Never seen before? Opisthorchiasis and Clonorchiasis

AbstractParasitic diseases are relatively rarely diagnosed and treated in Europe. Therefore, European clinicians are not familiar with their clinical and imaging features. In an era of increased human migration, it is fundamental for clinicians to be able to identify such diseases. We have recently described the features of cystic echinococcosis, schistosomiasis, fascioliasis and ascariasis. Here, we report on the clinical and imaging features as well as on the current therapy options of infections by the small liver flukes: Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini (Southeast Asian liver fluke) and Opisthorchis felineus (cat liver fluke) and other Opisthorchis species prevalent in South Asia.

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The liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus as a group III or group I carcinogen

4open ◽

10.1051/fopen/2019016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 23 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mariya Yurievna Pakharukova ◽

José Manuel Correia da Costa ◽

Viatcheslav Alekseevitch Mordvinov

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Liver Fluke ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Opisthorchis Felineus ◽

Group Iii ◽

Group I ◽

Carcinogenic Potential ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Liver Flukes

Opisthorchiasis caused by the liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus is one of the most common helminthic infections in the Russian Federation. The largest area affected by opisthorchiasis felinea occupies almost the entire territory of Western Siberia and extends to northern Kazakhstan and a part of the Ural region. Natural endemic regions of opisthorchiasis also exist in the European part of Russia, and in the regions of Western and Eastern Europe. According to the official statistics of the Russian Federation, up to 40 000 patients with opisthorchiasis are registered annually in the country. Opisthorchiasis felinea affects the hepatobiliary system and causes serious liver disorders, including cancer of the biliary tract. Other parasitoses, opisthorchiasis viverrini and clonorchiasis, are widespread in the Southeast Asia and China. The causative agents of these diseases, liver flukes O. viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis, are officially recognized as Group 1 biological carcinogens and are classified as the main risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma. O. felineus is included in Group 3 of biological carcinogens and is not officially considered carcinogenic to humans. Studies on the carcinogenic potential of this liver fluke and the epidemiology of cholangiocarcinoma in the Russian Federation have started in earnest quite recently. Nevertheless, we have some evidence that infection with O. felineus leads to a precancerous state of the bile duct epithelium. This state, combined with additional risk factors, poses a real risk of cholangiocarcinoma. In our opinion, taking into consideration the accumulated facts, the classification of the carcinogenic potential of O. felineus requires revision. In this review, we focus on the relevant characteristics of the biology and epidemiology of this helminth as well as experimental data on opisthorchiasis felinea; this information might clarify the carcinogenicity of O. felineus to humans.

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Structure and characterization of the ribosomal transcription units of small liver flukes, Opisthorchis viverrini, O. Felineus and Clonorchis sinensis

Vietnam Journal of Biotechnology ◽

10.15625/1811-4989/17/3/13538 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 441-447

Author(s):

Le Thanh Hoa ◽

Nguyen Thi Bich Nga ◽

Doan Thi Thanh Huong ◽

Le Thi Kim Xuyen ◽

Nguyen Thi Khue

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Liver Fluke ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Nucleotide Sequences ◽

Opisthorchis Viverrini ◽

The Family ◽

Liver Flukes ◽

Family Classification

Opisthorchiasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection caused by small liver fluke species, Opisthorchis viverrini,O. felineus and Clonorchis sinensis, in the family Opisthorchiidae. Vietnam has both species, of which C.sinensis is distributed in the northern and O. viverrini in the central provinces. In addition to the mitochondrialgenomes, the ribosomal DNA sequences (rDNA) of these species are highly needed to obtain for providingmolecular markers in species identification, classification, phylogeny and evolutionary studies. In this study,the near/complete nucleotide sequences of ribosomal transcription units (rTU) from O. viverrini (Vietnamesesample), O. felineus (Russian sample) and C. sinensis (Vietnamese sample) were analyzed. All rTUs for threespecies were determined, which is 7,839 bp for O. viverrini, 6,948 bp for O. felineus and 7,296 bp for C.sinensis containing structures of 18S, ITS1, 5,8S, ITS2 and 28S. The IGS region was not obtained for all threespecies. In all three species, sequence analysis revealed 2 tandem repetitive elements of 47-48 bp/each in ITS1but not in ITS2. The nucleotide sequences of 18S, ITS1, ITS2 and 28S are valuable ribosomal markers that thisstudy provides for diagnosis, identification, taxonomic classification and population genetics. In conclusion,the rTU sequences for the three species of the family Opisthorchiidae have been identified and providesmolecular markers for the use of phylogenetic analysis for species/family classification in the superfamilyOpisthorchioidea and the class Trematoda.

