocytes were quantified by qPCR and RT-qPCR assays using the same methodologies in 5 cross-sectional surveys involving 16,493 individuals in Brazil, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands. The proportion of infections with detectable gametocytes per survey ranged from 44–94% for P. falciparum and from 23–72% for P. vivax. Blood-stage parasite density was the most important predictor of the probability to detect gametocytes. In moderate transmission settings (prevalence by qPCR>5%), parasite density decreased with age and the majority of gametocyte carriers were children. In low transmission settings (prevalence<5%), >65% of gametocyte carriers were adults. Per survey, 37–100% of all individuals positive for gametocytes by RT-qPCR were positive by light microscopy for asexual stages or gametocytes (overall: P. falciparum 178/348, P. vivax 235/398). Conclusions/Significance Interventions to reduce human-to-mosquito malaria transmission in moderate-high endemicity settings will have the greatest impact when children are targeted. In contrast, all age groups need to be included in control activities in low endemicity settings to achieve elimination. Detection of infections by light microscopy is a valuable tool to identify asymptomatic blood stage infections that likely contribute most to ongoing transmission at the time of sampling. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum cause the vast majority of all human malaria cases. Across all transmission settings, a large proportion of infections of the two species remain asymptomatic. These infections are not diagnosed and treated by control programs focusing on clinical cases. They can carry gametocytes, the sexual stage of the parasite that establishes infections in mosquitos, thus asymptomatic infections contribute to transmission. In order to determine who is likely to contribute to transmission, gametocyte densities were measured by sensitive molecular methods in afebrile individuals in four countries. The proportion of infections with gametocytes varied greatly among surveys, and was higher in regions that had experienced low transmission for extended periods of time. In moderate-high transmission settings, gametocyte densities were particularly high in children below six years, highlighting the importance that interventions to reduce transmission include this age group. The majority of gametocyte carriers was positive by light microscopy. The comprehensive data on gametocyte carriage presented here lays the foundation for the development of more effective screen and treat activities to reduce malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Koepfli
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- University of Notre Dame, Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anne Cristine Gomes de Almeida
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Andrea Kuehn
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreea Waltmann
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Eline Kattenberg
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Maria Ome-Kaius
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Patricia Rarau
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Thomas Obadia
- Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Unité Malaria: parasites et Hôtes, Département Parasites et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - James Kazura
- Centre for Global Health & Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Wuelton Monteiro
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Andrew W. Darcy
- National Health Training and Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Honiara, Solomon Islands
| | - Lyndes Wini
- Vector Borne Diseases Program, Ministry of Health, Honiara, Solomon Islands
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (University of Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Leanne J. Robinson
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Marcus Lacerda
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Unité Malaria: parasites et Hôtes, Département Parasites et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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25
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Wamaket N, Khamprapa O, Chainarin S, Thamsawet P, Ninsaeng U, Thongsalee S, Suwan V, Sakolvaree J, Takhampunya R, Davidson SA, McCardle PW, Sa-Angchai P, Mukaka M, Kiattibutr K, Khamsiriwatchara A, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Sirichaisinthop J, Kobylinski KC. Anopheles bionomics in a malaria endemic area of southern Thailand. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:378. [PMID: 34315509 PMCID: PMC8317318 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04870-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) could accelerate malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion. This study was performed to characterize the bionomics of Anopheles in Surat Thani province, Thailand. Methods Mosquitoes were collected via human landing collections between February and October 2019. Anopheles mosquitoes were morphologically identified to species. Primary Anopheles malaria vectors were dissected to assess parity status, and a subset were evaluated for molecular identification and Plasmodium detection. Results A total of 17,348 mosquitoes were collected during the study period; of these, 5777 were Anopheles mosquitoes. Morphological studies identified 15 Anopheles species, of which the most abundant were Anopheles minimus (s.l.) (87.16%, n = 5035), An. dirus s.l. (7.05%, n = 407) and An. barbirostris s.l. (2.86%, n = 165). Molecular identification confirmed that of the An. minimus s.l. mosquitoes collected, 99.80% were An. minimus (s.s.) (n = 484) and 0.2% were An. aconitus (n = 1), of the An. dirus (s.l.) collected, 100% were An. baimaii (n = 348), and of the An. maculatus (s.l.) collected, 93.62% were An. maculatus (s.s.) (n = 44) and 6.38% were An. sawadwongporni (n = 3). No Anopheles mosquito tested was Plasmodium positive (0/879). An average of 11.46 Anopheles were captured per collector per night. There were differences between species in hour of collection (Kruskal–Wallis H-test: χ2 = 80.89, P < 0.0001, n = 5666), with more An. barbirostris (s.l.) and An. maculatus (s.l.) caught earlier compared to An. minimus (s.l.) (P = 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) and An. dirus (s.l.) (P = 0.0082 and P < 0.001, respectively). The proportion of parous An. minimus (s.l.) captured by hour increased throughout the night (Wald Chi-square: χ2 = 17.31, P = 0.000, odds ratio = 1.0535, 95% confidence interval 1.0279–1.0796, n = 3400). Overall, An. minimus (s.l.) parity was 67.68% (2375/3509) with an intra-cluster correlation of 0.0378. A power calculation determined that an An. minimus (s.l.) parity reduction treatment effect size = 34%, with four clusters per treatment arm and a minimum of 300 mosquitoes dissected per cluster, at an α = 0.05, will provide 82% power to detect a significant difference following ivermectin MDA. Conclusions The study area in Surat Thani province is an ideal location to evaluate the impact of ivermectin MDA on An. minimus parity. Graphical abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Narenrit Wamaket
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Oranicha Khamprapa
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sittinont Chainarin
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panisa Thamsawet
- Surat Thani Vector-Borne Diseases Control Center 11.3, Muang, Surat Thani, Thailand
| | - Ubolrat Ninsaeng
- Surat Thani Vector-Borne Diseases Control Center 11.3, Muang, Surat Thani, Thailand
| | - Suttipong Thongsalee
- Surat Thani Vector-Borne Diseases Control Center 11.3, Muang, Surat Thani, Thailand
| | - Veerast Suwan
- Surat Thani Vector-Borne Diseases Control Center 11.3, Muang, Surat Thani, Thailand
| | - Jira Sakolvaree
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ratree Takhampunya
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Silas A Davidson
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patrick W McCardle
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patiwat Sa-Angchai
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mavuto Mukaka
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kirakorn Kiattibutr
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Amnat Khamsiriwatchara
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Kevin C Kobylinski
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand.
