Antigens from the Helminth Exert Antiviral Effects against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro.

SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, is a new coronavirus that has rapidly spread worldwide and significantly impacted human health by causing a severe acute respiratory syndrome boosted by a pulmonary hyperinflammatory response. Previous data from our lab showed that the newly excysted juveniles of the helminth parasite (FhNEJ) modulate molecular routes within host cells related to vesicle-mediated transport and components of the innate immune response, which could potentially be relevant during viral infections. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine whether FhNEJ-derived molecules influence SARS-CoV-2 infection efficiency in Vero cells.

'No cyst, no echinococcosis': a scoping review update on the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis after the issue of the WHO-IWGE Expert Consensus and current perspectives.

Purpose Of Review: In 2010, the WHO-Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis (IWGE) published an Expert Consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of echinococcal infections. We provide an update on the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis through a scoping review of the literature published after the release of the WHO-IWGE document.

Recent Findings: Ultrasound accurately and reliably depicts the pathognomonic signs of cystic echinococcosis (CE) stages compared with other imaging techniques.

Study of the cross-talk between Fasciola hepatica juveniles and the intestinal epithelial cells of the host by transcriptomics in an in vitro model.

Fasciolosis is a globally widespread trematodiasis with a major economic and veterinary impact. Therefore, this disease is responsible for millions of dollars in losses to the livestock industry, and also constitutes an emerging human health problem in endemic areas. The ubiquitous nature of Fasciola hepatica, the main causative agent, is one of the key factors for the success of fasciolosis.

Molecular Characterization of the Interplay between Juveniles and Laminin as a Mechanism to Adhere to and Break through the Host Intestinal Wall.

is the main causative agent of fasciolosis, a zoonotic parasitic disease of growing public health concern. metacercariae are ingested by the host and excyst in the intestine, thereby releasing the newly excysted juveniles (FhNEJ), which traverse the gut wall and migrate towards the biliary ducts. Since blocking development is challenging after crossing of the intestinal wall, targeting this first step of migration might result in increased therapeutic success.

Fasciola hepatica juveniles interact with the host fibrinolytic system as a potential early-stage invasion mechanism.

Background: The trematode Fasciola hepatica is the most widespread causative agent of fasciolosis, a parasitic disease that mainly affects humans and ruminants worldwide. During F. hepatica infection, newly excysted juveniles (FhNEJ) emerge in the duodenum of the mammalian host and migrate towards their definitive location, the intra-hepatic biliary ducts.

Proteomics coupled with in vitro model to study the early crosstalk occurring between newly excysted juveniles of Fasciola hepatica and host intestinal cells.

Fasciolosis caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica is a zoonotic neglected disease affecting animals and humans worldwide. Infection occurs upon ingestion of aquatic plants or water contaminated with metacercariae. These release the newly excysted juveniles (FhNEJ) in the host duodenum, where they establish contact with the epithelium and cross the intestinal barrier to reach the peritoneum within 2-3 h after infection.

Study of the migration of Fasciola hepatica juveniles across the intestinal barrier of the host by quantitative proteomics in an ex vivo model.

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite that infects animals and humans causing fasciolosis, a worldwide-distributed disease responsible for important economic losses and health problems. This disease is of growing public health concern since parasite isolates resistant to the current treatment (triclabendazole) have increasingly been described. F.

Serological Assays for Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis-A Comparative Multi-Test Study in Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan.

Both alveolar (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) are lacking pathognomonic clinical signs; consequently imaging technologies and serology remain the main pillars for diagnosis. The present study included 100 confirmed treatment-naïve AE and 64 CE patients that were diagnosed in Switzerland or Kyrgyzstan. Overall, 10 native spp.

Multiple-bead assay for the differential serodiagnosis of neglected human cestodiases: Neurocysticercosis and cystic echinococcosis.

Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC), and cystic echinococcosis (CE) are two neglected diseases caused by cestodes, co-endemic in many areas of the world. Imaging studies and serological tests are used in the diagnosis of both parasitic diseases, but cross-reactions may confound the results of the latter. The novel multiplex bead-based assay with recombinant antigens has been reported to increases the diagnostic accuracy of serological techniques.

Recognition Pattern of the Excretome/Secretome during the Course of an Experimental Infection in Sheep by 2D Immunoproteomics.

Excretory/secretory products released by helminth parasites have been widely studied for their diagnostic utility, immunomodulatory properties, as well as for their use as vaccines. Due to their location at the host/parasite interface, the characterization of parasite secretions is important to unravel the molecular interactions governing the relationships between helminth parasites and their hosts. In this study, the excretory/secretory products from adult worms of the trematode (FhES) were employed in a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis, immunoblot and mass spectrometry, to analyze the immune response elicited in sheep during the course of an experimental infection.

Human dirofilariosis in the 21st century: A scoping review of clinical cases reported in the literature.

