High prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection caused by C. scrofarum and C. suis among pigs in Thailand.

Cryptosporidium spp. is an important intestinal protozoan causing diarrhea among both healthy and immunocompromised patients especially those with HIV/AIDS. Cryptosporidium spp.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of among Pigs in Chonburi Province, Eastern Thailand.

is an organism that infects a wide variety of vertebrates, including humans. Pigs also harbor , of which several genotypes have been recently detected in human feces. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection among pigs raised in three smallholder farms and eight small large-scale farms in Chonburi Province, Eastern Thailand, using nested polymerase chain reaction of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the small subunit of ribosomal RNA gene and to investigate genotypes of isolates using nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis of the ITS region.

Identification of Blastocystis subtype 1 variants in the Home for Girls, Bangkok, Thailand.

A cross-sectional study of Blastocystis infection was conducted to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and subtypes of Blastocystis at the Home for Girls, Bangkok, Thailand in November 2008. Of 370 stool samples, 118 (31.9%) were infected with Blastocystis.

Regulation of CRIg expression and phagocytosis in human macrophages by arachidonate, dexamethasone, and cytokines.

Although the importance of the macrophage complement receptor immunoglobulin (CRIg) in the phagocytosis of complement opsonized bacteria and in inflammation has been established, the regulation of CRIg expression remains undefined. Because cellular activation during inflammation leads to the release of arachidonate, a stimulator of leukocyte function, we sought to determine whether arachidonate regulates CRIg expression. Adding arachidonate to maturing human macrophages and to prematured CRIg(+) macrophages caused a significant decrease in the expression of cell-surface CRIg and CRIg mRNA.

Human single-chain antibodies that neutralize homologous and heterologous strains and clades of influenza A virus subtype H5N1.

Background: Human antibodies that interfere with the biological activity of haemagglutinins (HAs) of influenza viruses have high potential as an antiviral agent.

Methods: Human single-chain antibody fragments (HuScFv) to recombinant and native HAs of the influenza virus H5N1 subtype were produced using a human antibody phage display library with the intention to increase the therapeutic arsenal against this highly pathogenic virus.

Results: The HuScFv inhibited HA activity and neutralized infectivity of both homologous and heterologous strains and clades of the H5N1 subtype in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell cultures.

Drinking water: a possible source of Blastocystis spp. subtype 1 infection in schoolchildren of a rural community in central Thailand.

In January 2005, a survey of intestinal parasitic infections was performed in a primary school, central Thailand. Of 675 stool samples, Blastocystis was identified with a prevalence of 18.9%.

Human monoclonal single chain antibodies (HuScFv) that bind to the polymerase proteins of influenza A virus.

Current anti-influenza drugs target the viral neuraminidase or inhibit the function of the ion channel M2 protein. Not only is the supply of these drugs unlikely to meet the demand during a large influenza epidemic/ pandemic, but also has an emergence of drug resistant influenza virus variants been documented. Thus a new effective drug or antiviral alternative is required.

The usefulness of short-term in vitro cultivation for the detection and molecular study of Blastocystis hominis in stool specimens.

When in vitro cultivation was used as the 'gold standard' for the detection of Blastocystis hominis in stool specimens, simple smear and trichrome staining showed sensitivities of 16.7% and 40.2% and specificities of 94% and 80.

Evidence of waterborne transmission of Blastocystis hominis.

A cross-sectional study was performed in February 2001 to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of Blastocystis hominis infection in army personnel who resided in an army base in Chonburi, Thailand. A total of 904 army personnel were enrolled in this study. Short-term in vitro cultivation was used to detect B.

Blastocystis isolates from a pig and a horse are closely related to Blastocystis hominis.

Blastocystis has a widespread distribution in a variety of animals, which is a potential source of infection for humans. However, the contribution of zoonotic transmission remains unclear due to the absence of molecular proof of these organisms being identical to those found in humans. We report herein the similar subgroup of Blastocystis isolates from humans, pigs, and a horse using a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of partial small-subunit ribosomal DNA (ssu rDNA).