Intestinal Helminth Parasites of Wall Lizards, Podarcis vaucheri Complex (Sauria: Lacertidae) from Algeria

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Carretero ◽  
Vicente Roca ◽  
Said Larbes ◽  
Andrea Ferrero ◽  
Fátima Jorge
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. T. Mkhize ◽  
M. Mabaso ◽  
T. Mamba ◽  
C. E. Napier ◽  
Z. L. Mkhize-Kwitshana

In South Africa few studies have examined the effects of the overlap of HIV and helminth infections on nutritional status. This cross-sectional study investigated the interaction between HIV and intestinal helminths coinfection with nutritional status among KwaZulu-Natal adults. Participants were recruited from a comprehensive primary health care clinic and stratified based on their HIV, stool parasitology, IgE, and IgG4 results into four groups: the uninfected, HIV infected, helminth infected, and HIV-helminth coinfected groups. The nutritional status was assessed using body mass index, 24-hour food recall, micro-, and macronutrient biochemical markers. Univariate and multivariate multinomial probit regression models were used to assess nutritional factors associated with singly and dually infected groups using the uninfected group as a reference category. Biochemically, the HIV-helminth coinfected group was associated with a significantly higher total protein, higher percentage of transferrin saturation, and significantly lower ferritin. There was no significant association between single or dual infections with HIV and helminths with micro- and macronutrient deficiency; however general obesity and low micronutrient intake patterns, which may indicate a general predisposition to micronutrient and protein-energy deficiency, were observed and may need further investigations.


Author(s):  
Cajsa H. Classon ◽  
Muzhen Li ◽  
Ada Lerma Clavero ◽  
Junjie Ma ◽  
Xiaogang Feng ◽  
...  

AbstractIntestinal helminth parasites can alter immune responses to vaccines, other infections, allergens and autoantigens, implying effects on host immune responses in distal barrier tissues. We herein show that the skin of C57BL/6 mice infected with the strictly intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus contain higher numbers of CD4+ T cells compared to the skin of uninfected controls. Accumulated CD4+ T cells were H. polygyrus-specific TH2 cells that skewed the skin CD4+ T cell composition towards a higher TH2/TH1 ratio which persisted after worm expulsion. Accumulation of TH2 cells in the skin was associated with increased expression of the skin-homing chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR10 on CD4+ T cells in the blood and mesenteric lymph nodes draining the infected intestine and was abolished by FTY720 treatment during infection, indicating gut-to-skin trafficking of cells. Remarkably, skin TH2 accumulation was associated with impaired capacity to initiate IFN-γ recall responses and develop skin-resident memory cells to mycobacterial antigens, both during infection and months after deworming therapy. In conclusion, we show that infection by a strictly intestinal helminth has long-term effects on immune cell composition and local immune responses to unrelated antigens in the skin, revealing a novel process for T cell colonisation and worm-mediated immunosuppression in this organ.


2006 ◽  
Vol 136 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabián Zanini ◽  
Miguel Laferrara ◽  
Matías Bitsch ◽  
Héctor Pérez ◽  
Maria Celina Elissondo

2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (11) ◽  
pp. 2331-2341 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Grainger ◽  
Katie A. Smith ◽  
James P. Hewitson ◽  
Henry J. McSorley ◽  
Yvonne Harcus ◽  
...  

Foxp3-expressing regulatory T (T reg) cells have been implicated in parasite-driven inhibition of host immunity during chronic infection. We addressed whether parasites can directly induce T reg cells. Foxp3 expression was stimulated in naive Foxp3− T cells in mice infected with the intestinal helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus. In vitro, parasite-secreted proteins (termed H. polygyrus excretory-secretory antigen [HES]) induced de novo Foxp3 expression in fluorescence-sorted Foxp3− splenocytes from Foxp3–green fluorescent protein reporter mice. HES-induced T reg cells suppressed both in vitro effector cell proliferation and in vivo allergic airway inflammation. HES ligated the transforming growth factor (TGF) β receptor and promoted Smad2/3 phosphorylation. Foxp3 induction by HES was lost in dominant-negative TGF-βRII cells and was abolished by the TGF-β signaling inhibitor SB431542. This inhibitor also reduced worm burdens in H. polygyrus–infected mice. HES induced IL-17 in the presence of IL-6 but did not promote Th1 or Th2 development under any conditions. Importantly, antibody to mammalian TGF-β did not recognize HES, whereas antisera that inhibited HES did not affect TGF-β. Foxp3 was also induced by secreted products of Teladorsagia circumcincta, a related nematode which is widespread in ruminant animals. We have therefore identified a novel pathway through which helminth parasites may stimulate T reg cells, which is likely to be a key part of the parasite’s immunological relationship with the host.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Guillen-Hernandez ◽  
P.J. Whitfield

