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Parasite Immunology 01/2011; 33(1):79-80. · 2.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The S3Pvac synthetic vaccine, composed of three peptides (GK1, KETc1 and KETc12) effectively protects against cysticercosis under experimental and field conditions. Additionally, S3Pvac vaccine can effectively damage early-established cysticerci in experimentally lightly infected young pigs. This study was designed to explore if also fully-developed cysticerci that eluded immunity induced by the infection can be damaged by S3Pvac-induced immunity in naturally, heavily infected adult pigs. Fourteen pigs identified as cysticercotic by tongue inspection from rural communities were purchased and moved to controlled conditions in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Half of these pigs were treated once a month three times with S3Pvac plus saponin, and the other half received only saponin (controls). Twelve months later pigs were euthanized, and the number of cysticerci, their macro and microscopic status and their capacity to transform into tapeworms were determined. S3Pvac failed to damage fully-developed muscle cysticerci of naturally, heavily infected adult pigs. To explore possible factors involved in the failure of the therapeutic capacity pooled sera from control and treated cysticercotic pigs were added to mice mononuclear peripheral cells. Pooled sera from non-infected pigs were also tested. Sera from control and treated infected pigs almost completely suppressed the T cell proliferative responses, pointing to the presence of suppressor factors. In conclusion, S3Pvac vaccine failed to damage fully-developed cysticerci in pigs in which a host parasite relationship had evolved after months of infection with immunological implications.
Veterinary Parasitology 12/2010; 177(1-2):90-6. · 2.58 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Human neurocysticercosis (NC) is caused by Taenia solium larvae lodged in the central nervous system. This disease is usually diagnosed by radiology but the results are not always clear-cut and so immunological assays are often also used. A semi-nested PCR, based on the non-coding HDP2 sequence of T. saginata, has now been developed for detecting DNA from T. solium cysticerci and confirming NC. This PCR, which amplifies a 171-bp T. solium product, allowed the specific detection of just 174 attograms of T. solium DNA. The efficacy of the PCR was tested using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from neurological patients, including 46 confirmed Mexican cases of NC and 32 patients from non-endemic Spain. Eighteen of the confirmed cases [including 10 (71%) of the 14 with vesicular extraparenchymal cysticerci and four (17%) of the 24 with damaged cysticerci] and two (33%) of the six patients with 'uncertain' diagnosis (in whom a diagnosis of NC could not be established by radiological and immunological studies) were found PCR-positive. The 36 patients known to have neurological problems other than NC were found PCR-negative. The HDP2 PCR offers a new tool in the diagnosis of NC and in exploring the pathogenesis of this serious disease.
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 07/2008; 102(4):317-23. · 1.43 Impact Factor
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B Sáenz,
J Ramírez,
A Aluja,
A Escobar,
G Fragoso,
J Morales,
R Pérez-Tamayo,
F Rosetti,
C Larralde, E Sciutto,
A Fleury
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ABSTRACT: To describe and compare the clinical impacts of neurocysticercosis (NC) caused by Taenia solium in humans and pigs.
Comparative study of the brains of 16 asymptomatic pigs and 35 human NC cases (15 asymptomatic and 20 symptomatic).
In humans, cysticerci were more frequently located in the ventricles and subarachnoid space at the base of the brain (11.8%vs. 1.6%; P = 0.001 and 25.9%vs. 0%; P < 0.0001, respectively) while in pigs, cysticerci were more frequently found in the parenchyma (44.4%vs. 7.6%; P < 0.0001). In human brains, 75.9% of the cysticerci were calcified, while in pigs all cysticerci were in the vesicular stage.
The duration of infection and the host-parasite relationship (such as immune reactivity and brain haemodynamics) differ between humans and pigs. This may account for the different distribution and stage of the cysticerci among humans and pigs.
