What was the main factor in successful control of ascariasis in Korea?

In the l950s, under the legacy of traditional agriculture, Ascaris lumbricoides, spread epidemically in the war-bitten society of Korea. Consensus on the parasite control was drafted in the Parasite Disease Prevention Act, which passed a parliamentary agreement in 1966, and established safe disposal of feces and mass chemotherapy as control strategies. Biannual stool examinations and treating infected schoolchildren were basic scheme of the control activity through which revenue could be secured for organized business.

Effect of control strategies on prevalence, incidence and re-infection of clonorchiasis in endemic areas of China.

Background: A pilot clonorchiasis control project was implemented to evaluate the efficacies of various chemotherapy strategies on prevalence, incidence and re-infection in Heilongjiang Province, China.

Methods And Findings: Seven intervention groups (14,139 residents, about 2000 in each group) in heavily or moderately endemic areas were subjected to repeated praziquantel administration from 2001 to 2004. In the selective chemotherapy groups, residents were examined for fecal eggs, and those who tested positive were treated with three doses of 25 mg/kg praziquantel at 5-hour-intervals in one day.

Fifty years of the Korean Society for Parasitology.

In 1959, the Korean Society for Parasitology was founded by clinical scientists, specialists of public health, and 5 core parasitologists with experience in American science and medicine. The Society this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. Due to public health importance at the time of foundation, medical parasitology was the main stream for next 3 decades.

PwRn1, a novel Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposon of Paragonimus westermani: molecular characters and its differentially preserved mobile potential according to host chromosomal polyploidy.

Background: Retrotransposons have been known to involve in the remodeling and evolution of host genome. These reverse transcribing elements, which show a complex evolutionary pathway with diverse intermediate forms, have been comprehensively analyzed from a wide range of host genomes, while the information remains limited to only a few species in the phylum Platyhelminthes.

Results: A LTR retrotransposon and its homologs with a strong phylogenetic affinity toward CsRn1 of Clonorchis sinensis were isolated from a trematode parasite Paragonimus westermani via a degenerate PCR method and from an insect species Anopheles gambiae by in silico analysis of the whole mosquito genome, respectively.

Hepatic visceral larva migrans of Toxocara canis: CT and sonographic findings.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the CT and sonographic findings of hepatic visceral larva migrans of Toxocara canis.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-four patients (44 men, 10 women; age range, 30-80 years; mean age, 53 years) with serologically confirmed visceral larva migrans of Toxocara canis underwent evaluation of the liver with CT (n = 25), sonography (n = 48), or both. Two radiologists used consensus for retrospective evaluation of CT and sonographic findings.

Critical roles for excretory-secretory cysteine proteases during tissue invasion of Paragonimus westermani newly excysted metacercariae.

Paragonimus westermani is a trematode parasite, which causes pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary granulomatous disease in humans. Successful invasion of the host tissue is critical for the survival of this tissue-invasive parasite. The enzymatic hydrolysis of host proteins is clearly a prerequisite of this process.

Correlation between sonographic findings and infection intensity in clonorchiasis.

This prospective study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of sonography in terms of the intensity of Clonorchis sinensis infection. Total 1,384 residents were subjected to this study at an endemic area in China, in which a clonorchiasis control program had been performed. History taking, fecal examination, and sonography were performed, and 87.

A seroepidemiological survey of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Nabo, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

We have observed the seropositive rate of Taenia solium cysticercosis in residents at Nabo Village, Tiandong County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The village had been found to be a relatively high endemic area of porcine cysticercosis among roaming pigs. Of 202 persons examined four males aged 15, 25, 35 and 41 year-old exhibited absorbance (abs) at 0.

Evaluation of Clonorchis sinensis recombinant 7-kilodalton antigen for serodiagnosis of clonorchiasis.

The diagnostic applicability of the Clonorchis sinensis recombinant 7-kDa protein was evaluated. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunoblots, the protein showed high sensitivities (81.3 and 71.

Sonographic findings of active Clonorchis sinensis infection.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to document the characteristic sonographic findings of clonorchiasis for the diagnosis of active infection in an endemic area.

Methods: In a village in northeastern China, residents underwent fecal examinations for detection of Clonorchis sinensis eggs. Shortly thereafter, residents were examined with abdominal sonography.

Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections on a national scale among primary schoolchildren in Laos.

In order to investigate the epidemiological situation of intestinal parasite infections in Laos, parasitological surveys were carried out on a national scale including 17 provinces and the Vientiane Municipality. A total of 29,846 stool specimens were collected from primary schoolchildren from May 2000 to June 2002 and examined once with the cellophane thick smear technique. The cumulative egg positive rate for intestinal helminths was 61.

Paragonimus westermani: molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of a recombinant yolk ferritin.