AbstractAn analysis was undertaken of intestinal helminth communities in flounderPlatichthys flesusfrom two sites on the River Thames. A comparison was made between helminth community richness and diversity from these sites at the component and infracommunity levels. At the component community level, a richer and more diverse parasite community was found in flounder from the Tilbury location (marine influence) than that from the Lots Road location (freshwater influence). At the infracommunity level, more parasite species and parasite individuals per host were found at Lots Road and the percentage of similarity values were low at both locations. Helminth species with high prevalence values in the parasite communities of the flounder are the dominant species in any individual fish, harbouring multi-specific infections. The presence of more invertebrate species, which are intermediate hosts in the helminth life cycle in the Thames, fish vagility and the high prevalence and abundance values ofPomphorhynchus laevisin the flounder, may explain the differences between the two locations.


Parasite ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaki M. Al-Hasawi

Studies on host-parasite systems as bioindicators for monitoring trace metal pollution in marine environments are still scarce. Here, 11, 14 and 17 infrapopulations of Gyliauchen volubilis (Trematoda: Digenea), Procamallanus elatensis (Nematoda) and Sclerocollum rubrimaris (Acanthocephala), respectively, were collected from the fish Siganus rivulatus (Siganidae) in the Red Sea, from a chronically polluted small bay at Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt. Water and sediment samples from the bay, tissue samples (intestines, liver, and muscle) from each fish, and samples from each parasite were taken for heavy metal analyses of cadmium and lead. Cadmium concentrations in intestines, liver and muscle of non-infected and infected fishes were much lower than those of lead, and both metal concentrations decreased in the order: liver > intestines > muscle. Cadmium and lead concentrations in the tissues of fishes infected with G. volubilis or P. elatensis were slightly lower than those in non-infected ones, while in the tissues of fishes infected with Sc. rubrimaris, they were much lower. Low concentrations of cadmium and lead in G. volubilis and P. elatensis are associated with their limited ability or capacity to accumulate trace metals. Therefore, bioconcentration factors corresponding to these species were relatively low, and both are herein considered as weak bioindicators. By contrast, high concentrations of cadmium and lead in S. rubrimaris are associated with its high ability to accumulate trace metals. Of the present three host–parasite systems, only the Siganus rivulatus–Sclerocollum rubrimaris system seems to be promising for biomonitoring of metal pollution in the Red Sea.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Hoida ◽  
Z. Greenberg ◽  
M. Furth ◽  
Y. Malsha ◽  
P.S. Craig ◽  
...  

AbstractIn a survey carried out during the period May 1995 to November 1996, in communities of various ethnic groups in northern Israel, 206 dogs were examined for Echinococcus granulosus and other intestinal helminth parasites by arecoline hydrobromide purges and the coproantigen-ELISA. The arecoline test was performed close to the owners' homes, using plastic sheets secured to the ground. From 56 dogs examined in the Muslim town of Tamra, six (10.7%) were found to be infected with E. granulosus. Four of them also had a mixed infection of Taenia hydatigena and Dipylidium caninum (two dogs), and the remaining two dogs were infected with either D. caninum or Taenia pisiformis. An additional 18 dogs were infected with either T. pisiformis (eight dogs), D. caninum (seven dogs), or T. hydatigena (three dogs). Two of these dogs harboured mixed infections whereas the remaining 32 dogs were free of helminths. In the Jewish villages, none of the 150 dogs examined were infected with E. granulosus, although 26 (17.3%) were infected with D. caninum, four (2.7%) with Ancylostoma spp. and one (0.7%) with Toxocara canis. Only one of the 22 stray dogs and none of the 15 jackals examined were infected with E. granulosus. However, 21 (95.4%) of the dogs and 12 (80%) of the jackals harboured helminth infections, including: D. caninum (16 dogs and seven jackals), Ancylostoma spp. (five jackals), T. hydatigena (three dogs), and T. canis (one dog). Approximately 18% of the dogs and 33% of the jackals showed mixed infections with two or more of the above helminths. In the abattoirs, 52 (5.9%) of the 874 sheep and 33 (5.3%) of the 616 goats from 17 herds slaughtered in the Muslim and Druze villages were found to be infected with E. granulosus, compared with a 0% infection rate observed in 93 sheep from two herds in Jewish villages.


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