Tropical Medicine & International Health 06/2008; 13(5):697-702. · 2.80 Impact Factor
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M Huerta,
R Avila,
H I Jiménez,
R Díaz,
J Díaz,
M E Díaz Huerta,
M Hernández,
J J Martinez,
T Garate,
E Gómez,
T Abad,
G Fragoso,
A Fleury, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: High neurocysticercosis (NC) prevalence was recently determined by a computed tomography (CT) scan study in the community of Tepetzitzintla, State of Puebla, Mexico. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the magnitude of fecal and parasite contamination by Taenia spp. in the soil of households of this community during the four seasons of the year. The toilet, backyard, kitchen, washboard, water containers and corrals of 14 to 26 households were sampled during each season. High Taenia spp. egg intensity was found in 24.2% of the sampled areas. The highest percentage was detected in Spring and the lowest in Summer. Significantly higher levels of Taenia spp. eggs were present in kitchen soil samples. A significant correlation was found between the presence of Taenia spp. eggs in household soil during the Summer, and NC diagnoses of the inhabitants by CT scan. Coproparasitological examinations and anti-cysticercal antibodies were determined in a cohort of inhabitants of the sampled households. Antibody levels and coproparasitological results were not associated with NC. Overall, these results illustrate the high degree of fecal contamination of potential risk to human health in rural communities and could be of use for control programmes.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 05/2008; 102(4):374-9. · 2.16 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A retrospective study of our 14-yr records on experimental Taenia crassiceps (ORF(fast) line) cysticercosis (n = 1,198) shows that in 16 of 17 different mice strains, female mice are more frequently infected and carry larger individual parasite loads than males. However, sexual differences in parasite loads significantly varies between strains in relation to their different genetic backgrounds (BALB > C57Bl = OTHERS > C3H). The coefficient of variation in all female mice is significantly smaller than that of all males, an indication of males' more potent, but erratically effective, restraint of cysticercus growth. Similar positive growth bias for female mice is shown by other lines of cysticerci, i.e., HYG(slow) and WFU(slow). These results contravene the usual expectation of female hosts being more resistant than males to parasite infections, and they point to the multiple factors that combined determine sex related differences of mice to experimental cysticercosis infection.
Journal of Parasitology 04/2008; 94(2):551-3. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This article reviews current knowledge on the innate and acquired immune responses in human Taenia solium neurocysticercosis, highlighting the conditions that appear to be favourable for the survival or destruction of the parasite and for the benefit or injury to its host.
Parasite Immunology 01/2008; 29(12):621-36. · 2.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hormones play a significant role in murine Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis, and they may also participate in the susceptibility to Taenia solium cysticercosis. In the present study, in vitro effects are reported for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the larval stages of T. crassiceps (WFU strain) and T. solium. hCG effectively promotes parasite reproduction, i.e., it increases the number of buds on T. crassiceps cysticerci and the percentage of evagination and parasite length in T. solium. This is the first report in which a direct effect of hCG is reported for a parasite. hCG or mouse luteinizing hormone could be recognized by the cysticerci as mitogenic factors and contribute to the female and pregnancy bias toward susceptibility to T. crassiceps and T. solium cysticercosis, respectively.
Journal of Parasitology 01/2008; 93(6):1518-20. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The distribution of single cysticerci between cerebral hemispheres was studied in 227 adult cases of calcified and vesicular neurocysticercosis (NC). A rightward lateralization of calcified cysticerci was significant only in women, whereas vesicular cysticerci were equally distributed in both hemispheres. Factors related with the differences in the inflammatory response and in the regional cerebral blood flow between genders could be involved.
Journal of Parasitology 11/2007; 93(5):1238-40. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In chronically infected BALBc/AnN male mice, Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis induces changes in the host's sex steroids hormone that lead to their estrogenization and deandrogenization, with possible repercussions on their susceptibility to infections. Here reported are the serum steroid levels in free range cysticercotic male boars. Therefore, the possible effects of Taenia solium cysticerci over the pig steroid levels were evaluated. Herein are described the sex steroids and cortisol levels of non-cysticercotic (n=25) and cysticercotic (n=22) adult boars, as diagnosed by tongue inspection, all free-ranging in a typical village of an endemic rural area in Mexico. A significant reduction of testosterone (P=0.022) and a likely one of 17beta-estradiol (P=0.08) levels were found in the cysticercotic boars in comparison with those non-cysticercotic, whilst no significant differences in the cortisol and DHEA levels were detected. Serum levels of specific antibodies did not correlate with infection nor with the levels of any of the hormones measured. Results suggest that T. solium cysticercosis significantly affects the hormonal status of its porcine host independently of their antibody response.
