scholarly journals Impact of Babesia microti infection on the initiation and course of pregnancy in BALB/c mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Tołkacz ◽  
Anna Rodo ◽  
Agnieszka Wdowiarska ◽  
Anna Bajer ◽  
Małgorzata Bednarska
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Congenital Infection ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Female Mice ◽  
Pcr Targeting

Abstract Background Protozoa in the genus Babesia are transmitted to humans through tick bites and cause babesiosis, a malaria-like illness. Vertical transmission of Babesia spp. has been reported in mammals; however, the exact timing and mechanisms involved are not currently known. The aims of this study were to evaluate the success of vertical transmission of B. microti in female mice infected before pregnancy (mated during the acute or chronic phases of Babesia infection) and that of pregnant mice infected during early and advanced pregnancy; to evaluate the possible influence of pregnancy on the course of parasite infections (parasitaemia); and to assess pathological changes induced by parasitic infection. Methods The first set of experiments involved two groups of female mice infected with B. microti before mating, and inseminated on the 7th day and after the 40th day post infection. A second set of experiments involved female mice infected with B. microti during pregnancy, on the 4th and 12th days of pregnancy. Blood smears and PCR targeting the 559 bp 18S rRNA gene fragment were used for the detection of B. microti. Pathology was assessed histologically. Results Successful development of pregnancy was recorded only in females mated during the chronic phase of infection. The success of vertical transmission of B. microti in this group was 63%. No evidence of pregnancy was found in females mated during the acute phase of infection or on the 4th day of pregnancy. In the group infected on the 12th day of pregnancy, numerous complications including loss of pregnancy and stillbirths were recorded. During the acute phase of infection, parasitaemia was lower in pregnant females in comparison to infected, non-pregnant control females. Conclusions Acute B. microti infection prevents the initiation of pregnancy and embryonic development if it occurs during the first trimester, and causes severe complications in foetal BALB/c mice in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Chronic B. microti infection has no detrimental impact on the initiation and development of pregnancy, but results in congenital infection of the offspring. Further study is required to determine the extent to which maternal anti-babesial immune responses contribute to compromise pregnancy in the murine model of congenital Babesia infection.

scholarly journals Impact of Babesia microti on the initiation and course of pregnancy in murine model of vertically transmitted infection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Tołkacz ◽  
Anna Rodo ◽  
Agnieszka Wdowiarska ◽  
Anna Bajer ◽  
Małgorzata Bednarska
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Acquisition Time ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Pcr Targeting

AbstractGenus Babesia groups tick-transmitted protozoa causing babesiosis, a malaria-like disease. Vertical transmission of Babesia spp. was reported in mammals, however, the exact timing and mechanisms involved in this mode of transmission are not currently known. In this experimental study we evaluated: 1) the reproductive success, and success of vertical transmission of Babesia microti in mice mated in acute and chronic phases of the infection and in pregnant mice infected during early and advanced pregnancy; 2) possible influence of the pregnancy on the course of parasite infection (parasitaemia) in females; and 3) pathological changes in females and their embryos induced by infection. Blood smears and PCR targeting the 550 bp 18S rRNA gene fragment were used for the detection of B. microti. Histopathological examination was performed on collected tissues.Successful development of pregnancy was recorded only in females in the chronic phase of infection. The success of vertical transmission of B. microti in this group was 63% (71/112). In females mated in the acute phase of infection or on the 4th day of pregnancy, no evidence for pregnancy development were observed. In the group infected on the 12th day of pregnancy, numerous complications including pregnancy loss and stillbirth were recorded. During the acute phase of infection, parasitaemia was lower in pregnant females in comparison to infected, non-pregnant control females.Acute B. microti infection prevents pregnancy initiation and development of pregnancy at a very early stage, and causes severe complication in BALB/c mice in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Chronic B. microti infection has no negative impact on the initiation and development of pregnancy, but resulted with congenital infections. Further study is required to determine to what extent maternal antibabesial immune responses and potential placental accumulation of parasites contribute to compromised pregnancy in the murine model of congenital Babesia infection.Author summaryThe mouse is the most common mammalian model for studying human parasitic diseases, including malaria, toxoplasmosis, Chagas disease, and babesiosis. Babesiosis is an emerging intraerythrocytic infection caused by protozoal parasites, mostly Babesia microti. Our previous work in murine model proved that vertical transmission of Babesia microti, is a third way - after tick-bite and blood/organ transfusion - to acquire babesiosis. In this study we focused on investigating how the infection influences the course of pregnancy. We were interested in how variations in infection acquisition time and infection phase influence the reproductive success of mice and vertical transmission of parasites. We expected that the infection causes severe pathological changes in the organs of infected females and their offspring. Results obtained in this study have shown that vertical transmission of B. microti was only possible in chronically infected mice, in which health status and reproductive success were not compromised by the infection. Acute infection made successful reproduction impossible, however, the infection had no significant effect on the histopathological condition of tissues. We hope that these insights into B. microti vertical transmission will lead to the better understanding of congenital babesiosis.

