Development of parasitology in the GDR]

The development of parasitology in the GDR is described. In the GDR there are only 2 chairs of Parasitology in the Faculties of Animal Production and Veterinary Medicine at Humboldt University Berlin and Karl Marx University Leipzig. Parasitology as a teaching field in its own was not become realized in medicine. In the training of zoology parasitology had been recognized only temporarily. For the parasitological practice particular parasitological departments or laboratories developed in each district institute, which are leaded and coordinated by reference laboratories--a state that is an important improvement compared with the situation before the war. The publishing efforts of GDR's authors and publishing houses as well as the mobilizing role of the Parasitological Society of the GDR are especially stressed.     

Possible gender-related differences in the risk-to-benefit ratio of thrombolysis for acute submassive pulmonary embolism

The indications for thrombolytic treatment in normotensive patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) are still the subject of debate, and it also remains questionable whether the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis are similar in men and women. To address the latter issue, the present study analyzed a large population of 428 women and 291 men with acute submassive PE derived from a prospective multicenter registry. Initial treatment consisted either of thrombolysis (<24 hours after diagnosis) or heparin alone. Thirty-day overall mortality was almost identical (11%) in heparin-treated men and women. Early thrombolysis was associated with drastically reduced death rates (2.7% vs 11% in the heparin group, p = 0.033) in men, whereas the reduction was nonsignificant (p = 0.181) in women. Multivariate analysis revealed that early thrombolysis was independently associated with reduced mortality rates in men (odds ratio 0.21, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.96). In comparison, its favorable effect in women was marginal (odds ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.30 to 1.97). Gender-specific differences were also observed with regard to the reduction of symptomatic PE recurrence (in men, from 21.6% to 8.2%, p = 0.009; in women, from 16.9% to 8.3%, p = 0.049). In contrast, thrombolysis resulted in a more than threefold increase in major bleeding in women (from 8.4% to 27.1%, p <0.001), a more pronounced effect than in men (from 6.9% to 15.1%, p = 0.055). In conclusion, the present study generated the hypothesis that women with submassive PE might benefit less from thrombolytic treatment in terms of survival and PE recurrence and that they could be exposed to a higher bleeding risk compared with men.     

The seasonal dynamics of Sphaerospora renicola (Myxosporidia) in carp (Osteichthyes)

We observed 2 different types of the course of incidence of sporogonic phase and blood phase. Type I shows in both phases a maximum in the first summer, a minimum in winter or autumn and a second maximum between late autumn and second summer. In this case the sporulation was especially distinct with the first maximum. Type II starts in the first summer with the blood phase without occurrence of the sporogonic phase (and the swim-bladder phase), which appears only from autumn until the second summer in a form of three peaks. Here the sporulation was successful only in the third peak. Hitherto there has been no other example of that type. The course of incidence, characterized by peaks and valleys, is regarded as an expression of an internal rhythm of different phases of the parasite and not as caused by the declining of infection and by reinfection. Premunition (if a hitherto unknown reservoir phase is surviving) or age resistance and/or less chance of coincidence of infective stages and older carps are supposed to be the cause of the rare occurrence of the 3 known phases in carps more than 14-15 months old. There are some indications of the infection of carps by carps. Carassius au. auratus was ascertained as a new host for S. renicola in a field experiment.     

Zum systematischen Status und zur Verbreitung der in europäischen Schlangen schmarotzenden Proteocephalidae (Cestoidea: Proteocephala) nebst Bemerkungen zur Gattungszugehörigkeit einer Madegassischen Proteocephalidae-Art aus Schlangen

Zusammenfassung 1. Die in der Literatur vorhandenen Angaben über das Vorkommen von Ophiotaenia racemosa (Rudolphi) und O. nattereri (Parona) in Europa entsprechen nicht den Tatsachen.2. Die häufig vorkommende europäische Proteocephalidae-Art aus Schlangen wird als Ophiotaenia europaea n. sp. beschrieben. Die neue Art war bisher unrichtig als O. racemosa gemeldet worden; sie unterscheidet sich von allen anderen bisher bekannten Ophiotaenia-Arten durch eine feine Cuticula-Bestachelung am Scolex.3. Für die madegassische Art O. ventosaloculata Deblock, Rosé und Broussart wird ein neues Genus Deblocktaenia n. gen. (Proteocephalidae) errichtet.

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Summary 1. The European records of Ophiotaenia racemosa (Rudolphi) and O. nattereri (Parona) in the literature do not agree with the real conditions.2. The common European proteocephalid species of snakes is described as Ophiotaenia europaea n. sp. The new species erroneously was recorded formerly as O. racemosa; it differs from all the other known species of Ophiotaenia in having fine cuticular spines on the scolex.3. The species O. ventosaloculata Deblock, Rosé and Broussart from Nossi-Bé near Madagascar is transferred to a new proteocephalid genus Deblocktaenia n. gen.

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Mit 3 Textabbildungen     

State of Spirometra "sparganum growth factor" research

The plerocercoids of all Spirometra forms investigated up to now in this regard produce a "Sparganum Growth Factor" (SGF), i.e. one (or more) substance(s) with growth hormone-like effect on certain rodents. The SGF produced by the species S. mansonoides (SGF "mansonoides") is stronger effect than the SGF produced by all the other forms (SGF "non-mansonoides"). The physiological in its effects hitherto investigated mainly with SGT "mansonoides" in the USA are shortly mentioned. In order to get further insights the isolation, purification, and characterization of the SGF are necessary. The both kinds of SGF are also of taxonomic importance.     

Plerocercoid infestation of the Thailand reptiles in the Berlin Zoo]

Plerocercoids were found under the skin and in the body cavity of Ahaetulla nastua, Boiga multimaculata, Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus, and Varanus dumerilii, imported from Thailand. Starting with these plerocercoids the cestode cycle was experimentally traced in the laboratory (Lueheela = Spirometra sp.). Domestic cat and domestic dog served as definitive hosts, native copepods at first intermediate hosts, native anurans, reptiles, and chicken as second intermediate hosts and paratenic hosts. Fishes and a Rhesus Macque were shown to act as paratenic hosts. The ferret was only suitable as paratenic host but not as definitive host. The adult worm in the definitive host periodically cast off the whole strobila corresponding to a cyclic appearance of eggs in the faeces.     

Strobila periodicity of Spirometra (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae)

The non-induced, endogeneous periodic destrobilation in Spirometra is conceived as an extreme of pseudapolysis. The patent time of S. erinaceieuropaei and S. sp. with single or with simultaneous infestations is arranged in separate patent periods marked off from each other by negative phases. This phenomenon is due to a periodicity of the strobila. In dissections during the negative phase only the scolex and neck alone or provided with a very short strobila could be found in the intestine. There were no striking differences between single and simultaneous infestations. The periodicity altogether, however, showed a great variability. A synchronization of the periodicity of egg shedding and destrobilation is concluded from one simultaneous infestation with demonstrably at least 2 tapeworms. After successive superinvasion, however, the periodicity evidently does not become synchronous, the periodicity of egg shedding is masked.