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26
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Chotirat S, Nekkab N, Kumpitak C, Hietanen J, White MT, Kiattibutr K, Sa-Angchai P, Brewster J, Schoffer K, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Harbers M, Chitnis CE, Healer J, Tham WH, Nguitragool W, Mueller I, Sattabongkot J, Longley RJ. Application of 23 Novel Serological Markers for Identifying Recent Exposure to Plasmodium vivax Parasites in an Endemic Population of Western Thailand. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:643501. [PMID: 34276583 PMCID: PMC8279756 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.643501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Thailand is aiming for malaria elimination by the year 2030. However, the high proportion of asymptomatic infections and the presence of the hidden hypnozoite stage of Plasmodium vivax are impeding these efforts. We hypothesized that a validated surveillance tool utilizing serological markers of recent exposure to P. vivax infection could help to identify areas of ongoing transmission. The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the ability of P. vivax serological exposure markers to detect residual transmission “hot-spots” in Western Thailand. Total IgG levels were measured against a panel of 23 candidate P. vivax serological exposure markers using a multiplexed bead-based assay. A total of 4,255 plasma samples from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2012 of endemic areas in the Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces were assayed. We compared IgG levels with multiple epidemiological factors that are associated with an increased risk of P. vivax infection in Thailand, including age, gender, and spatial location, as well as Plasmodium infection status itself. IgG levels to all proteins were significantly higher in the presence of a P. vivax infection (n = 144) (T-test, p < 0.0001). Overall seropositivity rates varied from 2.5% (PVX_097625, merozoite surface protein 8) to 16.8% (PVX_082670, merozoite surface protein 7), with 43% of individuals seropositive to at least 1 protein. Higher IgG levels were associated with older age (>18 years, p < 0.05) and males (17/23 proteins, p < 0.05), supporting the paradigm that men have a higher risk of infection than females in this setting. We used a Random Forests algorithm to predict which individuals had exposure to P. vivax parasites in the last 9-months, based on their IgG antibody levels to a panel of eight previously validated P. vivax proteins. Spatial clustering was observed at the village and regional level, with a moderate correlation between PCR prevalence and sero-prevalence as predicted by the algorithm. Our data provides proof-of-concept for application of such surrogate markers as evidence of recent exposure in low transmission areas. These data can be used to better identify geographical areas with asymptomatic infection burdens that can be targeted in elimination campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadudee Chotirat
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narimane Nekkab
- Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jenni Hietanen
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Michael T White
- Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Kirakorn Kiattibutr
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patiwat Sa-Angchai
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jessica Brewster
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kael Schoffer
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Matthias Harbers
- CellFree Sciences Co., Ltd., Yokohama, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Julie Healer
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rhea J Longley
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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27
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Mongkol W, Pomun T, Nguitragool W, Kumpitak C, Duangmanee A, Sattabongkot J, Kubera A. Anopheles dirus yellow-g mediates Plasmodium vivax infection. Trop Med Int Health 2021; 26:1029-1035. [PMID: 34089555 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our previous transcriptome analysis of Anopheles dirus revealed upregulation of the An. dirus yellow-g gene upon ingestion of Plasmodium vivax-infected blood. This gene belongs to the yellow gene family, but its role regarding P. vivax infection is not known and remains to be validated. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the An. dirus yellow-g gene in P. vivax infection. METHODS The qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of the yellow-g gene in many organs of both male and female mosquitos. The yellow-g gene silencing was performed by dsRNA membrane feeding to An. dirus. These mosquitoes were later challenged by P. vivax-infected blood. The oocyst numbers were determined. RESULTS The yellow-g transcript was detected in several organs of both male and female An. dirus mosquitoes. Successful knockdown of yellow-g was achieved and resulted in reduced P. vivax infection in the mosquitoes. The decrease in yellow-g expression had no effect on the life span of the mosquitoes. CONCLUSIONS These results support the yellow-g gene as having an important function in Plasmodium development in Anopheles mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watcharakorn Mongkol
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tippawan Pomun
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Apisak Duangmanee
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anchanee Kubera
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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28
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Hietanen J, Chim-Ong A, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Naturally induced humoral response against Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2P1. Malar J 2021; 20:246. [PMID: 34082763 PMCID: PMC8173506 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03784-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria parasite in many countries. A better understanding of human immunity to this parasite can provide new insights for vaccine development. Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Proteins (RBPs) are key parasite proteins that interact with human proteins during erythrocyte invasion and are targets of the human immune response. The aim of this study is to characterize the human antibody response to RBP2P1, the most recently described member of the RBP family. Methods The levels of total IgG and IgM against RBP2P1 were measured using plasmas from 68 P. vivax malaria patients and 525 villagers in a malarious village of western Thailand. The latter group comprises asymptomatic carriers and healthy uninfected individuals. Subsets of plasma samples were evaluated for anti-RBP2P1 IgG subtypes and complement-fixing activity. Results As age increased, it was found that the level of anti-RBP2P1 IgG increased while the level of IgM decreased. The main anti-RBP2P1 IgG subtypes were IgG1 and IgG3. The IgG3-seropositive rate was higher in asymptomatic carriers than in patients. The higher level of IgG3 was correlated with higher in vitro RBP2P1-mediated complement fixing activity. Conclusions In natural infection, the primary IgG response to RBP2P1 was IgG1 and IgG3. The predominance of these cytophilic subtypes and the elevated level of IgG3 correlating with complement fixing activity, suggest a possible role of anti-RBP2P1 antibodies in immunity against P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Hietanen
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand.
