Molecular identification of Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum recovered from humans and pigs in Thailand,Lao PDR,and Myanmar

Parasitology Research - Ascaris lumbricoides is the largest roundworm known from the human intestine while Ascaris suum is an internal parasite of pigs. Ascariasis, caused by Ascaris lumbricoides,...     

Osteoclastogenesis induced by CHIKV-infected fibroblast-like synoviocytes: A possible interplay between synoviocytes and monocytes/macrophages in CHIKV-induced arthralgia/arthritis

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes are known to migrate from joint to joint and are proposed to be one of the key players in the inflammatory cascade amplification in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In the recent CHIKV epidemic, patients developed arthritis-like syndrome and the synoviocyte is one of the suspected players in CHIKV-induced polyarthritis. Thus, to learn more on this syndrome, the responses of fibroblast-like synoviocytes to chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection, and the interaction between CHIKV-infected synoviocytes and phagocytes, were investigated. Primary human fibroblast-like synoviocyte (HFLS) cultures were infected with clinical isolates of CHIKV at an MOI of 0.001 pfu/cell. Data indicated that HFLS are permissive to CHIKV replication, generating peak titers of 10⁵–10⁶ pfu/ml. Interestingly, CHIKV-infected HFLS cultures secreted mainly the mediators that are responsible for phagocytes recruitment and differentiation (RANKL, IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1) but not arthritogenic mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP-1, MMP-2 or MMP-13). The interaction between CHIKV-infected synoviocytes and phagocytes was studied using UV-irradiated, CHIKV-infected HFLS supernatant. Data revealed that supernatants from CHIKV-infected HFLS cultures not only induced migration of primary human monocytes, but also drove monocytes/macrophages into osteoclast-like cells. These differentiated osteoclast-like cells produced high levels of TNF-α and IL-6, principal mediators of arthritis. This data suggests a potential interplay between infected HFLS and recruiting phagocytes which may responsible for the arthralgia/arthritis in CHIKV-infected patients.     

Identification of antigenic proteins in Strongyloides stercoralis by proteomic analysis

Parasitology Research - Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal helminth that infects people worldwide. Hyperinfection or disseminated human strongyloidiasis can involve vital organs, leading to...     

Immuno-proteomic analysis of Trichinella spiralis,T. pseudospiralis,and T. papuae extracts recognized by human T. spiralis-infected sera

Parasitology Research - The present study explored potentially immunogenic proteins of the encapsulated (Trichinella spiralis) and non-encapsulated (T. pseudospiralis, T. papuae) species within the...