SNI and CFA induce similar changes in TRPV1 and P2X3 expressions in the acute phase but not in the chronic phase of pain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junfan Fang ◽  
Junying Du ◽  
Xuaner Xiang ◽  
Xiaomei Shao ◽  
Xiaofeng He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Phase ◽  
Chronic Phase

scholarly journals LB20. Valacyclovir to Prevent Vertical Transmission of Cytomegalovirus After Maternal Primary Infection During Pregnancy

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S1002-S1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Shahar-Nissan ◽  
Joseph Pardo ◽  
Orit Peled ◽  
Irit Krause ◽  
Efraim Bilavsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Primary Infection ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cmv Infection ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection in humans. The highest risk of fetal injury follows a maternal primary infection early in pregnancy. Despite the potential for severe fetal injury, to date there are no proven means to prevent viral transmission. Valacyclovir is an antiviral drug proven effective in decreasing the risk for CMV infection among transplant recipients. Valacyclovir is safe for use in pregnancy, and concentrates in the amniotic fluid without accumulating. A dose of 8 g/day creates therapeutic drug levels in the amniotic fluid and fetal blood. Methods This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study comprising pregnant women with serologic evidence of primary CMV infection during the periconceptional period and first trimester. After informed consent, patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group (8 g/day of Valacyclovir) or control group (placebo). Treatment was initiated at the time of serological detection, and continued until amniocentesis. The primary endpoint was the rate of vertical transmission of CMV—determined by amniotic fluid CMV PCR. Secondary endpoints included evidence of symptomatic congenital CMV infection—in utero or postnatally. Results One hundred women were recruited, 90 were included in the data analysis; 45 patients received Valacyclovir and 45 placebo. There were 2 twin pregnancies, and therefore 92 amniocentesis Amongst the Valacyclovir group, 5 (11.1%) amniocentesis were positive for CMV, compared with 14 (29.8%) in the placebo group (P GLMM = 0.03), corresponding with an odds ratio of 0.29 (95% CI: 0.09–0.90) for vertical CMV transmission. Amongst patients infected during the first trimester, a positive amniocentesis for CMV was significantly (P = 0.02) less likely in the Valacyclovir arm (2/19) compared with placebo (11/23). No significant differences (P = 0.91) in CMV-positive amniocentesis were observed between study arms amongst patients infected periconceptionally. Conclusion Valacyclovir at a dose of 8 g/day is effective in reducing the rate of fetal CMV infection following early maternal primary infection during pregnancy. The drug reduces the rate of fetal infection by 71%. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Detection of Kobe-typeBabesia microtiassociated with Japanese human babesiosis in field rodents in central Taiwan and southeastern mainland China

Parasitology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 691-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. SAITO-ITO ◽  
N. TAKADA ◽  
F. ISHIGURO ◽  
H. FUJITA ◽  
Y. YANO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mainland China ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Microscopical Examination ◽  
Small Subunit Rrna ◽  
Central Taiwan ◽  
Field Rodents ◽  
Human Babesiosis

