Evaluating Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Microscopy for Detecting Plasmodium Infection and Status of Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2/3 Gene Deletions in Southeastern Nigeria.

Delays in malaria diagnosis increase treatment failures and deaths. In endemic regions, standard diagnostic methods are microscopy and malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) detecting Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 (PFHRP2/PFHRP3), but gene deletions can allow certain parasites to remain undetected. We enlisted a cohort comprising 207 symptomatic individuals, encompassing both children and adults, at a hospital in Nnewi, Nigeria.

Whole genome analysis of two sympatric human : and sp "DEUX".

Introduction: species are filarial parasites that infect humans worldwide. Although these infections are common, knowledge of the pathology and diversity of the causative species is limited. Furthermore, the lack of sequencing data for species, shows that their research is neglected.

Immune cell targeted fumaric esters support a role of GPR109A as a primary target of monomethyl fumarate in vivo.

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is approved as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), however, its mode of action remains unclear. One hypothesis proposes that Michael addition to thiols by DMF, notably glutathione is immunomodulatory. The alternative proposes that monomethyl fumarate (MMF), the hydrolysis product of DMF, is a ligand to the fatty acid receptor GPR109A found in the lysosomes of immune cells.

Low Prevalence of Histidine-Rich Protein 2 and 3 Gene Deletions-A Multiregional Study in Central and West Africa.

parasites carrying deletions of histidine-rich protein 2 and 3 genes, and , respectively, are likely to escape detection via HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and, consequently, treatment, posing a major risk to both the health of the infected individual and malaria control efforts. This study assessed the frequency of and -deleted strains at four different study sites in Central Africa (number of samples analyzed: Gabon = 534 and the Republic of Congo = 917) and West Africa (number of samples analyzed: Nigeria = 466 and Benin = 120) using a highly sensitive multiplex qPCR. We found low prevalences for (1%, 0%, 0.

Isostearic acid is an active component of imiquimod formulations used to induce psoriaform disease models.

Topical imiquimod based creams are indicated as immune stimulants for papillomas and various skin neoplasms. Imiquimod is considered a TLR7 ligand. These creams are also used in research to induce skin inflammation in mice as a model for psoriasis.

Complementary methods for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in times of material shortage.

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 resulted in increasing demands for diagnostic tests, leading to a shortage of recommended testing materials and reagents. This study reports on the performance of self-sampled alternative swabbing material (ordinary Q-tips tested against flocked swab and rayon swab), of reagents for classical RNA extraction (phenol/guanidine-based protocol against a commercial kit), and of intercalating dye-based one-step quantitative reverse transcription real-time PCRs (RT-qPCR) compared against the gold standard hydrolysis probe-based assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The study found sampling with Q-tips, RNA extraction with classical protocol and intercalating dye-based RT-qPCR as a reliable and comparably sensitive strategy for detection of SARS-CoV-2-particularly valuable in the current period with a resurgent and dramatic increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections and growing shortage of diagnostic materials especially for regions limited in resources.

Ficolin-3 in chronic Chagas disease: Low serum levels associated with the risk of cardiac insufficiency.

Aims: To investigate whether FCN3 polymorphisms and circulating ficolin-3 levels were associated with clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease (CD) and to assess their potential use as biomarkers for the disease or its severity.

Methods And Results: FCN3 polymorphisms (g.1637delC (rs532781899) in exon 5; g.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of chronic Chagas disease from Southern Brazil.

Introduction: Patients with Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, present a higher risk of developing other chronic diseases, which may contribute to CD severity. Since CD is underreported in the southern state of Paraná, Brazil, we aimed to characterize clinical and epidemiological aspects of individuals chronically infected with T. cruzi in Southern Brazil.

Molecular Epidemiology of Mansonella Species in Gabon.

Mansonella perstans, a filarial nematode, infects large populations in Africa and Latin America. Recently, a potential new species, Mansonella sp "DEUX," was reported. Carriage of endosymbiotic Wolbachia opens treatment options for Mansonella infections.

Monitoring the threatened utility of malaria rapid diagnostic tests by novel high-throughput detection of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2 and hrp3 deletions: A cross-sectional, diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum deficient for hrp2 and hrp3 genes are a threat to malaria management and elimination, since they escape widely used HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests and treatment. Hrp2/hrp3 deletions are increasingly reported from all malaria endemic regions but are currently only identified by laborious methodologies.

Methods: We developed a novel hydrolysis probe-based, quantitative, real-time PCR (4plex qPCR) for detection and discrimination of P.

Chagas Disease: From Discovery to a Worldwide Health Problem.

Carlos Chagas discovered American trypanosomiasis, also named Chagas disease (CD) in his honor, just over a century ago. He described the clinical aspects of the disease, characterized by its etiological agent () and identified its insect vector. Initially, CD occurred only in Latin America and was considered a silent and poorly visible disease.

Ivermectin Impairs the Development of Sexual and Asexual Stages of Plasmodium falciparum .

Ivermectin is the drug of choice for many parasitic infections, with more than one billion doses being distributed in onchocerciasis programs. The drug has been put into focus recently by the malaria community because of its potential to kill blood-sucking mosquitoes, thereby reducing malaria transmission. However, the activity of ivermectin against the malaria parasite itself has been only partly investigated.

Human collectin-11 (COLEC11) and its synergic genetic interaction with MASP2 are associated with the pathophysiology of Chagas Disease.

Chagas Disease (CD) is an anthropozoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. With complex pathophysiology and variable clinical presentation, CD outcome can be influenced by parasite persistence and the host immune response. Complement activation is one of the primary defense mechanisms against pathogens, which can be initiated via pathogen recognition by pattern recognition molecules (PRMs).

Autoimmunity in Chronic Chagas Disease: A Road of Multiple Pathways to Cardiomyopathy?

Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan , affects around six million individuals in Latin America. Currently, CD occurs worldwide, becoming a significant public health concern due to its silent aspect and high morbimortality rate. presents different escape strategies which allow its evasion from the host immune system, enabling its persistence and the establishment of chronic infection which leads to the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC).

Human complement receptor type 1 (CR1) protein levels and genetic variants in chronic Chagas Disease.

Complement is an essential element in both innate and acquired immunity contributing to the immunopathogenesis of many disorders, including Chagas Disease (CD). Human complement receptor 1 (CR1) plays a role in the clearance of complement opsonized molecules and may facilitate the entry of pathogens into host cells. Distinct CR1 exon 29 variants have been found associated with CR1 expression levels, increased susceptibility and pathophysiology of several diseases.

Geographical distribution of complement receptor type 1 variants and their associated disease risk.

Background: Pathogens exert selective pressure which may lead to substantial changes in host immune responses. The human complement receptor type 1 (CR1) is an innate immune recognition glycoprotein that regulates the activation of the complement pathway and removes opsonized immune complexes. CR1 genetic variants in exon 29 have been associated with expression levels, C1q or C3b binding and increased susceptibility to several infectious diseases.

Differentiation of bovine coronavirus (bcov) genotypes by a restriction enzyme assay.

This article reports the use of the GsuI restriction enzyme to differentiate genotypes of Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV), based on an 18-nucleotide deletion of S1-coding region found in one of the two genotypes. It was concluded that this assay can be used as a rapid tool for BCoV genotypes differentiation.