Urinary antingen detection for diagnosis of hydatid disease

Hydatid antigen was demonstrated for the first time in urine of patients with hydatidosis by coagglutination test [Co-A]. Urinary antigen was detected in all Co-A positive serum corresponding samples of surgically confirmed hydatid disease. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% in urine compared with the corresponding serum samples. These results clarified that the use of Co-A test for the detection of hydatid antigen in urine is an easy, simple, rapid, noninvasive and efficient method for the diagnosis of hydatidosis

Experimental amoebic liver abcess produced by oral adminsitration of entamoeba histolytica cysts

To determine the possibility of amoebic invasion and liver abscess formation, Swiss albino mice were infected orally with E. Histolytica cysts isolated from human stools. Parasitological and histopathological changes in mice colon and liver tissues were sequentially followed. Three weeks post-infection [pi], 5% of immunocompetent and all cortisonized immunosuppressed mice passed the parasite in their stools. Only 70% of the latter group of mice sacrificed at that time developed invasive intestinal amoebiasis. At the end of the experiment, 100% of the remaining immunosuppressed animals developed the same intestinal pathology. Amoebic liver abscess was detected in 62.5% of them. Oral inoculation of E. histolytica cysts constituted an easy highly reproducible procedure for inducing liver abscess in immunosuppressed mice

Is the intestinal tract a portal of entry for Acanthamoeba infection?

Acanthamoeba culbertsoni isolated from a water sample of El-Mahmoudia canal in Alexandria, was orally inoculated into a mouse model [200-400 amoebae / mouse] under different conditions. One week postinfection [P.I.], 20% of infected normoacidic mice and all animals received cimetidine or tetracycline prior to infection passed the parasite in their stools. One month P.I. 70% of cimetidine and 100% of tetracycline pretreated mice showed marked erosion in the intestinal mucosa and areas of necrosis with congestion in the brains with trophozoites and cysts in both tissues. It is concluded that, normoacidic mice may be simply acting as paratenic hosts. In case of hypoacidity or altered normal flora, the intestinal tract was invaded by amoebae representing a new portal of entry for CNS infection

novel macrolide in mixed protozoal infection in immunosuppressed mice

As the number of immunocompromized patients is increasing, there will be an increasing need for a reliable therapy efficacious against the opportunistic intestinal protozoa. The present work aimed to study the efficacy of azithromycin as a single weapon directed against mixed intestinal protozoal infection induced in immunosuppressed mice. In the infected treated group of mice, there was a marked amelioration of the pathological changes provoked by the four parasites Cryptosporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. As long as the mice were receiving azithromycin, there was a significant reduction of all parasitic stages with the complete absence of spore forming protozoa. One week after the drug was stopped Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica stages were progressively reduced but oocysts of cryptosporidia and spores of Entercytozoon bieneusi reappeared in situ. Azithromycin therapy should be continued as long as the individual is immunosuppressed