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29
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Yongkiettrakul S, Kolié FR, Kongkasuriyachai D, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W, Nawattanapaibool N, Suansomjit C, Warit S, Kangwanrangsan N, Buates S. Validation of PfSNP-LAMP-Lateral Flow Dipstick for Detection of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Associated with Pyrimethamine Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:E948. [PMID: 33202937 PMCID: PMC7698237 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10110948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow dipstick (PfSNP-LAMP-LFD) was recently developed to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (AAT → ATT), corresponding to substitution of asparagine to isoleucine at amino acid position 51 in the P. falciparumdhfr-ts gene associated with antifolate resistance. In this present study, the PfSNP-LAMP-LFD was validated on 128 clinical malaria samples of broad ranged parasite densities (10 to 87,634 parasites per microliter of blood). The results showed 100% accuracy for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphism for N51I mutation. Indeed, the high prevalence of N51I in the Pfdhfr-ts gene detected in the clinical samples is in line with reports of widespread antifolate resistant P. falciparum in Thailand. The relationship between enzyme choice and reaction time was observed to have an effect on PfSNP-LAMP-LFD specificity; however, the method yielded consistent results once the conditions have been optimized. The results demonstrate that PfSNP-LAMP-LFD is a simple method with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be deployed in routine surveillance of antifolate resistance molecular marker and inform antimalarial management policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suganya Yongkiettrakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.Y.); (D.K.); (S.W.)
| | - Fassou René Kolié
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (F.R.K.); (N.N.)
| | - Darin Kongkasuriyachai
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.Y.); (D.K.); (S.W.)
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (J.S.); (C.S.)
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Namfon Nawattanapaibool
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (F.R.K.); (N.N.)
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (J.S.); (C.S.)
| | - Saradee Warit
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; (S.Y.); (D.K.); (S.W.)
| | - Niwat Kangwanrangsan
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Sureemas Buates
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (F.R.K.); (N.N.)
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30
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Gruenberg M, Moniz CA, Hofmann NE, Koepfli C, Robinson LJ, Nate E, Monteiro WM, de Melo GC, Kuehn A, Siqueira AM, Nguitragool W, Bassat Q, Lacerda M, Sattabongkot J, Mueller I, Felger I. Utility of ultra-sensitive qPCR to detect Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections under different transmission intensities. Malar J 2020; 19:319. [PMID: 32883308 PMCID: PMC7469345 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03374-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of molecular diagnostics has revealed an unexpectedly large number of asymptomatic low-density malaria infections in many malaria endemic areas. This study compared the gains in parasite prevalence obtained by the use of ultra-sensitive (us)-qPCR as compared to standard qPCR in cross-sectional surveys conducted in Thailand, Brazil and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The compared assays differed in the copy number of qPCR targets in the parasite genome. METHODS Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Plasmodium vivax (Pv) parasites were quantified by qPCR amplifying the low-copy Pf_ and Pv_18S rRNA genes or the multi-copy targets Pf_varATS and Pv_mtCOX1. Cross-sectional surveys at the three study sites included 2252 participants of all ages and represented different transmission intensities. RESULTS In the two low-transmission areas, P. falciparum positivity was 1.3% (10/773) (Thailand) and 0.8% (5/651) (Brazil) using standard Pf_18S rRNA qPCR. In these two countries, P. falciparum positivity by Pf_varATS us-qPCR increased to 1.9% (15/773) and 1.7% (11/651). In PNG, an area with moderate transmission intensity, P. falciparum positivity significantly increased from 8.6% (71/828) by standard qPCR to 12.2% (101/828) by us-qPCR. The proportions of P. falciparum infections not detected by standard qPCR were 33%, 55% and 30% in Thailand, Brazil and PNG. Plasmodium vivax was the predominating species in Thailand and Brazil, with 3.9% (30/773) and 4.9% (32/651) positivity by Pv_18S rRNA qPCR. In PNG, P. vivax positivity was similar to P. falciparum, at 8.0% (66/828). Use of Pv_mtCOX1 us-qPCR led to a significant increase in positivity to 5.1% (39/773), 6.4% (42/651) and 11.5% (95/828) in Thailand, Brazil, and PNG. The proportions of P. vivax infections missed by standard qPCR were similar at all three sites, with 23%, 24% and 31% in Thailand, Brazil and PNG. CONCLUSION The proportional gains in the detection of P. falciparum and P. vivax infections by ultra-sensitive diagnostic assays were substantial at all three study sites. Thus, us-qPCR yields more precise prevalence estimates for both P. falciparum and P. vivax at all studied levels of endemicity and represents a significant diagnostic improvement. Improving sensitivity in P. vivax surveillance by us-qPCR is of particular benefit, because the additionally detected P. vivax infections signal the potential presence of hypnozoites and subsequent risk of relapse and further transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gruenberg
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Clara Antunes Moniz
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalie E Hofmann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Leanne J Robinson
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elma Nate
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | | | | | - Andrea Kuehn
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil.,ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andre M Siqueira
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Quique Bassat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marcus Lacerda
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus, Brazil.,Universidade Do Estado Do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Malaria Parasite & Hosts Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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31
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Boonkaew T, Mongkol W, Prasert S, Paochan P, Yoneda S, Nguitragool W, Kumpitak C, Sattabongkot J, Kubera A. Transcriptome analysis of Anopheles dirus and Plasmodium vivax at ookinete and oocyst stages. Acta Trop 2020; 207:105502. [PMID: 32320680 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is transmitted by Plasmodium parasites through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. One of the most important mosquito vectors in the Greater Mekong Subregion is Anopheles dirus. This study reports RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptome analysis of An. dirus at 18 hours and 7 days after a P. vivax-infected blood meal, which represent infection at the ookinete and oocyst parasite developmental stages, respectively. Following infection, 582 An. dirus transcripts were modulated. The 2,408 P. vivax transcripts could be classified into ookinete-specific, two-stage, and oocyst-specific groups. Results were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Gene ontology analysis of the vector and parasite revealed several biological pathways for both, providing a better understanding of Anopheles-Plasmodium interactions at the ookinete and oocyst stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tippawan Boonkaew
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Watcharakorn Mongkol
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Sureerat Prasert
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Pattaweeya Paochan
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Saki Yoneda
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate school of Engineering, Osaka University, Japan
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Anchanee Kubera
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand; Centre for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
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32