SUMMARYField rodent surveys forBabesiainfection were performed from 2002 to 2005 in the vicinities of human babesiosis occurrences in Taiwan and mainland China.Babesia microtiwas identified by microscopical examination and/or PCR in 1Rattus coxingaand 1Crocidura horsfieldiiin central Taiwan and in 13Niviventer confucianusand 1Apodemus agrariusin Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces of southeastern China. Of 15B. microtisamples detected by PCR, all except 1 were shown to be the Kobe-type, the aetiological small subunit rRNA gene-type of the first Japanese patient; the exception was also a Kobe-related type. The Kobe-type had been found in rodents only in a few places including the human infection occurrence place in Japan. The internal transcribed spacer 1 to 2 sequences of the Taiwanese and Chinese Kobe-types were very similar to each other but considerably different (approx. 94% pairwise identities) from that of the Japanese Kobe-type. A Taiwanese Kobe-type strain was serologically differentiated from the Kobe strain originating from the Japanese first patient. The distribution of the Kobe-type in the vicinities of human babesiosis occurrences in Taiwan and China as well as in Japan is suggestive of involvement of the Kobe-type in Asian human babesiosis.

Abstract 116: Detrimental Role of Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Cardiovirus-Induced Myocarditis

2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumitaka Sato ◽  
Seiichi Omura ◽  
Nicholas E Martinez ◽  
Eiichiro Kawai ◽  
Ganta V Chaitanya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Viral Myocarditis ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Tlr4 Ligand ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Deficient Mice

Picornavirus infections have been known as a leading cause of viral myocarditis in humans. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) belongs to the genus Cardiovirus, the family Picornaviridae and was reported to cause inflammation in the heart in one manuscript, while its pathomechanism is unclear. In viral myocarditis, viral replication in the heart and/or immune responses against virus as well as heart-antigen (autoimmunity) can contribute to the pathogenesis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are important for recognizing pathogens as well as triggering innate immunity. Among TLRs, TLR4 has been demonstrated to play important roles in virus-mediated pathology: 1) TLR4 can contribute to viral entry in some viruses, 2) TLR4 may mediate tissue damage by anti-virus immune responses (immunopathology), 3) high levels of TLR4 expression were observed in the heart of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy following acute viral myocarditis, and 4) some viruses can bind to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a TLR4 ligand. To determine the role of TLR4 in TMEV-induced myocarditis, we infected male C3H/HeJ (TLR4-deficient) and C3H/HeNtac (control TLR4+) mice with the DA strain of TMEV. We harvested the hearts and spleens on days 6 and 7 (acute phase) or days 63 and 64 (chronic phase) post-infection. Cardiac pathology was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-17A and interferon (IFN)-γ, from spleen cells was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In both mice, mild myocarditis was observed during the acute phase of TMEV infection. During the chronic phase, both mice developed severe pathology in the heart, including basophilic degeneration and calcification. However, the incidence of myocarditis was higher in control mice than TLR4-deficient mice. IL-17A and IFN-γ production was higher in control mice than in TLR4-deficient mice (control vs. TLR4-deficient mice, acute phase: IL-17A, 196 vs. 146 pg/ml; IFN-γ, 72 vs. 39 ng/ml; chronic phase: IL-17A, 290 vs. 229 pg/ml; IFN- γ, 142 vs. 88 ng/ml). These results suggest that TLR4 may be detrimental in TMEV-induced myocarditis by increasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

scholarly journals Cytokines and T-Lymphocute count in patients in the acute and chronic phases of Bartonella bacilliformis infection in an endemic area in peru: a pilot study

2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick Huarcaya ◽  
Ivan Best ◽  
Juan Rodriguez-Tafur ◽  
Ciro Maguiña ◽  
Nelson Solórzano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Peripheral Tolerance ◽  
Bartonella Bacilliformis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bacillary Angiomatosis ◽  
Cd8 T Lymphocyte ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Anti Inflammatory Cytokine

Human Bartonellosis has an acute phase characterized by fever and hemolytic anemia, and a chronic phase with bacillary angiomatosis-like lesions. This cross-sectional pilot study evaluated the immunology patterns using pre- and post-treatment samples in patients with Human Bartonellosis. Patients between five and 60 years of age, from endemic areas in Peru, in the acute or chronic phases were included. In patients in the acute phase of Bartonellosis a state of immune peripheral tolerance should be established for persistence of the infection. Our findings were that elevation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and numeric abnormalities of CD4+ and CD8+ T-Lymphocyte counts correlated significantly with an unfavorable immune state. During the chronic phase, the elevated levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 observed in our series correlated with previous findings of endothelial invasion of B. henselae in animal models.