Veterinary Parasitology 11/2007; 149(1-2):134-7. · 2.58 Impact Factor
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A Fleury,
M Hernández,
M Avila,
G Cárdenas,
R J Bobes,
M Huerta,
G Fragoso,
L Uribe-Campero,
L J S Harrison,
R M E Parkhouse, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: Neurocysticercosis (NC), a parasitic disease caused by Taenia solium, may be either asymptomatic or show a mild to severe clinical picture with intracranial hypertension. The most severe form of the disease is caused when viable cysticerci are localised in the ventricles or in subarachnoidal cisterns at the base of the skull. Detection of the secreted metacestode antigen HP10 in cerebrospinal fluid is a sensitive and specific method for the diagnosis of these severe NC cases.
To evaluate the validity of HP10 antigen detection ELISA when applied to serum, using paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from 116 radiologically and clinically characterised NC patients.
The HP10 antigen assay exhibited a similarly high sensitivity in identifying severe NC cases from sera (84.8%) and CSF (91.3%). In contrast, HP10 antigen was rarely detected in asymptomatic or mild NC cases (3 of 57). Importantly, the HP10 antigen assay applied to serum showed high specificity (94%) when used in 126 serum samples of non-NC subjects from an endemic community with a confirmed coproparasitological diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections. Finally, the HP10 assay also proved to be of value in the follow-up of treated patients.
This study confirms that detection of the metacestode HP10 antigen in serum is a useful tool for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with severe forms of NC treated with cysticidal drugs.
Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry 10/2007; 78(9):970-4. · 4.87 Impact Factor
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E Sciutto,
J Morales,
J J Martínez,
A Toledo,
M N Villalobos,
C Cruz-Revilla,
G Meneses,
M Hernández,
A Díaz,
L F Rodarte,
G Acero,
G Gevorkian,
K Manoutcharian,
J Paniagua,
G Fragoso,
A Fleury,
R Larralde,
A S De Aluja,
C Larralde
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ABSTRACT: Taenia solium cysticercosis is a parasitic disease frequently affecting human health and the pig industry in many developing countries. A synthetic peptide vaccine (designated S3Pvac) against porcine cysticercosis has been developed previously as an aid to interrupt transmission and has been shown to be effective. The results of the present study support the effectiveness of the vaccine under endemic field conditions. However, given the time-frame of the vaccination trial, no changes in the local levels of transmission were detectable before and after vaccination using sentinel pigs. Thus, this investigation shows the limited usefulness of single vaccination as the sole means of interrupting Taenia solium transmission in an endemic region.
Parasitology 02/2007; 134(Pt 1):129-33. · 2.96 Impact Factor
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C Cruz-Revilla,
A Toledo,
G Rosas,
M Huerta,
I Flores-Perez,
N Peña,
J Morales,
J Cisneros-Quiñones,
G Meneses,
A Díaz-Orea,
N Anciart,
F Goldbaum,
A Aluja,
C Larralde,
G Fragoso, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: The disease caused by Taenia solium is progressively being recognized as a growing global threat for public human health and pig husbandry that requires the development of effective control measures. A central participant in the taeniasis/cysticercosis transmission network is the human carrier of the adult tapeworm because of its great potential in spreading the infection. Herein, evidence is presented that a primary infection of golden hamsters with orally administered T. solium cysticerci improved the host's resistance against a secondary infection. Likewise, previous vaccination increased the hamster's resistance. Similar high levels of protection (> 78%) were induced by systemic or oral vaccination with the S3Pvac anticysticercosis synthetic peptide vaccine or the highly immunogenic recombinant chimera based on the protective peptide KETc1 bound to Brucella spp. lumazine synthase (BLS-KETc1). Increased resistance after primo-infection and vaccination possibly results from changes in the immune conditions prevailing in the host's intestine. The contribution to protection from the KETc1 and BLS epitopes in a chimeric vaccine is under study. Preventive vaccination of definitive hosts of T. solium against the tapeworm, the most relevant step in the taeniasis/cysticercosis transmission, may greatly impact the dynamics of endemic disease and has not been studied or tried previously.