Ferritin is an intracellular protein involved in iron metabolism. A cDNA PwYF-1 cloned from the adult Paragonimus westermani cDNA library encoded a putative polypeptide of 216 amino acids homologous with ferritins of vertebrates and invertebrates. Febinding motifs identified in PwYF-1 polypeptide were conserved and predicted to form a ferroxidase center.

Clonorchis sinensis: immunolocalization of 26 kDa glutathione S-transferase in adult worms.

A mu-class glutathione S-transferase (Cs26GST) of molecular mass 26 kDa was characterized from Clonorchis sinensis. In adult C. sinensis, the distribution of the Cs26GST was investigated by immuno-histochemistry and electron microscopy.

Excretory bladder: the source of cysteine proteases in Paragonimus westermani metacercariae.

The cysteine proteases of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae are involved in metacercarial excystment, host immune modulation, and possibly in tissue penetration. In order to clarify the origin of the enzymes, 28 and 27 kDa cysteine proteases in metacercarial excretory-secretory products were purified through the FPLC system using Mono Q column chromatography. The polyclonal antibodies to the enzymes were produced in BALB/c mice.

Taenia solium: identification of specific antibody binding regions of metacestode 10-kDa protein.

Taenia solium neurocysticercosis (NCC) represents one of the major public health problems associated with several neurological manifestations worldwide. We previously identified a recombinant 10-kDa protein of T. solium metacestode (CyDA) specific to active NCC.

Recombinant Paragonimus westermani yolk ferritin is a useful serodiagnostic antigen.

A recombinant protein of Paragonimus westermani yolk ferritin was bacterially produced from a previously cloned complementary DNA and was used as an antigen for an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against paragonimiasis- and other helminth-infected sera to evaluate its serodiagnostic potential. The ELISA revealed that paragonimiasis westermani had 88.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Immunoblot observation of antigenic protein fractions in Paragonimus westermani reacting with human patients sera.

In order to observe the antigenic fractions in saline extract of adult Paragonimus westermani, proteins in the crude extract were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in reducing conditions. The separated protein fractions were transferred to nitrocellulose paper on which 20 sera from human paragonimiasis were reacted and immunoblotted. Out of 15 stained protein bands in SDS-PAGE, 7 reacted with the sera.

Antigenic protein fractions reacting with sera of sparganosis patients.

To observe the antigenic protein fractions in saline extract of Spirometra mansoni plerocercoid (sparganum), the crude extract was separated in reducing conditions of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The proteins, transferred by electrophoresis to nitrocellulose paper, were reacted with sera from 15 surgically confirmed sparganosis and 24 cysticercosis patients for immunoblotting. Out of 30 identified protein bands in the extract, bands of 29 and 36 kilodaltons (kDa) were the strongest and the most frequently reacting with specific antibody (IgG) in sparganosis sera.

Biochemical properties of a purified protein in cystic fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes.

By affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody as ligand, Kim et al. (1986) purified a protein fraction in cystic fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes (CF). In this study, the biochemical properties of the purified protein were characterized.

Comparative evaluation of indirect immunofluorescent antibody test with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serodiagnosis of human neurocysticercosis.

The applicability of indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera from 163 cases of confirmed neurocysticercosis, 101 other neurologic and parasitic diseases and 100 normal controls. As antigen, frozen sections of a Taenia solium metacestode from a human brain was used in IFAT and cystic fluid was used in ELISA. For the detection of specific IgG antibody, IFAT was equally sensitive (89.

Intracranial synthesis of specific IgG antibody in cerebrospinal fluid of neurocysticercosis patients.

To determine the source of Cysticercus-specific IgG antibody in cerebro-spinal fluid(CSF), paired samples of serum and CSF were collected from confirmed neurocysticercosis, other neurologic diseases and normal control. The antibody levels in serum and CSF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With the measurement of total protein, albumin and IgG concentration in serum and CSF, the contribution of IgG in CSF were calculated in transudation, exudation and intracranial synthesis using the formula of Tourtellotte and Ma (1978).

Analysis of antigen specificity using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to Cysticercus cellulosae by enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot technique.

To analyse the antigen specificity of patients sera from 24 confirmed neurocysticercosis and a monoclonal antibody, SDS-PAGE using 10-15% linear gradient gel and EITB were done. Cystic fluid, saline extracts of scolex and of whole worm of C. cellulosae, saline extracts of sparganum, hydatid cyst fluid, saline extracts of Fasciola, Clonorchis and Paragonimus were used as antigen.

Specific IgG antibody responses in experimental cat metagonimiasis.

In order to observe the feasibility of serologic diagnosis of metagonimiasis, saline extracts of metacercariae and 4-week old adults were prepared. Sera from 25 experimentally infected cats were collected from 3 days to 12 weeks after infection. Their levels of specific IgG antibody were measured by ELISA together with 3 sera from non-infected cats.