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Shimizu S, Chotirat S, Dokkulab N, Hongchad I, Khowsroy K, Kiattibutr K, Maneechai N, Manopwisedjaroen K, Petchvijit P, Phumchuea K, Rachaphaew N, Sripoorote P, Suansomjit C, Thongyod W, Khamsiriwatchara A, Lawpoolsri S, Hanboonkunupakarn B, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Malaria cross-sectional surveys identified asymptomatic infections of Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi in Surat Thani, a southern province of Thailand. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 96:445-451. [PMID: 32407902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Malaria cross-sectional surveys are rarely conducted in very low transmission settings. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Plasmodium infection in a near-elimination setting in southern Thailand. METHODS Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in areas of active transmission in the Surat Thani province of Thailand in January and May 2019. PCR was used to detect Plasmodium infection. RESULTS The prevalence of Plasmodium blood infection was 0.45% and 0.61% in January and May 2019, respectively. The major parasite species was Plasmodium falciparum in January and Plasmodium vivax in May. Unexpectedly, Plasmodium knowlesi infections were also detected. Most infections, including those of Plasmodium knowlesi, were asymptomatic. Being male and staying outdoors at night-time were the only significant identified risk factors. Of people infected in January 28.0% were positive in May for the same parasite species, suggesting persistent asymptomatic infections. CONCLUSIONS Despite the very low incidence rate in Surat Thani, most malaria infections were asymptomatic. Outdoor mosquito biting at night-time is likely an important mode of malaria transmission. Unexpectedly, asymptomatic Plasmodium knowlesi infection was found, confirming previous reports of such infection in mainland Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Shimizu
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sadudee Chotirat
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nichakan Dokkulab
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Isarachai Hongchad
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kessuda Khowsroy
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kirakorn Kiattibutr
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nongnuj Maneechai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Pattamaporn Petchvijit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kanit Phumchuea
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattawan Rachaphaew
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Piyarat Sripoorote
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Waraporn Thongyod
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Amnat Khamsiriwatchara
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Saranath Lawpoolsri
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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33
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Longley RJ, White MT, Takashima E, Brewster J, Morita M, Harbers M, Obadia T, Robinson LJ, Matsuura F, Liu ZSJ, Li-Wai-Suen CSN, Tham WH, Healer J, Huon C, Chitnis CE, Nguitragool W, Monteiro W, Proietti C, Doolan DL, Siqueira AM, Ding XC, Gonzalez IJ, Kazura J, Lacerda M, Sattabongkot J, Tsuboi T, Mueller I. Development and validation of serological markers for detecting recent Plasmodium vivax infection. Nat Med 2020; 26:741-749. [DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-0841-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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34
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Ngernna S, Rachaphaew N, Thammapalo S, Prikchoo P, Kaewnah O, Manopwisedjaroen K, Phumchuea K, Suansomjit C, Roobsoong W, Sattabongkot J, Cui L, Nguitragool W. Case Report: Case Series of Human Plasmodium knowlesi Infection on the Southern Border of Thailand. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 101:1397-1401. [PMID: 31595871 PMCID: PMC6896887 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Although human infections of Plasmodium knowlesi have been found throughout Southeast Asia, most cases originated from Malaysian Borneo. In Thailand, P. knowlesi malaria was considered extremely rare. However, during October 2017–September 2018, there was a surge in the number of reported P. knowlesi cases. Here, a series of six cases of P. knowlesi malaria found during this period in Songkhla and Narathiwat provinces of southern Thailand are presented. All cases were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The unprecedented case number in the affected area is a warning sign of an increasing P. knowlesi burden in the south of Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutharinee Ngernna
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattawan Rachaphaew
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suwich Thammapalo
- Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 12 Songkhla, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Pathomporn Prikchoo
- Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 12 Songkhla, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Opart Kaewnah
- Vector-Borne Diseases Control Center 12.2, Songkhla, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Songkhla, Thailand
| | | | - Kanit Phumchuea
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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35
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Chim-Ong A, Surit T, Chainarin S, Roobsoong W, Sattabongkot J, Cui L, Nguitragool W. The Blood Stage Antigen RBP2-P1 of Plasmodium vivax Binds Reticulocytes and Is a Target of Naturally Acquired Immunity. Infect Immun 2020; 88:e00616-19. [PMID: 32014895 PMCID: PMC7093139 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00616-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions between Plasmodium parasites and human erythrocytes are prime targets of blood stage malaria vaccine development. The reticulocyte binding protein 2-P1 (RBP2-P1) of Plasmodium vivax, a member of the reticulocyte binding protein family, has recently been shown to be highly antigenic in several settings endemic for malaria. Yet, its functional characteristics and the relevance of its antibody response in human malaria have not been examined. In this study, the potential function of RBP2-P1 as an invasion ligand of P. vivax was evaluated. The protein was found to be expressed in schizonts, be localized at the apical end of the merozoite, and preferentially bind reticulocytes over normocytes. Human antibodies to this protein also exhibit erythrocyte binding inhibition at physiologically relevant concentrations. Furthermore, RBP2-P1 antibodies are associated with lower parasitemia and tend to be higher in asymptomatic carriers than in patients. This study provides evidence supporting a role of RBP2-P1 as an invasion ligand and its consideration as a vaccine target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thitiporn Surit
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sittinont Chainarin
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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36
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Brashear AM, Roobsoong W, Siddiqui FA, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, López-Uribe MM, Miao J, Cui L. A glance of the blood stage transcriptome of a Southeast Asian Plasmodium ovale isolate. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007850. [PMID: 31730621 PMCID: PMC6881071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium ovale accounts for a disproportionate number of travel-related malaria cases. This parasite is understudied since there is a reliance on clinical samples. We collected a P. ovale curtisi parasite isolate from a clinical case in western Thailand and performed RNA-seq analysis on the blood stage transcriptomes. Using both de novo assembly and alignment-based methods, we detected the transcripts for 6628 out of 7280 annotated genes. For those lacking evidence of expression, the vast majority belonged to the PIR and STP1 gene families. We identified new splicing patterns for over 2500 genes, and mapped at least one untranslated region for over half of all annotated genes. Our analysis also detected a notable presence of anti-sense transcripts for over 10% of P. ovale curtisi genes. This transcriptomic analysis provides new insights into the blood-stage biology of this neglected parasite. Ovale malaria can be caused by one of two Plasmodium parasites, P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri. P. ovale parasites are especially adept at evading prophylactic antimalarial drugs and traveling internationally, which makes them interesting from a global health perspective. Due to the lack of a continuous culture system for these parasites, research on P. ovale parasites has lagged behind and relies on clinical samples. Recent genome sequencing of a few P. ovale clinical isolates provides the blueprint of the parasite genome and in silico prediction of parasite genes. However, confirmation of the annotated genes and proof of their expression are needed. Here we obtained a P. ovale curtisi clinical isolate from western Thailand and performed RNA-seq analysis on the blood-stage parasites. High-quality RNA-seq data has enabled us to identify transcripts for 6628 of the 7280 annotated genes. Consistent with the blood stage development, housekeeping genes such as those involved in translation and metabolism are highly expressed. Prediction of the UTRs as well as detection of anti-sense transcripts and potential splicing patterns suggests the presence of complex gene regulation mechanisms for this parasite. This transcriptome dataset will serve as a useful resource for future studies of P. ovale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awtum M Brashear