Journal of Parasitology 08/2006; 92(4):864-7. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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A Fleury,
J Morales,
R J Bobes,
M Dumas,
O Yánez,
J Piña,
R Carrillo-Mezo,
J J Martínez,
G Fragoso,
A Dessein,
C Larralde, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: Neurocysticercosis (NC) caused by Taenia solium is a frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system. It is highly endemic in many developing countries, where many people are exposed but few become infected. Here, the relevance of age, gender, and genetic and exposure factors on NC susceptibility was studied in 649 inhabitants of a rural community of Mexico. Endemicity was confirmed by the high prevalence of pig cysticercosis (32.8%) and human seroprevalence (43.8%). Human NC cases were diagnosed by computerised tomography scans. A questionnaire to evaluate risk factors was applied and familial relationships between participants were registered. An overall NC frequency of 9.1% (59/649) was found. NC frequency increased with age but did not associate with gender. Most NC cases were asymptomatic. None of the evaluated risk factors were associated with NC. No familial aggregation was detected when studying all cases, although a significant relationship between mother and child in cases with multiple parasites was found. These findings point to the fact that human NC in high exposure conditions is not simply related to exposure factors and they do not support the participation of a major gene in single-cyst NC. Rather, our results point to a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors involved in NC.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 07/2006; 100(6):551-8. · 2.16 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Experimental murine cysticercosis caused by Taenia crassiceps has proved to be a useful model with which to test the efficacy of new vaccine candidates and delivery systems against pig cysticercosis. A high level of protection against murine cysticercosis was previously observed by intramuscular or intradermal DNA immunization with the use of the sequence of the recombinant KETc7 antigen cloned in pcDNA3 (pTc-sp7). To determine the effect of KETc7 differential expression in DNA vaccination, KETc7 was cloned in pGEM 11Zf(+) under the control of the tissue-specific regulatory promoter phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pPc-sp7). A high level of protection was induced by intrahepatic immunization with pPc-sp7, pTc-sp7 and the empty vector in the absence of any specific immunity. The empty vector pGEM 11Zf(+), the plasmid with the highest content of CpG sequences, provided to the most efficient protection. This protection was related to an increased number of splenocytes, enhanced nonspecific splenocyte proliferation, and intensified intrahepatic INF-gamma production. Overall, intrahepatic plasmid CpG-DNA immunization provokes an exacerbated nonspecific immune response that can effectively control Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis.
Journal of Parasitology 07/2006; 92(3):655-7. · 1.40 Impact Factor
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J Morales,
J J Martínez,
J Garcia-Castella,
N Peña,
V Maza,
N Villalobos,
A S Aluja,
A Fleury,
G Fragoso,
C Larralde, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: If a programme for the control of pig cysticercosis is to be effective it has to be based on good data on the local epidemiology of Taenia solium. In 2002-2003, in a cross-sectional study of pig cysticercosis in the Mexican state of Morelos, 1747 pigs that had been born and reared in rural areas of the state were checked for T. solium infection by tongue inspection. The prevalence of cysticercosis in the pigs was found to vary from 0% to 30% according to the municipality from which the pigs came. Although prevalence appeared to be unaffected by the socio-economic status of the municipality, it was relatively high in areas that lacked latrines, and in pigs that were castrated, pregnant and/or of the native (rather than an imported) breed. The results of questionnaire-based interviews with pig owners revealed that most (64.5%) of the rural pigs, whether infected or not, are slaughtered and consumed within the locality where they were reared. The other pigs are sold at low prices to organised traffickers who take the uninspected pigs to neighbouring urban areas for sale. The observed complexity in the factors affecting the transmission of T. solium to the pigs of Morelos state calls for an intervention strategy of matching complexity, initially targeted at those villages with the highest prevalences of pig cysticercosis. The road transport of pigs needs to be better regulated, and the vaccination and genetic improvement of the rural pigs, and delaying the castration of the boars, should all be considered.