Circadian rhythm abnormalities in the acute phase of cerebral infarction correlate with poor prognosis in the chronic phase

2007 ◽  
Vol 131 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hidehiro Takekawa ◽  
Masayuki Miyamoto ◽  
Tomoyuki Miyamoto ◽  
Koichi Hirata
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Cerebral Infarction ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Chronic Phase

Role of kallikrein-kinin system in pathogenesis of bacterial cell wall-induced inflammation

1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (2) ◽  
pp. G213-G219 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. DeLa Cadena ◽  
K. J. Laskin ◽  
R. A. Pixley ◽  
R. B. Sartor ◽  
J. H. Schwab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Bacterial Cell ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Bacterial Cell Wall ◽  
Kinin System ◽  
Kallikrein Kinin System ◽  
Bacterial Products

The plasma kallikrein-kinin system is activated in Gram-negative sepsis and typhoid fever, two diseases in which bacterial products have been shown to initiate inflammation. Because a single intraperitoneal injection of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan-polysaccharide polymers from group A steptococci (PG-APS) into a Lewis rat produces a syndrome of relapsing polyarthritis and anemia, we investigated changes in the role of the kallikrein-kinin system in this model of inflammation. Coagulation studies after injection of PG-APS revealed an immediate and persistent decrease in prekallikrein levels. High-molecular-weight kininogen levels decreased significantly during the acute phase and correlated with the severity of arthritis. Factor XI levels were decreased only during the acute phase. Antithrombin III levels remained unchanged, indicating that neither decreased hepatic synthesis nor disseminated intravascular coagulation caused the decreased plasma contact factors. Plasma T-kininogen (an acute phase protein) was significantly elevated during the chronic phase. PG-APS failed to activate the contact system in vitro. Thus the kallikrein-kinin system plays an important role in this experimental model of inflammation, suggesting that activation of this system may play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis in which bacterial products might be etiologically important.

scholarly journals Development of Novel Multiplex PCR for Diagnosis of Co-infected Hemo-parasites in Cattle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Abhay Kumar ◽  
Kamal Sarma ◽  
Paresh Sharma ◽  
Rashmi Rekha Kumari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiplex Pcr ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Kappa Coefficient ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Babesia Bigemina

Background: A novel, rapid and specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction was developed to diagnose hemo-parasitic infection in bovine blood co-infected with three of the most common hemo-parasites. Methods: The diagnostic process relied on the detection of the three different bovine hemoparasites isolated from red blood cells (RBCs) of cattle (N=30) by conventional Giemsa stained blood smear (GSBS) and confirmed by multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR system was used to diagnose GSBS positive blood samples (N=12) found infected or co-infected with hemoparasites. The designed multiplex primer sets was attempted to amplify 205, 313 and 422 bp fragments of apocytochrome b, sporozoite and macroschizont 2 (spm2) and 16S rRNA gene for Babesia bigemina, Theileria annulata and Anaplasma marginale, respectively. Result: This multiplex PCR was sensitive with the ability to detect the presence of 150 ng of genomic DNA. The primers used in this multiplex PCR also showed highly specific amplification of specific gene fragments of each respective parasite. Comparing the two detection methods revealed that 58.33% of specimens showed concordant diagnoses with both techniques. The specificity, positive predictive value and kappa coefficient of the agreement was highest for diagnosis of B. bigemina and lowest for A. marginale. The overall Kappa coefficient for diagnosis based on GSBS for multiple pathogens compared to multiplex PCR was 0.56, slightly behind the threshold of 0.6 of agreement. Therefore, confirmation should always be based on PCR to rule out false positives due to differences in subjective observations, stain particles and false negatives due to low parasitemia. The simplicity and rapidity of this specific multiplex PCR method make it suitable for large-scale epidemiological studies and follow-up of drug treatments.

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