Human dirofilariosis is a clinical entity caused by infection with nematode species of the genus Dirofilaria. The traditional picture depicts the disease as a sporadic event associated with the presence of a single immature worm causing a nodular lesion. With the aim to reassess this paradigm, establishing a more accurate picture of the disease and homogenize criteria, a scoping review was conducted by searching, screening and analysing published clinical cases of human dirofilariosis worldwide during the 21st century.

Serology for the diagnosis of human hepatic cystic echinococcosis and its relation with cyst staging: A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis.

Background: The diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (CE) is primarily based on imaging, while serology should be applied when imaging is inconclusive. CE cyst stage has been reported among the most important factors influencing the outcome of serodiagnosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relation between cyst stage of hepatic CE and diagnostic sensitivity of serological tests, to evaluate whether their relation is a consistent finding and provide guidance for the interpretation of results of serological tests.

Promising proteins detected by Western blot from Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces for predicting early post-surgical outcomes in CE-affected Tunisian children.

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) affects predominantly young patients in highly endemic areas. Improved serological methods are needed for the follow-up of CE cases, especially given the high rates of post-surgical relapse that require detection as soon as possible.

Methods: We designed a study to investigate the value of antigenic proteins extracted from Echinococcus granulosus (E.

Fascioliasis and fasciolopsiasis: Current knowledge and future trends.

Food-borne zoonotic trematodiases are classified as neglected diseases by the World Health Organization. Among them, fascioliasis is caused worldwide by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, and represent a huge problem in livestock production and human health in endemic areas.

Evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of GST-tagged recombinant antigens 2B2t, Ag5t and DIPOL in ELISA for the diagnosis and follow up of patients with cystic echinococcosis.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Diagnosis and monitoring of CE rely primarily on imaging while serology is used as a confirmatory test. However, imaging is not always conclusive and currently available serological assays have suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, lack standardization, and are not useful for patients´ follow-up.

Potential Influence of Helminth Molecules on COVID-19 Pathology.

In recent months, the parasitology research community has been tasked with investigation of the influence of parasite coinfection on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. Herein, we share our approach to analyze the effect of the trematode Fasciola hepatica as a modulator of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and of COVID-19 pathology.

Insights into Fasciola hepatica Juveniles: Crossing the Fasciolosis Rubicon.

Unraveling the molecular interactions governing the first contact between parasite and host tissues is of paramount importance to the development of effective control strategies against parasites. In fasciolosis, a foodborne trematodiasis caused mainly by Fasciola hepatica, these early interactions occur between the juvenile worm and the host intestinal wall a few hours after ingestion of metacercariae, the infectious stage of the parasite. However, research on these early events is still scarce and the majority of studies have focused on the adult worm.

A case for adoption of continuous albendazole treatment regimen for human echinococcal infections.

Cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcosis are chronic, neglected parasitic diseases burdened by high morbidity and, for AE, by high mortality, if left untreated. CE and AE have a widespread distribution, including Europe. Albendazole (ABZ), a broad-spectrum benzimidazole drug widely used to treat parasitic infections, is the drug of choice for the management of CE and AE, and is parasitostatic on echinococcal metacestodes.

The European Register of Cystic Echinococcosis, ERCE: state-of-the-art five years after its launch.

Background: The real burden of human cystic echinococcosis (CE) remains elusive, due to the peculiar characteristics of the disease and the heterogeneous and incomplete data recording of clinical cases. Furthermore, official notification systems do not collect pivotal clinical information, which would allow the comparison of different treatment outcomes, and thus circumvent the difficulty of implementing clinical trials for CE. The Italian Register of CE (RIEC) was launched in 2012 and expanded in 2014 into the European Register of CE (ERCE).

Set up of an in vitro model to study early host-parasite interactions between newly excysted juveniles of Fasciola hepatica and host intestinal cells using a quantitative proteomics approach.

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis, a parasitic zoonosis of global distribution causing significant economic losses in animal production and a human public health problem in low-income countries. Hosts are infected by ingestion of aquatic plants carrying metacercariae. Once ingested, the juvenile parasites excyst in the small intestine and, after crossing it, they follow a complex migratory route that lead the parasites to their definitive location in the bile ducts.

Achievements of the HERACLES Project on Cystic Echinococcosis.

The FP7 project 'Human Cystic Echinococcosis ReseArch in CentraL and Eastern Societies' (HERACLES), developed between 2013 and 2018 by nine partners in five countries, is one of the largest projects on cystic echinococcosis. Here we present the core HERACLES achievements, which should help to foster the translation of scientific investigations on health policies.

Diagnostic Performances of Commercial ELISA, Indirect Hemagglutination, and Western Blot in Differentiation of Hepatic Echinococcal and Non-Echinococcal Lesions: A Retrospective Analysis of Data from a Single Referral Centre.

The diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (CE) is based on imaging. Serology supports imaging in suspected cases, but no consensus exists on the algorithm to apply when imaging is inconclusive. We performed a retrospective analysis of serology results of patients with untreated hepatic CE and non-CE lesions, seen from 2005 to 2017, to evaluate their accuracy in the differential diagnosis of hepatic CE.