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 04/2006; 100(2):123-35. · 1.43 Impact Factor
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R Segura-Velázquez,
A Pérez-Torres,
G Rosas,
A Toledo,
M Restelli,
E Acosta,
R Corral,
F Rosetti,
G Fragoso,
S Grinstein, E Sciutto
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ABSTRACT: Influenza vaccination is a key intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality provoked by this disease. To date, the challenge of improving its efficacy remains unmet. The immunogenic synthetic peptide GK1 from Taenia crassiceps cysticerci was tested herein in its capacity as adjuvant, co-administered with the inactivated anti-influenza vaccine before and after challenge with influenza virus in both young and aged mice. Co-administration of GK1 with the influenza vaccine increased levels of anti-influenza antibodies in aged mice before and after infection, reduced the local inflammation that accompanied influenza vaccination itself and favored virus clearance after infection in both young and aged mice.
Vaccine 03/2006; 24(8):1073-80. · 3.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In two rural villages of the state of Puebla, Mexico, where Taenia solium pig cysticercosis is highly endemic, 120 pairs of young out-bred piglets were used to assay what proved to be an effective synthetic peptide vaccine against naturally acquired cysticercosis. Because the piglets used were all sired by one of three distinct studs in many different out-bred sows, the prevalence and intensity of infection, as well as degree of protection conferred by the vaccine, could be related to each of the three stud families (A-C). The highest prevalence was found in the C family (25%), whilst the prevalence of B and A families were 21.6 and 4.4%, respectively. Familial clustering of cases was even more conspicuous in vaccinated pigs than in not-vaccinated ones: seven of the nine cysticercosis cases that occurred in the vaccinated group belonged to the C family (7/26) and two to the B family (2/23), whilst the vaccine rendered the A family totally resistant (0/71). Parasite numbers were also higher in the C family in both nai;ve and vaccinated pigs. Familial clustering of cases and of large parasite numbers in naive and vaccinated pigs hint to the relevance of their genetic background in their innate and acquired resistance to cysticercosis.
Veterinary Parasitology 11/2003; 116(3):223-9. · 2.58 Impact Factor
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J Morales,
T Velasco,
V Tovar,
G Fragoso,
A Fleury,
C Beltrán,
N Villalobos,
A Aluja,
L F Rodarte, E Sciutto,
C Larralde
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ABSTRACT: Cuentepec is a rural village of central Mexico, where 1300 pigs were bred at the time of the study in conditions that favor Taenia solium transmission. The tongues of 1087 (84%) of these pigs were visually examined and 33% were found to be cysticercotic. Castration of male pigs increased prevalence from 23 to 50% (P < 0.001) and pregnancy in sows also increased their prevalence from 28 to 59% (P < 0.001). Thus, endocrinological conditions characterized by low levels of androgens or high levels of female hormones probably influence the susceptibility of pigs to T. solium cysticercosis as observed in mice infected with Taenia crassiceps. Delaying castration of male pigs and confinement of sows during pregnancy might significantly decrease the prevalence of pig-cysticercosis and help curb transmission without much cost or difficulty.
Veterinary Parasitology 08/2002; 108(1):41-8. · 2.58 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Taenia crassiceps cysticerci develop in the peritoneal cavity of BALB/cAnN mice and, to a lesser extent, in C57BL/6J mice. The mechanisms involved in the immunity to this murine cysticercosis seem to be mainly mediated by T cells. To gain further insight into the mechanisms of cysticercal immunity, the susceptibility of mice deficient in different immunologically relevant genes was compared with that of the respective wild type. Mice were classified according to the parasite load and survival after infection: highly susceptible (HS), with an increased parasite load and mortality rate (CD4-/-, TCRalpha-/-, TCRbeta-/-, RAG1-/-), susceptible, with only increased parasite load (TCRdelta-/-, BALB/cAnN), and relatively resistant, with a lower number of parasites (CD8-/-, WT). Neither specific proliferative response nor Th2 cytokine or antibody responses were observed in HS mice. These data strongly suggest that CD4+TCRalphabeta+ T cells have a critical role in the control of T. crassiceps murine cysticercosis.
Parasitology Research 11/2001; 87(10):826-32. · 2.15 Impact Factor
