ABSTRACT
Two-site immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) (Zavala et al., 1982) using monoclonal antibodies to P. falciparum and P. vivax was applied to detect sporozoites in laboratory-maintained An. dirus and also mosquitoes collected from endemic areas of malaria in Thailand. Study in P. falciparum infected mosquitoes revealed that the circumsporozoite (CS) antigen was first found in the abdominal portion on day 10 post-infection, while it could be observed in the salivary glands from day 15 onwards. The head-thorax portion of wild-caught mosquitoes were investigated by IRMA compared with the dissection technique. The results showed that none of the mosquitoes collected from Phrae was positive for malaria. The mosquitoes collected from Chantaburi showed 4 out of 1243 An. dirus that were positive for P. falciparum by IRMA, with sporozoites ranging from 207 to 3875. Among 3123 An. minimus collected from Kanchanaburi, 3 were positive by IRMA, 2 for P. falciparum and one P. vivax with sporozoites found in head-thorax portion were 1880, 2380 and 1026 respectively. Not a single sporozoite was found in the mosquitoes collected from these areas by the dissection technique. However 7 out of 1219 An. minimus from Kanchanaburi were found to possess undeveloped oocysts in the stomach wall. It is evident that the IRMA is efficient, convenient and suitable for the investigation of sporozoites in this region. The application of this technique in further epidemiological study of malaria is in progress.
Subject(s)
Animals , Anopheles/parasitology , Antigens, Protozoan/analysis , Immunoassay/methods , Plasmodium falciparum/isolation & purification , Plasmodium vivax/isolation & purification , Radiometry/methods , ThailandABSTRACT
A diagnostic method for gnathostomiasis by radioimmunoassay was carried out. Antibody activity produced in cat serum against Gnathostoma antigen was measured by using solid phase method and 125I-labelled anti cat IgG antibody. The result showed that the antibody activity in cats infected with Gnathostoma spinigerum was significantly higher than those of the control group and the Toxocara infected cats even at the dilution of 1:10,000, except in the Opisthorchis infected group at the dilution higher than 1:400. The results in the present study seem to be promising for the diagnosis of gnathostomiasis. Cross reaction with other parasitic infections and the development for the higher specificity by this method is in progress.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cat Diseases/diagnosis , Cats , Gnathostoma , Nematode Infections/diagnosis , RadioimmunoassayABSTRACT
Serum vitamin B12, serum and red cell folate concentrations and vitamin B12 absorption were studied in 100 patients with fasciolopsiasis. A mean value of serum vitamin B12 level in the patient group was found to be significantly lower than that of normal subjects and 14% of these patients had serum vitamin B12 level less than 100 pg/ml. Serum UBBC and TBBC levels in the patients were significantly higher than those of the normal subjects. Serum TCI and TCIII increased significantly while TCII decreased. Vitamin B12 absorption was found to be impaired in 3 of 9 patients studied. There was no relationship seen between serum vitamin B12 level and vitamin B12 absorption. The mean values of serum folate and red cell folate levels in the patient group were significantly lower than those of normal subjects. Fifteen of 100 patients (15%) had serum folate level less than 3 ng/ml, while all of them had red cell folate higher than 100 ng/ml. Serum folic acid binding protein levels (FABP) in these patients, were not significantly different from those of normal subjects.
Subject(s)
Child , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Female , Folic Acid/blood , Humans , Male , Protein Binding , Transcobalamins/analysis , Trematode Infections/blood , Vitamin B 12/bloodABSTRACT
Vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 binding proteins were determined in 20 patients with iron deficiency anaemia who showed low haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum iron levels and hypochromic microcytic red blood cells. The serum vitamin B12 levels in these patients were significantly lower than that of the normal subjects. Nine of 20 patients had serum vitamin B12 less than 350 pg/ml. There was a significant increase in serum UBBC and TBBC levels in patient group and 9 of 20 patients had higher UBBC values than those of the normal subjects. The absolute values of TCI and TCII increased significantly while TCIII was within the normal limit even though the percentage of UBBC were not different from that of the normal subjects.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Hypochromic/blood , Blood Proteins/analysis , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Transcobalamins/analysis , Vitamin B 12/bloodABSTRACT
Coagulation and fibrinolytic studies were conducted in 18 cases of severe falciparum malaria including cases with parasitaemia above 5% and with pernicious manifestations such as coma, jaundice, anuria, pulmonary oedema, bleeding tendency, etc., irrespective of parasitaemia. Marked changes in blood coagulograms and high levels of serum fibrin degradation products appeared only in cases with very severe cerebral involvement and also in cases with very high parasitaemia alone. These investigations indicated that intravascular coagulation occurs only in patients suffering from falciparum malaira who develop cerebral manifestations and in cases with high parasitaemia.