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Helminth infection-induced carcinogenesis: spectrometric insights from the liver flukes, Opisthorchis and Fasciola

10.1101/606772 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Maria João Gouveia ◽

Maria Y. Pakharukova ◽

Banchob Sripa ◽

Gabriel Rinaldi ◽

Paul J. Brindley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Adducts ◽

Liver Fluke ◽

Helminth Infection ◽

Fasciola Hepatica ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Opisthorchis Viverrini ◽

International Agency ◽

Fresh Water Fish ◽

Liver Flukes ◽

Group 1

AbstractChronic infections with the flatworm parasites Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis and Schistosoma haematobium are classified as group 1 biological carcinogens, i.e. definitive causes of cancer. In addition, we reported findings that support the inclusion of Opisthorchis felineus in this list of biological carcinogens. By contrast, infections with close phylogenetic relatives including Fasciola hepatica have not been associated with carcinogenesis. Earlier reports revealed of oxysterol metabolites of Opisthorchis liver fluke origin conjugated with DNA bases, suggesting that the generation of these DNA-adducts may underlie the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of the infection with these food-borne pathogens. Here we employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate, compare and contrast spectrograms of soluble extracts from F. hepatica adult worms from bile ducts of cattle with those from O. viverrini and O. felineus from experimentally-infected hamsters. F. hepatica displayed a complex spectrophotometric profile. F. hepatica and Opisthorchis spp. shared several common compounds including oxysterol-like metabolites, bile acids and DNA-adducts, but the spectrometric profiles of these Opisthorchis species included far fewer compounds than F. hepatica. These findings support the postulate that oxysterol-like metabolites of parasite origin can initiate carcinogenesis and they point to a molecular basis for the inconsistencies among major groups of liver flukes concerning infection-induced malignancy.Author SummarySeveral species of trematodes are parasites of the human hepatobiliary tract. Infection with two of these flukes, Clonorchis sinsensis and Opisthorchis viverrini, fresh water fish-borne parasites that occur in East Asia is classified as group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), i.e. definitive causes of cancer in humans. By contrast, infection with a different liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, does not lead to malignant transformation of the biliary tract. Given the close phylogeny of all three parasites, this difference in carcinogenicity is intriguing and, if explained, likely of value in novel therapeutic approaches. The importance of the current findings is informative because they present a mass spectrometric analysis and catalog of the similarities and differences between fluke of the genus Opisthorchis and F. hepatica, potentially identifying carcinogenic metabolites of liver fluke origin. These metabolites can be expected to provide deeper understanding of helminth infection induced malignancy.

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The complete mitochondrial genomes of the liver flukes Opisthorchis felineus and Clonorchis sinensis (Trematoda)

Parasitology International ◽

10.1016/j.parint.2009.10.012 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 100-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Sergei V. Shekhovtsov ◽

Alexei V. Katokhin ◽

Nikolai A. Kolchanov ◽

Viatcheslav A. Mordvinov

Keyword(s):

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Mitochondrial Genomes ◽

Opisthorchis Felineus ◽

Liver Flukes ◽

Complete Mitochondrial Genomes

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The zoonotic, fish-borne liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis felineus and Opisthorchis viverrini

International Journal for Parasitology ◽

10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.07.007 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 43 (12-13) ◽

pp. 1031-1046 ◽

Cited By ~ 109

Author(s):

Trevor N. Petney ◽

Ross H. Andrews ◽

Weerachai Saijuntha ◽

Alexandra Wenz-Mücke ◽

Paiboon Sithithaworn

Keyword(s):

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Opisthorchis Viverrini ◽

Opisthorchis Felineus ◽

Liver Flukes

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Genetic variation among Clonorchis sinensis isolates from different geographic regions in China revealed by sequence analyses of four mitochondrial genes

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x11000757 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 479-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

G.H. Liu ◽

B. Li ◽

J.Y. Li ◽

H.Q. Song ◽

R.Q. Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Mtdna Sequences ◽

Specific Sequence ◽

Opisthorchis Felineus ◽

Phylogenetic Studies ◽

Sequence Variations ◽

Specific Variation ◽

Geographic Regions ◽

Liver Flukes

AbstractThe present study examined sequence variation in four mitochondrial (mt) genes, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunits 1 (cox1) and 2 (cox2), and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 2 (nad1 and nad2) among Clonorchis sinensis isolates from different endemic regions in China, and their phylogenetic relationships with other zoonotic trematodes were reconstructed. A portion of the cox1 and cox2 genes (pcox1 and pcox2), and nad1 and nad2 genes (pnad1 and pnad2) were amplified separately from individual liver flukes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplicons were subjected to sequencing from both directions. The intra-specific sequence variations within C. sinensis were 0–1.6% for pcox1, 0–1.4% for pcox2, 0–0.9% for pnad1 and 0–1.0% for pnad2. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined sequences of pcox1, pcox2, pnad1 and pnad2 revealed that all the C. sinensis isolates grouped together and were closely related to Opisthorchis felineus. These findings revealed the existence of intra-specific variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences among C. sinensis isolates from different geographic regions, and demonstrated that mtDNA sequences provide reliable genetic markers for phylogenetic studies of zoonotic trematodes.