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Thailand
| | - Faiza A Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Thailand
| | - Margarita M López-Uribe
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America.,Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
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37
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Chan LJ, Dietrich MH, Nguitragool W, Tham WH. Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Proteins for invasion into reticulocytes. Cell Microbiol 2019; 22:e13110. [PMID: 31469946 PMCID: PMC7003471 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is responsible for most of the malaria infections outside Africa and is currently the predominant malaria parasite in countries under elimination programs. P. vivax preferentially enters young red cells called reticulocytes. Advances in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of entry are hampered by the inability to grow large numbers of P. vivax parasites in a long‐term in vitro culture. Recent progress in understanding the biology of the P. vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein (PvRBPs) family of invasion ligands has led to the identification of a new invasion pathway into reticulocytes, an understanding of their structural architecture and PvRBPs as targets of the protective immune response to P. vivax infection. This review summarises current knowledge on the role of reticulocytes in P. vivax infection, the function of the PvRBP family of proteins in generating an immune response in human populations, and the characterization of anti‐PvRBP antibodies in blocking parasite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jin Chan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie H Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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He WQ, Karl S, White MT, Nguitragool W, Monteiro W, Kuehn A, Gruszczyk J, França CT, Sattabongkot J, Lacerda MVG, Tham WH, Mueller I. Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b are associated with protection against P. vivax malaria in populations living in low malaria transmission regions of Brazil and Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007596. [PMID: 31425514 PMCID: PMC6726234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein (PvRBP) family is involved in red blood cell recognition and members of this family are potential targets for antibodies that may block P. vivax invasion. To date, the acquisition of immunity against PvRBPs in low malaria transmission settings and in a broad age group of exposed individuals has not been investigated. Methodology/Principal findings Total IgG antibody levels to six members of the PvRBP family (PvRBP1a, PvRBP1b, PvRBP2a, PvRBP2b, a non-binding fragment of PvRBP2c (PvRBP2cNB) and PvRBP2-P2) were measured in samples collected from individuals living in two regions of low P. vivax endemicity in Brazil and Thailand. In both settings, levels of total IgG to PvRBP1a, PvRBP2b, PvRBP2cNB, and PvRBP2P-2 increased significantly with age (rho = 0.17–0.49; P<0.001). IgG responses to PvRBP1a, PvRBP2b and PvRBP2cNB were significantly higher in infected individuals by using Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test (P<0.001). Of the six PvRBPs examined, only antibodies to PvRBP2b were associated with protection against clinical malaria in both settings. Conclusion/Significance Our results indicate that PvRBP2b warrants further preclinical development as a blood-stage vaccine candidate against P. vivax. Total IgG responses to PvRBPs were also shown to be promising immunological markers of exposure to P. vivax infection. Plasmodium vivax preferentially invades young red blood cells called reticulocytes. Successful parasite invasion relies on the interaction between parasite ligands with human red blood cell receptors. The P. vivax reticulocyte binding protein family (PvRBP) plays a role in the invasion process. The role of PvRBP in the natural acquisition of immunity to P. vivax, especially in low transmission settings, is poorly understood. Using samples from longitudinal cohort studies from regions of low P. vivax endemicity in Brazil and Thailand, we showed that antibody responses to PvRBP1a, PvRBP2b, and PvRBP2cNB increased with age and were boosted during infection. In addition, higher antibody levels to PvRBP2b were strongly associated with a lower risk of clinical episodes of P. vivax. Based on these observations, we propose that PvRBP2b warrants further preclinical development as a blood-stage vaccine candidate against P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Qiang He
- Infection and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephan Karl
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Michael T. White
- Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand
| | - Wuelton Monteiro
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Andrea Kuehn
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clinic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jakub Gruszczyk
- Infection and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria Australia
| | - Camila T. França
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marcus V. G. Lacerda
- Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Infection and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Malaria Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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Ngernna S, Chim-Ong A, Roobsoong W, Sattabongkot J, Cui L, Nguitragool W. Efficient synchronization of Plasmodium knowlesi in vitro cultures using guanidine hydrochloride. Malar J 2019; 18:148. [PMID: 31023359 PMCID: PMC6482532 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term in vitro culture of blood stage Plasmodium parasites invariably leads to asynchronous parasite development. The most often used technique to synchronize Plasmodium falciparum culture is sorbitol treatment, which differentially induces osmotic lysis of trophozoite- and schizont-infected red blood cells due to presence of the new permeation pathways in the membranes of these cells. However, sorbitol treatment does not work well when used to synchronize the culture-adapted Plasmodium knowlesi A1-H.1 line. METHODS A number of common solutes were tested in lieu of sorbitol for synchronization of P. knowlesi A1-H.1 ring stage. RESULTS Guanidine hydrochloride was found to selectively lyse trophozoite- and schizont-infected red blood cells, yielding highly synchronous and viable rings. CONCLUSIONS A method for synchronization of P. knowlesi in human red blood cells was developed. Requiring only common laboratory reagents, this method is simple and should be applicable to most laboratory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutharinee Ngernna
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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Nguitragool W, Karl S, White M, Koepfli C, Felger I, Singhasivanon P, Mueller I, Sattabongkot J. Highly heterogeneous residual malaria risk in western Thailand. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:455-462. [PMID: 30954453 PMCID: PMC6996282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
There is a highly heterogenous risk of malaria infection among villagers in western Thailand. The molecular force of infection was determined in a low endemic setting. There is a strong correlation between malaria prevalence and the force of infection.
