Anti- schistosomular activity of human monocytes/macrophages in response to interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor stimulation.

Human monocytes, co-incubated for 7 days in culture with GM-CSF or IL-3 but not with IFN-gamma, exerted a variable schistosotnulicidal effect on Schistosoma mansoni parasites when grown in 96-well round-bottomed plates but not in flat-bottomed plates. Addition of LPS or IFN-gamma or both, for the last 48 h did not enhance the cidal effect. Addition of LPS but not IFN-gamma to the pre-incubated cells with GM-CSF or IL-3 markedly stimulated TNF-alpha production by the cells but not their cidal activity.

IL-1, TNF-alpha and IL-2 production by peritoneal and spleen cells from Schistosoma mansoni infected mice and its potentiation by preimmunization with schistosomal antigens and immunostimulants.

In the present study we tested the effect of immunization with schistosome derived antigens such as frozen-thawed schistosomula in combination with either BCG, liposomes or liposomal muramyl tripeptide-phosphatidyl ethanolamine (MTP-PE), on the resistance of mice to infection, and on the function of their macrophages and lymphocytes. Immunization with either F-T schistosomula + BCG or F-T schistosomula + MTP-PE and subsequent infection, resulted in a 2-3-fold increase in adherent peritoneal macrophage-mediated schistosomulicidal activity (SCA). Peritoneal and spleen macrophages from immunostimulant treated and/or immunized animals showed a significant increase in LPS triggered TNF-alpha production, as compared to non-treated controls.

The schistosomulicidal activity and the production of IL-1 and TNF-alpha by peritoneal macrophages from infected mice and their potentiation by muramyl tripeptide-phosphatidyl ethanolamine (MTP-PE) treatment.

Production of TNF-alpha and IL-1 by adherent peritoneal exudate macrophages (APEM) was monitored for 20 weeks in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice in comparison to their schistosomulicidal activity. LPS-triggered IL-1 and TNF-alpha production by APEM peaked 10 weeks post infection (p.i.

A first instance of human philophthalmosis in Israel.

Conjunctivitis due to the trematode Philophthalmus in a 13-year-old Israeli girl is described. A single worm, probably a mature Philophthalmus palpebrarum, was detected on the palpebral conjunctiva of the upper eyelid of the right eye. Removal of the worm resulted in rapid abatement of the ocular symptoms.

Philophthalmus species, probably P. palpebrarum, in Israel: description of the eye fluke from experimental infection.

Following a recent incident of human philophthalmosis in Israel, the intramolluscan larval trematode fauna in snails randomly collected from the suspected water source was checked. Of the snails examined, only Melanopsis praemorsa shed cercariae, including a Philophthalmus cercaria. To identify the philophthalmid species involved, chicks were experimentally infected with metacercariae of the trematode, subsequently yielding mature trematodes resembling those of P.

On the interaction between macrophages and developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni: effect of muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl ethanolamine (MTP-PE) treatment on mice survival and the generation of schistosomulicidal macrophages.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease afflicting hundreds of millions of people throughout the world against which there is as yet no effective vaccine. In the present study we tested the effect of the immunomodulator muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl ethanolamine (MTP-PE) on the survival of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice and on the induction in them of schistosomulicidal macrophages. Mice exposed to 80 cercariae each and then treated with MTP-PE showed prolonged survival following either single or repeat infection.

On the possible schistosomulicidal effect of macrophage-derived lysozyme.

Lysozyme secretion from macrophages of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice was time dependent, rising significantly from the 8th week post-infection, the macrophages thereafter exhibiting very high levels (greater than 90%) of schistosomulicidal activity. Despite the ability of lysozyme to kill schistosomula in vitro, the concentrations required for such killing were several hundred-fold to several thousand-fold higher than those detected in the supernatants from infected-mice macrophages cultured with or without schistosomula. An in vitro lysozyme inhibitor, N,N,N-triacetyl chitobiose, did not abrogate the cytotoxic ability of macrophages from schistosome-infected mice, but an inhibitor of arginine-dependent cytotoxicity, NG-monomethyl arginine, markedly inhibited schistosomulicidal activity.

The hair follicle mites (Demodex spp.). Could they be vectors of pathogenic microorganisms?

The hair follicle mites Demodex folliculorum and D. brevis are the most common permanent ectoparasites of Man. Ordinarily they are harmless to their human host and appear to be of no medical significance.

On the interactions between macrophages and developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni: the cytotoxic mechanisms involved in macrophage-mediated killing of schistosomula in vitro.

In an in vitro cytotoxicity assay, mouse adherent peritoneal exudate macrophages (APEM), harvested 8-10 weeks post Schistosoma mansoni infection caused sizable (greater than 90%) specific killing of schistosomula. This cidal effect was not diminished by the addition of scavengers of oxidative burst products to the cytotoxicity assay, albeit macrophages from schistosome-infected mice produced more H2O2 than did macrophages from non-infected mice. Of inhibitors of lysosomal enzyme function and release added to the cytotoxicity assay, trypan blue (1 mg/ml) fully abolished the schistosomulicidal effect; hydrocortisone (100 micrograms/ml) was partly effective, and gold salts (1 mg/ml) were ineffective.

Intraocular pentastomiasis causing unilateral glaucoma.

We present a case of intraocular pentastomiasis in a 12-year-old Israel Arab boy. A single secondary pentastomid larva, most likely of Linguatula serrata, was found in the anterior chamber of the right eye, attached loosely to the pupil's border by a fibrinous mass. Associated conditions were iritis, subluxation of the lens, and secondary glaucoma.

The interactions between macrophages and developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni: effect of macrophage function modulators on the viability of S. mansoni in vivo and in vitro.

ICR mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni developed sizable concomitant immunity to a challenge infection 10 weeks, but not 7 weeks, following the primary infection. At 7 weeks, postprimary-infection mice exhibited increased resistance to reinfection when treated with BCG or MDP. BCG even rendered noninfected mice resistant to infection.

Immunological aspects of murine infection with the rat nematode Strongyloides ratti Sandground, 1925.

In a study of the immune response of the rat to infection with the nematode Strongyloidis ratti, the antigens of the infective larval stage (L3) and of the parasitic, parthenogenetic female (Fp) were investigated. From both the larvae and the adult females, one metabolic (exoantigen) and two somatic antigens were extracted. Of the two somatic antigens, one was soluble and obtainable by physical means while the other was separated by chemical means from the tegument of the parasite.

Human pleuropulmonary gnathostomiasis: a case report from Israel.

We report a case of human gnathostomiasis presenting with bilateral pleural effusion and probable pericardial involvement. The diagnosis was made on the basis of the patient's country of origin (Nepal), the course of the disease, marked eosinophilia and the identification of Gnathostoma in a thoracic skin biopsy. The patient responded, presumably, to treatment with diethylcarbamazine (Hetrazan).

Human ocular dirofilariasis in Israel.

This is the first report of human ocular dirofilariasis in Israel. A single female worm, Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) conjunctivae, was removed from an eye of each of two male patients. In the first case the worm was dead upon removal.