Multicenter Evaluation of an ELISA for the Detection of spp. Antigen in Clinical Human Stool Samples.

Human cryptosporidiosis remains underdiagnosed, and rapid/accurate diagnosis is of clinical importance. Diagnosis of the oocyst in stool samples by conventional microscopy is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires skillful experience. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test in detecting spp.

Epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis in France from 2017 to 2019.

Cryptosporidiosis is currently recognized worldwide as a leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea. In Europe, large water- and foodborne outbreaks have been reported, highlighting the widespread distribution of the parasite and its important health impact. Surveillance networks have been progressively set up and the aim of this study was to present recent epidemiological data obtained in France from 2017 to 2019 by the National Reference Center-Expert Laboratory of cryptosporidiosis (Centre National de Référence-Laboratoire Expert cryptosporidioses CNR-LE).

Corneal Pharmacokinetics of Voriconazole and Posaconazole following Intrastromal Injection and Posaconazole Eye Drops Instillation in Rats.

: Infectious keratitis is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. Common difficulties in treating fungal keratitis prompt new therapeutic possibilities. In this study, intrastromal voriconazole and posaconazole, and topical posaconazole were tested for their potential to obtain therapeutic cornea concentrations.

Comparative Evaluation of Commercial Concentration Procedures for Human Intestinal Parasite Detection.

Background: Effective stool concentration is essential in microscopically based diagnosis of human intestinal parasite infections.

Objective: To compare the performances of 4 concentration commercial kits and 1 homemade procedure in 96 clinical stool specimens that tested positive for the detection of 9 helminth and 8 protozoa parasites.

Methods: The presence or absence of parasite forms was microscopically determined under conditions of standard practice.

Correction: Octreotide modulates the expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes in inflamed rat jejunum induced by Cryptosporidium parvum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Evaluation of voriconazole anti-Acanthamoeba polyphaga in vitro activity, rat cornea penetration and efficacy against experimental rat Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Background: Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a sight-threatening infectious disease. Its effective and safe medical therapy remains highly debated. Recently, voriconazole, a monotriazole with noted in vitro activity against a large variety of fungi, has been successfully used both topically and systemically to treat human AK cases.

Common occurrence of Cryptosporidium hominis in asymptomatic and symptomatic calves in France.

Background: Cryptosporidium spp. infections are the most frequent parasitic cause of diarrhea in humans and cattle. However, asymptomatic cases are less often documented than symptomatic cases or cases with experimentally infected animals.

Octreotide modulates the expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes in inflamed rat jejunum induced by Cryptosporidium parvum.

Somatostatins are proteins that are involved in gastrointestinal function. However, little is known with regard to somatostatin receptor subtype (SSTR) expression changes that occur in the jejunum during low-grade inflammation and during subsequent octreotide treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of SSTRs in the jejunums of Cryptosporidium parvum (C.

Long-Term Rasamsonia argillacea Complex Species Colonization Revealed by PCR Amplification of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

The aim of this work was to document molecular epidemiology of Rasamsonia argillacea species complex isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this work, 116 isolates belonging to this species complex and collected from 26 CF patients and one patient with chronic granulomatous disease were characterized using PCR amplification assays of repetitive DNA sequences and electrophoretic separation of amplicons (rep-PCR). Data revealed a clustering consistent with molecular species identification.

Semi-automated repetitive sequence-based PCR amplification for species of the Scedosporium apiospermum complex.

Purpose: The Scedosporium apiospermum species complex usually ranks second among the filamentous fungi colonizing the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), but little is known about the molecular epidemiology of the airway colonization.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of repetitive sequences (rep-PCR) was applied to the retrospective analysis of a panel of isolates already studied by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and comprising 63 isolates recovered from sputa from 9 CF patients. Results were compared to those obtained previously by RAPD, and herein by beta-tubulin (TUB) gene sequencing and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST).

Limitations of tpi and bg genes sub-genotyping for characterization of human Giardia duodenalis isolates.

The intestinal protozoan Giardia duodenalis includes 2 genetically distinct assemblages, A and B, which are responsible for human infections. Little is known so far on the genotypes of G. duodenalis human isolates in France.

Evaluation of new thiazolide/thiadiazolide derivatives reveals nitro group-independent efficacy against in vitro development of Cryptosporidium parvum.

Thirty-nine new thiazolide/thiadiazolide compounds were compared with the nitrothiazole nitazoxanide for activity against Cryptosporidium parvum development in HCT-8 cells. Twenty-seven agents exerted > or =90% inhibition. Agents with a lower 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) than nitazoxanide were either NO(2) or halogen 5 substituted on the thiazole moiety.

Cryptosporidium parvum isolate-dependent postinfectious jejunal hypersensitivity and mast cell accumulation in an immunocompetent rat model.