Over the past decades, the malaria burden in Thailand has substantially declined. Most infections now originate from the national border regions. In these areas, the prevalence of asymptomatic infections is still substantial and poses a challenge for the national malaria elimination program. To determine epidemiological parameters as well as risk factors for malaria infection in western Thailand, we carried out a cohort study in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Blood samples from 999 local participants were examined for malaria infection every 4 weeks between May 2013 and Jun 2014. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and showed a seasonal variation with values fluctuating from 1.7% to 4.2% for P. vivax and 0% to 1.3% for P. falciparum. Ninety percent of infections were asymptomatic. The annual molecular force of blood-stage infection (molFOB) was estimated by microsatellite genotyping to be 0.24 new infections per person-year for P. vivax and 0.02 new infections per person-year for P. falciparum. The distribution of infections was heterogenous, that is, the vast majority of infections (>80%) were found in a small number of individuals (<8% of the study population) who tested positive at multiple timepoints. Significant risk factors were detected for P. vivax infections, including previous clinical malaria, occupation in agriculture and travel to Myanmar. In contrast, indoor residual spraying was associated with a protection from infection. These findings provide a recent landscape of malaria epidemiology and emphasize the importance of novel strategies to target asymptomatic and imported infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stephan Karl
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea
| | - Michael White
- Malaria: Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pratap Singhasivanon
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Malaria: Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Yorsaeng R, Saeseu T, Chotivanich K, Felger I, Wampfler R, Cui L, Mueller I, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Indigenous Plasmodium malariae Infection in an Endemic Population at the Thai-Myanmar Border. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019; 100:1164-1169. [PMID: 30793693 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium malariae is a neglected malaria parasite. It has wide geographic distribution and, although often associated with mild malaria, is linked to a high burden of anemia and nephrotic syndromes. Here, we report a cohort study conducted in the Kanchanaburi Province of Thailand during May 2013-June 2014 in which P. malariae infection was detected. Of the 812 study participants, two were found to be infected with P. malariae. One had an infection that led to acute malaria, but the other was positive for P. malariae at multiple visits during the study and apparently had chronic asymptomatic infection. Such persistent infection may explain how P. malariae has been able to thrive at very low prevalence and represents a challenge for malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritthideach Yorsaeng
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerawat Saeseu
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kesinee Chotivanich
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ingrid Felger
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rahel Wampfler
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Malaria: Parasites and Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Population-Based Biology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Mongkol W, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Kubera A. Blood-induced differential gene expression in Anopheles dirus evaluated using RNA sequencing. Med Vet Entomol 2018; 32:399-406. [PMID: 29885058 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Malaria parasites are transmitted through blood feeding by female Anopheline mosquitoes. Unveiling the blood-feeding process will improve understanding of vector biology. Anopheles dirus (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the primary malaria vectors in the Greater Mekong Subregion, the epicentre of malaria drug resistance. In this study, differential gene expression between sugar- and blood-fed An. dirus was investigated by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 589 transcripts were found to be upregulated and 703 transcripts downregulated as a result of blood feeding. Transcriptional differences were found in genes involved in blood digestion, peritrophic matrix formation, oogenesis and vitellogenesis. The expression levels of several genes were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The present results provide better understanding of An. dirus biology in relation to its blood feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Mongkol
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - W Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - J Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - A Kubera
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Sattabongkot J, Suansomjit C, Nguitragool W, Sirichaisinthop J, Warit S, Tiensuwan M, Buates S. Prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections with sub-microscopic parasite densities in the northwestern border of Thailand: a potential threat to malaria elimination. Malar J 2018; 17:329. [PMID: 30208895 PMCID: PMC6134695 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2476-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asymptomatic infections with sub-microscopic Plasmodium serve as a silent reservoir of disease, critical to sustaining a low level of remanent malaria in the population. These infections must be effectively identified and targeted for elimination. The sensitivity of light microscopy, the traditional method used for diagnosing Plasmodium infections, is frequently insufficient for detecting asymptomatic infections due to the low density of parasitaemia. The objective of this study was to explore the current prevalence of asymptomatic sub-microscopic Plasmodium carriages to evaluate the parasite reservoir amongst residents from 7 hamlets in Tak Province in northwestern Thailand using a highly sensitive molecular method. METHODS Malaria infection was screened in a real-world setting from 3650 finger-prick blood specimens collected in a mass cross-sectional survey using light microscopy and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP results were later confirmed in a laboratory setting in Bangkok using nested PCR, restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. The association of malaria infection with demographic factors was explored. RESULTS Parasite prevalence was 0.27% (10/3650) as determined by microscopy. Sub-microscopic infection prevalence was 2.33% (85/3650) by LAMP. Of these, 30.6% (26/85) were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 52.9% (45/85) with Plasmodium vivax, 2.4% (2/85) with Plasmodium malariae, 4.7% (4/85) with mixed P. falciparum and P. vivax, and 9.4% (8/85) had parasite densities too low for species identification. Asymptomatic carriages (T < 37.5 °C) accounted for 95% (76/80) of all sub-microscopic cases with the highest prevalence occurring in the subjects 31-45 years of age (p ≤ 0.035). Participants working on plantations or as merchants had an increased infection risk. Evaluation by microscopy identified 10.53% (10/95) of all Plasmodium infected participants. CONCLUSION Participants carrying asymptomatic Plasmodium infections with sub-microscopic parasite densities are considerable in this area. These findings provide the true disease burden and risk factors in this region. This information helps to direct policy makers towards better schemes and delivery of targeted interventions. Moreover, this is the first study to use LAMP in mass screening for sub-clinical and sub-microscopic infections in a field setting in Thailand. LAMP proves to be a sensitive and field-deployable assay suitable for national malaria control screening campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Saradee Warit
- Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Montip Tiensuwan
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sureemas Buates
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Kittichai V, Nguitragool W, Ngassa Mbenda HG, Sattabongkot J, Cui L. Genetic diversity of the Plasmodium vivax multidrug resistance 1 gene in Thai parasite populations. Infect Genet Evol 2018; 64:168-177. [PMID: 29936038 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax resistance to chloroquine (CQ) was first reported over 60 years ago. Here we analyzed sequence variations in the multidrug resistance 1 gene (Pvmdr1), a putative molecular marker for P. vivax CQ resistance, in field isolates collected from three sites in Thailand during 2013-2016. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms previously implicated in reduced CQ sensitivity were found. These genetic variations encode amino acids in the two nucleotide-binding domains as well as the transmembrane domains of the protein. The high level of genetic diversity of Pvmdr1 provides insights into the evolutionary history of this gene. Specifically, there was little evidence of positive selection at amino acid F1076L in global isolates to be promoted as a possible marker for CQ resistance. Population genetic analysis clearly divided the parasites into eastern and western populations, which is consistent with their geographical separation by the central malaria-free area of Thailand. With CQ-primaquine remaining as the frontline treatment for vivax malaria in all regions of Thailand, such a population subdivision could be shaped and affected by the current drugs for P. falciparum since mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infections often occur in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerayuth Kittichai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Nguitragool W, Mueller I, Kumpitak C, Saeseu T, Bantuchai S, Yorsaeng R, Yimsamran S, Maneeboonyang W, Sa-Angchai P, Chaimungkun W, Rukmanee P, Puangsa-Art S, Thanyavanich N, Koepfli C, Felger I, Sattabongkot J, Singhasivanon P. Very high carriage of gametocytes in asymptomatic low-density Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax infections in western Thailand. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:512. [PMID: 29065910 PMCID: PMC5655986 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2407-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-density asymptomatic infections of Plasmodium spp. are common in low endemicity areas worldwide, but outside Africa, their contribution to malaria transmission is poorly understood. Community-based studies with highly sensitive molecular diagnostics are needed to quantify the asymptomatic reservoir of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax infections in Thai communities. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 4309 participants was conducted in three endemic areas in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces of Thailand in 2012. The presence of P. falciparum and P. vivax parasites was determined using 18S rRNA qPCR. Gametocytes were also detected by pfs25 / pvs25 qRT-PCRs. RESULTS A total of 133 individuals were found infected with P. vivax (3.09%), 37 with P. falciparum (0.86%), and 11 with mixed P. vivax/ P. falciparum (0.26%). The clear majority of both P. vivax (91.7%) and P. falciparum (89.8%) infections were not accompanied by any febrile symptoms. Infections with either species were most common in adolescent and adult males. Recent travel to Myanmar was highly associated with P. falciparum (OR = 9.0, P = 0.001) but not P. vivax infections (P = 0.13). A large number of P. vivax (71.5%) and P. falciparum (72.0%) infections were gametocyte positive by pvs25/pfs25 qRT-PCR. Detection of gametocyte-specific pvs25 and pfs25 transcripts was strongly dependent on parasite density. pvs25 transcript numbers, a measure of gametocyte density, were also highly correlated with parasite density (r 2 = 0.82, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Asymptomatic infections with Plasmodium spp. were common in western Thai communities in 2012. The high prevalence of gametocytes indicates that these infections may contribute substantially to the maintenance of local malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Barcelona, Spain.,Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerawat Saeseu
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirasate Bantuchai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ritthideach Yorsaeng
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surapon Yimsamran
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanchai Maneeboonyang
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patiwat Sa-Angchai
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wutthichai Chaimungkun
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prasert Rukmanee
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Supalarp Puangsa-Art
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nipon Thanyavanich
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Population Health & Immunity Division, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pratap Singhasivanon
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Niu G, Franc A C, Zhang G, Roobsoong W, Nguitragool W, Wang X, Prachumsri J, Butler NS, Li J. The fibrinogen-like domain of FREP1 protein is a broad-spectrum malaria transmission-blocking vaccine antigen. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:11960-11969. [PMID: 28533429 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.773564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
FREP1 in mosquito midguts facilitates Plasmodium falciparum parasite transmission. The fibrinogen-like (FBG) domain of FREP1 is highly conserved (>90% identical) among Anopheles species from different continents, suggesting that anti-FBG antibodies may block malaria transmission to all anopheline mosquitoes. Using standard membrane-feeding assays, anti-FREP1 polyclonal antibodies significantly blocked transmission of Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium vivax to Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles dirus, respectively. Furthermore, in vivo studies of mice immunized with FBG achieved >75% blocking efficacy of P. berghei to A. gambiae without triggering immunopathology. Anti-FBG serum also reduced >81% of P. falciparum infection to A. gambiae Finally, we showed that FBG interacts with Plasmodium gametocytes and ookinetes, revealing the molecular mechanism of its antibody transmission-blocking activity. Collectively, our data support that FREP1-mediated Plasmodium transmission to mosquitoes is a conserved pathway and that targeting the FBG domain of FREP1 will limit the transmission of multiple Plasmodium species to multiple Anopheles species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Niu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Caio Franc A
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Genwei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Center, Mahidol University Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Center, Mahidol University Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199
| | - Jetsumon Prachumsri
- Mahidol Vivax Research Center, Mahidol University Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Noah S Butler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019.
