Genetic Variability of Antigen B among Echinococcus granulosus Egyptian Isolates

Genetic polymorphisms of encoding antigen B2 gene (AgB2) in Echinococcus granulosus were studied using PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing among 20 Egyptian isolates. Five isolates from different host origins (humans, camels, pigs, and sheep) were collected and used. All examined isolates of each host group gave very similar patterns of PCR-RFLP after restriction enzyme digestion with AluI, with the gene size of approximately 140 bp and 240 bp for sheep and human isolates, and approximately 150 bp and 250 bp for pig and camel isolates. No digestion pattern was obtained after incubation of all studied isolates with EcoRI. These results reveal high intra-group homogeneity. DNA sequence analysis highlighted that human infecting strain showed 100% identity with respect to sheep infecting isolate, 96% and 99% with pig and camel infecting isolates, respectively.

Effects of ovariectomy and thyroidectomy on course and outcome of Trichinella spiralis infection in rat

Physiological hormones modulate immune responses and implicate in associated susceptibilities to infections. To clarify these endocrinological effects, the influence of estrogen and thyroid deficiency, due to ovariectomy and thyroidectomy, respectively, on course and outcome of Trichinella spiralis infection in rats was studied. While in ovariectomized rats there was significant increase in both adult and muscle larval counts as compared to intact infected rats, in thyroidectomized rats there was a significant increase in larval but not in adult count. Combined ovariectomy and thyroidectomy resulted in significant increase in both adult and larval counts. Serum CPK and blood glucose were significantly elevated in ovariectomized and/or thyroidectomized rats as compared to intact infected one. The deficiency of female sex hormones, and/or thyroid hormones in T. spiralis infected rats affected the host resistance to infection by increasing parasite burden influencing the course and outcome of parasitic infection

Detection of molecular markers of toxoplasmosis among Egyptian patients with miscarriage using avidity IGG-ELISA and western blotting

A total of 54 miscarriage patients were divided into 3 groups. GI: 10 toxoplasmosis patients with +ve IgM-ELISA; GII 24 toxoplasmosis patients with +ve IgG-ELISA, and G III: 20 non-toxoplasmosis cross-matched females as a control. All groups were subjected to IgG-avidity ELISA and IgG-avidity immunoblotting. Avidity Indices [AI] by ELISA ranged from 22.6% to 73.3% in GI and from 9.6%-75.6% in GII AI were high [>40%] in 3 [30%] patients in G I and in 8 [33.3%] patients in G II. Sera of GI recognized the 20, 28,32,60,93 and l00 Kda bands with 55% reduction in the 38 and 60 Kda bands after treatment with 6 M urea solutions. Sera of G II recognized the 20, 28, 32, 38, 45, 95-97 and 106 Kda bands. There was 12.5%, 16.6% and 16.7% reduction in the 20, 32, and 106 Kda bands, respectively, after urea. The 38 and 60 Kda bands were identified as good diagnostic markers for the recent toxoplasmosis infection [GI]. The 20, 32 and 106 Kda bands were good markers of high avidity antibodies during the chronic toxoplasmosis [GIl]

Efficacy of medical ozone in attenuation of murine schistosomiasis mansoni infection morbidity

Mice were divided into 3 groups: non-infected control, S. mansoni infected non-treated for 10 weeks and group receiving ozone intra-peritoneally for 21 days 10 weeks postinfection. Results showed that ozone therapy in chronic schistosomiasis mansoni decreased worm burden, increased number of dead eggs, decreased both mature and immature eggs, increased RBC count, improved hemoglobin concentration with reduced reticulocytes%, as well as increased lymphocyte%, decreased neutrophil% and markedly increased eosinophil%. Platelet count was increased and bleeding time was markedly shortened, markers for hepatic function were improved, and malondialdehyde concentration decreased in liver and spleen but increased in intestine. Reduction of associated hepato-splenomegaly was noticed, with reduction in number and size of hepatic and intestinal granulomas, collagen area% and number of macrophages, with preservation of hepatic and intestinal histological profile in almost all areas. The results point to medical ozone as a promising agent to complement schistosomiasis mansoni specific treatment, helping to attenuate infection morbidity

Contrast staining of trichinella spiralis larvae in fresh, frozen and formalin preserved muscles

Fresh, frozen-thawed and formalin-preserved muscle samples heavily infected with Trichinella larvae were cut into several pieces and stained with Giemsa and Leishman and the reference Haematoxylineosin [H and E] stain. Observation under microscope revealed that both muscle larvae and nurse cells in fresh and formalin preserved specimens appeared as purplish blue structures contrasting with the pinkish color of non-infected muscle fibers in both Giemsa and Leishman stains. These findings were confirmed in H and E stained samples. However, frozen samples did not show contrast stain

Molecular characterization of Egyptian Giardia lamblia isolates

Six Giardia lamblia strains [four from Egypt, one from the USA and one from Sudan] were used to study the phenotypic and genotypic variation in some Egyptian G. Lamblia strains compared with other G. lamblia strains, which may be responsible for the difference in their behavioral characteristics. By using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [SDS-PAGE] for antigenic study, E1 strain appeared different from the rest of the strains with two bands; one at 121 kDa and the other at 34 kDa, which were not present in other strains, while bands at 130 and 43 kDa were present in all strains, but absent in E1 strain. Another difference between E1 strain and the rest of the strains was obtained by cellulase acetate electrophoresis [CAE], using phosphor-glucomutase [PGM] enzyme, where E1 strain gave a different zymodeme than the other strains. Based on the computerized random amplified polymorphic deoxyribonucleic acid- polymerase chain reaction [RAPD-PCR] analysis, 4 rapdemes were identified; rapdeme 1 contained E1 strain, rapdeme 2 contained E2, E3 and E4 isolates, rapdeme 3 contained Sudan strain and rapdeme 4 contained USA strain. In conclusion, this study revealed a diversity between G. lamblia strains, especially E1 strain, which showed unique characters