Cryptosporidium spp. are a cause of self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent hosts. In immunocompetent rats, Cryptosporidium parvum infection induced digestive hypersensitivity, a key pathophysiological factor in functional digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies from patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy bind to cerebellar astrocytes.

A cohort of 10 Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) patients, 33 patients with unrelated neurological symptoms, 12 Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients and 4 healthy adult donors was studied to explore the neurological targets of anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO) autoantibodies (aAb) in HE. High levels of anti-TPO aAb were only detected in HE group's cerebrospinal fluids. In immunofluorescence assays on monkey brain cerebellum sections, both HE patients' sera and anti-TPO monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were able to bind cerebellar cells expressing glial fibrillary acid protein.

Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism syndrome, plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 and outcome in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis.

Objective: To investigate the relation between the adrenal production of gluco- and mineralocorticoids, the inflammatory status and the outcome in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis.

Design: Prospective descriptive study.

Setting: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital.

Duodenal intraepithelial T lymphocytes in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Aim: To quantify the intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and to document the membrane expression of CD4, CD8, TCRgamma delta and adhesion and/or activation-associated molecules (CD103, CD28, CD44, CD69, HLA-DR, CD95/Fas) in the duodenal mucosa of patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) in order to provide arguments for an immunological process in FD.

Methods: Twenty-six FD patients according to Rome II criteria (20 were H pylori negative) were studied and compared to 12 healthy adults. IELs were isolated from five duodenal biopsy samples, then quantified by microscopy and flow cytometry while the membrane phenotypes were determined by cytofluorometry.

Transient neonatal Cryptosporidium parvum infection triggers long-term jejunal hypersensitivity to distension in immunocompetent rats.

In 5-day-old immunocompetent Sprague-Dawley rats infected with either 10(2) or 10(5) Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, transient infection resulted 120 days later in increased cardiovascular depressor response to jejunal distension and jejunal myeloperoxidase activity (P < 0.05). Nitazoxanide treatment normalized jejunal sensitivity (P < 0.

A keratitis rat model for evaluation of anti-Acanthamoeba polyphaga agents.

Purpose: To develop a rat model of chronic Acanthamoeba polyphaga keratitis suitable for pharmacologic assessment of therapeutic agents.

Methods: An A. polyphaga isolate (ATCC #50495) was grown in peptone-yeast extract-glucose medium.

Immunogenicity of synthetic Rhodococcus equi virulence-associated protein peptides in neonate foals.

Rhodococcus equi infection is considered the most common cause of pneumonia in foals less than 6 months of age. Immunization of foals and/or mares may become a procedure of choice for prevention. The present work documents the antibody response of neonate foals to R.

Cryptosporidium oocysts in mussels (Mytilus edulis) from Normandy (France).

Cultured mussels (Mytilus edulis) were collected seasonally during one year from three sites on the Northwestern coastal area of Normandy (France). Flesh, gills and innerwater were examined for Cryptosporidium oocyst detection using immunomagnetic separation and immunofluorescence assay. Oocysts were present in all samples for all sites and seasons and flesh was the most contaminated part.

Evolution of antinuclear antibodies and clinical patterns in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis with longterm infliximab therapy.

Objective: To investigate the effect of longterm infliximab therapy on serum levels of fluorescent antinuclear and anti-double and single-stranded DNA antibodies (FANA, anti-dsDNA, anti-ssDNA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and their possible association with clinical evolution.

Methods: Sera from 58 RA patients, treated for one to 3 years with infliximab, were retrospectively analyzed. Matched control groups were RA patients treated with corticosteroids or methotrexate.

Time and temperature effects on the viability and infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in chlorinated tap water.

The authors compared the viability and infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in chlorinated tap water at various storage durations (i.e., 2 wk, 4 wk, 6 wk, or 8 wk) and at 2 cool temperatures (i.

Infectivity of Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum genotype 2 isolates in immunosuppressed Mongolian gerbils.

One-month-old dexamethasone-immunosuppressed Mongolian gerbils were challenged with 1 oocyst to 2 x 10(5) oocysts from two isolates genotyped as Cryptosporidium hominis and C. parvum (genotype 2), respectively. A similar dose-dependent gut infection was obtained, and the initial genotype maintained for 21 to 22 days.

Foal IgG and opsonizing anti-Rhodococcus equi antibodies after immunization of pregnant mares with a protective VapA candidate vaccine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate serum IgG antibody levels and opsonizing activity in foals from pregnant mares immunized with either proteins from an R. equi strain containing virulence-associated protein A (VapA), an immunodominant surface-expressed lipoprotein encoded by a virulence plasmid crucial for virulence in foals, or a whole killed virulent R. equi preparation.