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47
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Longley RJ, França CT, White MT, Kumpitak C, Sa-Angchai P, Gruszczyk J, Hostetler JB, Yadava A, King CL, Fairhurst RM, Rayner JC, Tham WH, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J, Mueller I. Asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax infections induce robust IgG responses to multiple blood-stage proteins in a low-transmission region of western Thailand. Malar J 2017; 16:178. [PMID: 28454546 PMCID: PMC5410030 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1826-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thailand is aiming to eliminate malaria by the year 2024. Plasmodium vivax has now become the dominant species causing malaria within the country, and a high proportion of infections are asymptomatic. A better understanding of antibody dynamics to P. vivax antigens in a low-transmission setting, where acquired immune responses are poorly characterized, will be pivotal for developing new strategies for elimination, such as improved surveillance methods and vaccines. The objective of this study was to characterize total IgG antibody levels to 11 key P. vivax proteins in a village of western Thailand. Methods Plasma samples from 546 volunteers enrolled in a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2012 in Kanchanaburi Province were utilized. Total IgG levels to 11 different proteins known or predicted to be involved in reticulocyte binding or invasion (ARP, GAMA, P41, P12, PVX_081550, and five members of the PvRBP family), as well as the leading pre-erythrocytic vaccine candidate (CSP) were measured using a multiplexed bead-based assay. Associations between IgG levels and infection status, age, and spatial location were explored. Results Individuals from a low-transmission region of western Thailand reacted to all 11 P. vivax recombinant proteins. Significantly greater IgG levels were observed in the presence of a current P. vivax infection, despite all infected individuals being asymptomatic. IgG levels were also higher in adults (18 years and older) than in children. For most of the proteins, higher IgG levels were observed in individuals living closer to the Myanmar border and further away from local health services. Conclusions Robust IgG responses were observed to most proteins and IgG levels correlated with surrogates of exposure, suggesting these antigens may serve as potential biomarkers of exposure, immunity, or both. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-017-1826-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhea J Longley
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Camila T França
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael T White
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Chalermpon Kumpitak
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patiwat Sa-Angchai
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jakub Gruszczyk
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jessica B Hostetler
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anjali Yadava
- Malaria Vaccine Branch, United States Military Malaria Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Christopher L King
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia. .,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. .,ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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48
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Zaw MT, Thant M, Hlaing TM, Aung NZ, Thu M, Phumchuea K, Phusri K, Saeseu T, Yorsaeng R, Nguitragool W, Felger I, Kaewkungwal J, Cui L, Sattabongkot J. Asymptomatic and sub-microscopic malaria infection in Kayah State, eastern Myanmar. Malar J 2017; 16:138. [PMID: 28376883 PMCID: PMC5381021 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1789-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Myanmar has the heaviest burden of
malaria in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infections are common in this region and may represent an important reservoir of transmission that must be targeted for malaria elimination. Methods A mass blood survey was conducted among 485 individuals from six villages in Kayah State, an area of endemic but low transmission malaria in eastern Myanmar. Malaria infection was screened by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), light microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and its association with demographic factors was explored. Results The prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infection was 2.3% (11/485) by real-time PCR. Plasmodium vivax accounted for 72.7% (8/11) and Plasmodium falciparum for 27.3% (3/11) of infections. Men were at greater risk of infection by Plasmodium spp. than women. Individuals who worked as farmers or wood and bamboo cutters had an increased risk of infection. Conclusion A combination of RDT, light microscopy and PCR diagnostics were used to identify asymptomatic malaria infection, providing additional information on asymptomatic cases in addition to the routine statistics on symptomatic cases, so as to determine the true burden of disease in the area. Such information and risk factors can improve malaria risk stratification and guide decision-makers towards better design and delivery of targeted interventions in small villages, representative of Kayah State.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myo Thiha Zaw
- Defence Services Medical Research Centre (DSMRC), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.,Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Myo Thant
- Defence Services Medical Research Centre (DSMRC), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Tin Maung Hlaing
- Defence Services Medical Research Centre (DSMRC), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Naing Zin Aung
- Defence Services Medical Research Centre (DSMRC), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.,Loikaw Military Hospital, Loikaw, Kayah, Myanmar
| | - Min Thu
- Loikaw Military Hospital, Loikaw, Kayah, Myanmar
| | - Kanit Phumchuea
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kanokwan Phusri
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerawat Saeseu
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ritthideach Yorsaeng
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ingrid Felger
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jaranit Kaewkungwal
- Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, 501 ASI Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA.
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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49
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Kiattibutr K, Roobsoong W, Sriwichai P, Saeseu T, Rachaphaew N, Suansomjit C, Buates S, Obadia T, Mueller I, Cui L, Nguitragool W, Sattabongkot J. Infectivity of symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax infections to a Southeast Asian vector, Anopheles dirus. Int J Parasitol 2016; 47:163-170. [PMID: 28043858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is now the predominant species causing malarial infection and disease in most non-African areas, but little is known about its transmission efficiency from human to mosquitoes. Because the majority of Plasmodium infections in endemic areas are low density and asymptomatic, it is important to evaluate how well these infections transmit. Using membrane feeding apparatus, Anopheles dirus were fed with blood samples from 94 individuals who had natural P. vivax infections with parasitemias spanning four orders of magnitude. We found that the mosquito infection rate was positively correlated with blood parasitemia and that infection began to rise when parasitemia was >10parasites/μl. Below this threshold, mosquito infection is rare and associated with very few oocysts. These findings provide useful information for assessing the human reservoir of transmission and for establishing diagnostic sensitivity required to identify individuals who are most infective to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirakorn Kiattibutr
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wanlapa Roobsoong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patchara Sriwichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerawat Saeseu
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattawan Rachaphaew
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sureemas Buates
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomas Obadia
- Malaria: Parasites & Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Malaria: Parasites & Hosts Unit, Department of Parasites & Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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50
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Longley RJ, Sripoorote P, Chobson P, Saeseu T, Sukasem C, Phuanukoonnon S, Nguitragool W, Mueller I, Sattabongkot J. High Efficacy of Primaquine Treatment for Plasmodium vivax in Western Thailand. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016; 95:1086-1089. [PMID: 27601524 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Primaquine is the only licensed antimalarial drug that is capable of clearing dormant Plasmodium vivax liver stage parasites. To date, there is no clear evidence of resistance of the liver stage parasite against this drug, because of the difficulty in ascertaining the cause of recurrent infection. We followed 52 Thai P. vivax patients for 9 months after directly observed treatment of 15 mg primaquine daily for 14 days. Blood samples taken at 2-4 weekly intervals were assessed by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of parasites. Only four of 52 (7.7%) volunteers had recurrent P. vivax infections, all at least 8 weeks after treatment. This demonstrates that primaquine retains a high efficacy in this population. Although a risk of new infections could not be ruled out, parasite genotyping at two polymorphic markers suggested a high probability of late relapsing infections in these volunteers. Continued monitoring of primaquine efficacy in this region is advisable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhea J Longley
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Piyarat Sripoorote
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pornpimol Chobson
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerawat Saeseu
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chonlaphat Sukasem
- Division of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suparat Phuanukoonnon
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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