Cross-reaction of antigen preparations from adult and larval stages of the parasite Setaria equina with sera from infected humans with Wuchereria bancrofti

Crude antigenic preparations from Setaria equina were used in ELISA and Western blotting to examine cross-reaction with human sera from areas endemic for bancroftian filariasis. Sera from normal subjects from non-endemic areas were included as negative controls. Cross-reaction was found between 5. equina antigens and antibodies in the sera of Wuchereria bancrofti-infected patients, with the highest levels observed between sera of chronic infected patients and Setaria spp. crude female worm surface antigen [CFSWA]. In the absence of active transmission of Setaria spp. infection, CFWSA is useful to detect chronic W. bancrofti infection before patients become symptomatic, particularly when chronic patients are known to be amicrofilaraemic. In the presence of active 5. equina infection, antigens from the adult and microfilaraemic stages showed the highest degree of cross-reaction with human sera

Impact of polystyrene beads as a mosquito control measure to supplement lymphatic filariasis elimination activities in Socotra Island, Yemen

Lymphatic filariasis [LF] is targeted for worldwide elimination. In Yemen, all mainland implementation units met the WHO criteria for stopping mass drug administration [MDA] after 5 rounds. However, in Socotra Island these criteria were not met. Our study evaluated the efficacy of applying expanded polystyrene beads [EPBs] on the Culex population and the effect on LF transmission. Human and mosquito surveys were conducted in 40 randomly selected households in Hadibo [capital of Socotra] before and after application of EPBs. The EPBs intervention resulted in a reduction in mosquito density of 80% and a 64.3% reduction in microfilaria prevalence. The majority of interviewed households [98%] thought EPBs considerably reduced the mosquito population. After the intervention all collected pools tested negative. Application of EPBs is an effective supplement to MDA for achieving the goal of LF elimination

CT scan of brain in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Sixteen female SLE patients with an age ranging between 25 and 40 years were included in this study. Neuropsychiatric manifestations were found in 32.2% of the 16 SLE patients. There were impaired memory and concentration [one case], monoparesis and aphasia [one case], dizziness [one case], headache [three cases], psychosis [one case] and depression [one case]. CT scan endings of the brain were abnormal in 25% of the SLE patients and it revealed areas of microinfarction in temporal, parietal or frontal lobes. CT scan of the brain is helpful to detect the brain involvement in SLE patients

Studies on the antioxidant activity of the volatile and non volatile compounds isolated from Eucalyptus globules leaves

The Eucalyptus globules leaves were subjected to hydrodistillation for 8 hoursusing a Clevenger type apparatus; the yield of the obtained essential oil wasabout 0.6%. The residue of the leaves was subjected to sequential extractionwith n-hexane, dichloromethane and ethanol. Each extract was reduced byevaporation to a standard volume then stored in a dark container at 5 deguntil work up. The antioxidant activity of each extract and of the essentialoil was determined using the reducing power test and the thiobarbituric acidmethod. The ethanol extract had the highest reducing power compared with theother extracts, and with butylated hydroxy toluene [BHT] and butylated hydroxyanisole [BHA]. Each extract was fractionated using column chromatography. Evaluation of the most active fraction was carried out, in addition tocharacterization of the major fractions

Host-parasite relationships of wuchereria bancrofti and mosquito hosts, culex pipiens L and aedes caspius pallas

The reciprocal deleterious effects of both the mosquito host and its parasite were reported. Anatomical and histological examinations of mosquitos revealed minor differences in the general structure of the foregut of either species. However, the cibarial pump of Ae. caspius lacked a cibarial armature and damage inflicted to some of the microfilariae [mf] ingested by this mosquito was not mechanical. In contrast, the cibarial armature of Cx. pipiens consisted of 24 delicate teeth, which did not seem to affect ingested mf. The peritrophic membrane [pm] did not constitute a significant barrier to mf, migrating through the midgut wall of either mosquito. Traversing mf perforated the pm and displaced the basement membrane. Within the thorax of Cx. pipiens, the parasite completed its development synchronously. In contrast, mf ingested by Ae. caspius did not develop beyond the sausage stage and many of these larvae were vacuolated. In both mosquitos, parasitized thoracic muscle fibers were tunneled and only in Ae. caspius, their nuclei were pyknotic. No worm encapsulation or melanization was observed in either mosquito

Uptake and development of wuchereria bancrofti in culex pipiens L and aedes caspiuspallas

Studies were conducted to compare early phenomena associated with W. bancrofti infection and further development in the filaria vector Culex pipiens and the refractory mosquito Aedes caspius. Ingestion rates evaluated immediately after simultaneous feeding on an infected human were 69.1% for 43 Cx. pipiens and 35.7% for 28 Ae. caspius. The observed number of mf ingested by either mosquito did not vary significantly [2.7 +/- 1.4, and 2.3 +/- 0.9, respectively] and, based on the size of the blood meal ingested [2.8 and 2.3 mul, respectively], a 2-fold mf concentration factor was recorded for both species. Blood ingested by Cx. pipiens [N = 16] and Ae. caspius [N = 10] clotted within 120 and 90 minutes post-feeding, respectively. The time difference observed however, did not affect significantly the rates of migration into the hemocele [56 and 67%, respectively]. Comparison of initial infection rates with those obtained after the extrinsic incubation period of the parasite was completed, indicated that the proportion of infected Cx. pipiens was reduced by 3.9% and that of Ae. caspius by 30%. Furthermore, the observed infectivity ratio of 265 Cx. pipiens that had an infective blood meal was 0.74 and only 0.009 for 70 Ae. caspius

Study of the thermal stability and mechanical properties of some styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers

Copolymers of styrene and acrylonitrile were prepared with different compositions and were identified by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. The triad sequence distribution of the prepared copolymers .was determined by 13[C-]nmr. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the thermal stability of the copolymers are increased by increasing the acrylonitrile ratio. The mechanical measureanents showed that the tensile strength increases with the introduction of acrylonitrile groups into the copolymer chains

oxidative thermal degradation of polypropylenes and the influence of some zinc chelates

The effect of sane prepared zinc chelates, namely, bis[N-butyl salicylaldimino]Zn, bis[N-benzyl salicylaldimino] Zn, thiourea Zn chloride and bis[4-amino pent-3 on 2--anato] Zn, on the oxidation of polypropylene at high temperature was investigated. The Zinc chelates, functioned as antioxidants- for pelypropylene, although bis [N-butyl salicylaldimino] Zn showed no measurable effect. Mechanisms have been proposed to account for the role of these chelates as antioxidants

Electrophoretic separation of two aedes caspius pallas forms from Egypt

Isozyme banding patterns of the recently recognized autogenous stenogamous and anautogenous eurygamous sexually isolated Aedes caspius forms were investigated using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis of 5 enzymes. The esterase assay clearly separated the 2 forms, a faster band being characteristic of autogenous individuals. Other tested enzymes were encoded by 5 loci that were highly polymorphic. The "malic" enzyme locus was unambiguously diagnostic, specific, non-overlapping alleles at that locus were revealed in each form. Other enzyme loci screened exhibited at least 2 alleles common to both forms, allelic frequency differences at these loci could not separate the 2 forms except at the cathodal MDH-1 locus [malate dehydrogenase assay]. Probability of correct diagnosis at the MDH-1 locus was as high as 93% so that it may be used as a confirmatory test