Human lagochilascariasis-A rare helminthic disease.

Lagochilascariasis is a parasitic disease caused by a helminth of the order Ascaroidea, genus Lagochilascaris that comprises 6 species, among which only Lagochilascaris minor Leiper, 1909, is implicated in the human form of the disease. It is remarkable that the majority of cases of human lagochilascariasis in the Americas have been reported in Brazil. The natural definitive hosts of this parasite seem to be wild felines and canines.

Conformation analysis of a novel fluorinated chalcone.

Chalcones are an important class of natural compounds that exhibit numerous biological activities. In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of new fluorinated chalcone (FCH). The molecular geometry was determined by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction, and density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP, M06-2X functionals and MP2 method, with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set, was applied to optimize the ground state geometry and to study the molecular conformational stability.

EVALUATION OF THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF LEVAMISOLE HYDROCHLORIDE ON THIRD-STAGE LARVAE OF Lagochilascaris minor IN EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED MICE.

Lagochilascariosis, a disease caused by Lagochilascaris minor, affects the neck, sinuses, tonsils, lungs, the sacral region, dental alveoli, eyeballs and the central nervous system of humans. A cycle of autoinfection may occur in human host tissues characterized by the presence of eggs, larvae and adult worms. This peculiarity of the cycle hinders therapy, since there are no drugs that exhibit ovicidal, larvicidal and vermicidal activity.

IgG1, IgG4, and IgE antibody responses in human strongyloidiasis by ELISA using Strongyloides ratti saline extract as heterologous antigen.

The aim of this study was to evaluate total IgG, IgG1, IgG4, and IgE antibody responses in human strongyloidiasis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Strongyloides ratti saline extract as heterologous antigen for a possible clinical utility of the assay. A total of 40 serum samples of patients who were shedding Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in feces (group I), 30 sera from patients with other intestinal parasites (group II), and 30 sera from subjects with negative results in three parasitological assays (group III) were analyzed to detect total IgG, IgG1, IgG4, and IgE to Strongyloides spp. by ELISA and expressed in ELISA index.

Lagochilascaris minor third-stage larvae secrete metalloproteases with specificity for fibrinogen and native collagen.

Dissemination of parasitic infections depends on migration through tissues and evasion from both hemostatic processes and immune responses from hosts. Metalloproteases play major roles in these mechanisms of pathogen-host interactions and, thus, are considered drug targets. In this study, we characterized metalloprotease activities in excretory/secretory (ES) products from third stage larvae (L3) of the ascarid Lagochilascaris minor, the causative agent of lagochilascariosis, which demonstrates an impressive migrating capacity across host tissues, including bone.

Experimental lagochilascariosis: histopathological study of inflammatory response to larval migration in the Murine model.

The goal of this study was to investigate the pattern of inflammatory response induced by Lagochilascaris minor in murine experimental model. For this purpose 115 mice were given 1000-3000 L. minor infective eggs "per os" and 51 uninfected mice were considered as controls.

Heterologous antigen extract in ELISA for the detection of human IgE anti-Strongyloides stercoralis.

Strongyloides ratti larval extract was used for the standardization of ELISA to detect genus-specific IgE in human strongyloidiasis. Forty serum samples from monoinfected patients shedding S. stercoralis larvae (Group I), 40 from patients with other intestinal parasites (Group II), and 40 from copronegative healthy subjects (Group III) were analyzed.

Western blotting using Strongyloides ratti antigen for the detection of IgG antibodies as confirmatory test in human strongyloidiasis.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of antigenic components recognized by serum IgG antibodies in Western blotting (WB) using a Strongyloides ratti larval extract for the diagnosis of human strongyloidiasis. In addition, the WB results were compared to the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) results. Serum samples of 180 individuals were analyzed (80 with strongyloidiasis, 60 with other intestinal parasitoses, and 40 healthy individuals).

[A case of parasitism by Rhabditis sp in a child from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil].

We report a case of parasitism by Rhabditis sp in a five-month-old child, from Goiás State, Brazil. He had a history of diarrhea with liquid and green faeces which later became bloody. Parasitological examination revealed the presence of larvae and adult female of Rhabditis sp.