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Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Liver Fluke-Induced Cholangiocarcinoma

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13040791 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 791

Author(s):

Kanlayanee Sawanyawisuth ◽

Goro Sashida ◽

Guojun Sheng

Keyword(s):

Liver Fluke ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Common Type ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

Hepatic Cancer ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

East And Southeast Asia ◽

Liver Flukes

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common type of hepatic cancer. In east and southeast Asia, intrahepatic CCA is caused predominantly by infection of Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis, two species of parasitic liver flukes. In this review, we present molecular evidence that liver fluke-associated CCAs have enhanced features of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bile duct epithelial cells (cholangiocytes) and that some of those features are associated with mis-regulation at the epigenetic level. We hypothesize that both direct and indirect mechanisms underlie parasitic infection-induced EMT in CCA.

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A comparative study of Helicobacter pylori infection in hamsters experimentally infected with liver flukes Opisthorchis felineus, Opisthorchis viverrini, or Clonorchis sinensis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87446-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Y. Pakharukova ◽

Oxana Zaparina ◽

Sung-Jong Hong ◽

Banchob Sripa ◽

Viatcheslav A. Mordvinov

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Liver Fluke ◽

Clonorchis Sinensis ◽

Gene Copy Number ◽

Opisthorchis Viverrini ◽

Gene Copy ◽

Mammalian Host ◽

Wide Range ◽

Associated Malignancy ◽

Liver Flukes

AbstractHelicobacter pylori causes a wide range of human diseases including cancer. Carcinogenic foodborne trematodes Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis, and O. felineus might promote transmission and spread of H. pylori infection in the definitive mammalian host, which in turn might contribute to the liver fluke-associated malignancy. Our objectives were to find out whether liver flukes O. felineus, O. viverrini, and C. sinensis are carriers of Helicobacter pylori and to determine whether H. pylori is present in feces, bile, and stomach samples from the experimentally infected hamsters. We found that liver flukes are not reservoirs of H. pylori. Nevertheless, the prevalence of H. pylori and the H. pylori ureA gene copy number were significantly elevated after the infection. Overall, although the liver flukes O. felineus, C. sinensis, and O. viverrini are not reservoirs of H. pylori, the infection with the liver flukes significantly modifies the biliary and gut microbiota by increasing H. pylori abundance. This may be a feature of any liver fluke pathogenesis that have not previously been taken into account. Our findings appear to be novel in terms of comparative assessment of the host microbiota and Helicobacter abundance during epidemiologically important liver fluke infections.

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Rumen (Calicophoron/Paramphistomum spp.) and Liver Flukes (Fasciola hepatica) in Cattle—Prevalence, Distribution, and Impact of Management Factors in Germany

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11092727 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2727

Author(s):

Tanja Forstmaier ◽

Gabriela Knubben-Schweizer ◽

Christina Strube ◽

Yury Zablotski ◽

Christoph Wenzel

Keyword(s):

Liver Fluke ◽

Fasciola Hepatica ◽

Animal Health ◽

Parasitic Diseases ◽

Northern Germany ◽

Sedimentation Technique ◽

Liver Flukes ◽

First Time ◽

Cattle Farms ◽

Paramphistomum Leydeni

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of rumen flukes on German cattle farms via the sedimentation technique, and to identify the rumen fluke species occurring in Germany. Additionally, the prevalence of patent Fasciola hepatica infections was determined. Furthermore, a short questionnaire was answered by the farmers. A prevalence of 5.5% and 9.5% was detected for rumen flukes and liver flukes, respectively. Coinfections occurred on 2.1% of farms. In northern Germany, the rumen fluke prevalence was higher than in southern Germany, while for liver fluke the distribution was reversed. Rumen flukes were mostly identified as Calicophoron daubneyi, but in four cases, sequencing revealed Paramphistomum leydeni for the first time in Germany. Grazing and feeding of fresh grass, as well as organic farming, were significantly associated with rumen and liver fluke occurrence. In contrast, suckler cow husbandry only had an influence on the occurrence of rumen flukes, but not liver flukes. Trematode eggs could be detected in both, farms with and without deworming. Since there were only a few studies about Paramphistomidosis in Germany, more attention should be paid to these parasitic diseases for animal welfare and animal health reasons.

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