ABSTRACT
The protective effect of infectious agents against allergic reactions has been thoroughly investigated. Current studies have demonstrated the ability of some helminths to modulate the immune response of infected hosts. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Toxocara canis infection and the development of an allergic response in mice immunised with ovalbumin (OVA). We determined the total and differential blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells using BALB/c mice as a model. To this end, the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-10 and anti-OVA-IgE were measured using an ELISA. The inflammatory process in the lungs was observed using histology slides stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The results showed an increase in the total number of leukocytes and eosinophils in the blood of infected and immunised animals at 18 days after infection. We observed a slight lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate in the portal space in all infected mice. Anti-OVA-IgE levels were detected in smaller proportions in the plasma of immunised and infected mice compared with mice that were only infected. Therefore, we concluded that T. canis potentiates inflammation in the lungs in response to OVA, although anti-OVA-IgE levels suggest a potential reduction of the inflammatory process through this mechanism.
Subject(s)
Animals , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology , Hypersensitivity/parasitology , Lung/immunology , Toxocara canis/immunology , Toxocariasis/immunology , Antibodies/blood , Biopsy , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Eosinophils/parasitology , Immunoglobulin E/blood , Inflammation/physiopathology , Interleukin-10/blood , Interleukin-4/blood , Interleukin-5/blood , Leukocyte Count , Lung/pathology , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Ovalbumin/immunology , Toxocariasis/bloodSubject(s)
Adult , Animals , Female , Humans , Consciousness Disorders/etiology , Dyspnea/etiology , Fever/etiology , HIV Infections/complications , Klebsiella Infections/complications , Klebsiella pneumoniae/isolation & purification , Lung Diseases, Parasitic/complications , Meningitis, Bacterial/complications , Strongyloides stercoralis/isolation & purification , Strongyloidiasis/complications , Bacteremia/complications , Bacteremia/microbiology , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology , Coinfection , Diagnosis, Differential , Fatal Outcome , Facial Paralysis/etiology , Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome/diagnosis , Klebsiella Infections/microbiology , Lung Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis , Lung Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology , Multiple Organ Failure , Meningitis, Bacterial/microbiology , Paresis/etiology , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/etiology , Strongyloidiasis/diagnosis , Strongyloidiasis/parasitology , Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral/complications , Urinary Tract Infections/complications , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil transmitted intestinal nematode that is endemic in the tropical and subtropical regions. In most individuals who are infected, chronic, usually asymptomatic, gastrointestinal infection persists. But, in immunocompromized hosts or in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, autoinfection of S. stercoralis may result in the dissemination of larvae, leading to fatal hyperinfection and increased rate of complications. We report a case of hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with bacterial meningitis in a patient receiving steroid therapy. Strongyloidiasis was diagnosed by the presence of filariform larvae of S. stercoralis in the bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy specimen. Her clinical symptoms had progressively aggravated and developed bacterial meningitis during treatment. She died despite aggressive antibiotic and antihelminthic therapy.
Subject(s)
Aged , Animals , Female , Humans , Adrenal Insufficiency/drug therapy , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology , Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal , Enterococcus faecium/isolation & purification , Immunocompromised Host , Intestinal Mucosa/pathology , Larva/physiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meningitis, Bacterial/complications , Steroids/adverse effects , Strongyloides stercoralis/growth & development , Strongyloidiasis/complicationsABSTRACT
Lophomonas sp. es un parásito habitual del tracto intestinal de las cucarachas y que no es reconocido como patógeno humano. Sin embargo, en la literatura mundial existen escasos reportes de Lophomonas sp. en secreciones del tracto respiratorio en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar grave, principalmente en adultos. Presentamos evidencias de Lophomonas sp. en el tracto respiratorio inferior de niños atendidos en el centro de referencia nacional de enfermedades pediátricas de Lima, Perú, en el periodo 2009-2010. Se encontró seis casos, 4/23 provenientes de muestras de lavado broncoalveolar y 2/794 muestras de aspirado traqueal de niños. Cinco de ellos tuvieron neumonía y uno atelectasia, cuatro estuvieron en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Es necesario conocer más sobre la presencia de este organismo en infecciones respiratorias así como su rol patogénico real.
Lophomonas sp. is a habitual parasite of the intestinal tract of the cockroaches and that is not recognized as pathogenic human being. Nevertheless, in the world literature are few reports of Lophomonas sp. in respiratory tract secretions in patients with severe pulmonary disease, mostly in adults. We present evidences of Lophomonas sp. in the respiratory low tract of children attended in the national reference center of paediatric diseases of Lima, Peru, in the period 2009- 2010. We found six cases, 4/23 from broncoalveolar lavage and 2/794 from tracheal aspirate samples of children. Five of them had pneumonia and one atelectasis, four were hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Increase knowledge about the presence of this organism in respiratory infections is needed, as its real pathogenic role.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Animals , Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology , Lung Diseases/parasitology , Parasites/isolation & purification , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hospitalization , Severity of Illness Index , Trachea/parasitologyABSTRACT
A 65-year-old female was evaluated for suspected bronchogenic carcinoma. The chest x-ray revealed a left parahilar opacity with a raised left dome of diaphragm. Fiberbronchoscopy showed an oedematous and hyperemic left main bronchus but no growth was visualised. Bronchial biopsy did not show any evidence of neoplasm. However, the bronchial aspirate smear examination showed one microfilaria. Post bronchoscopic roentgenogram done on the next day revealed clearing of left parahilar shadow and a normal diaphragm. The patient responded well to 300 mg of diethylcarbamazine given in divided doses for 3 weeks.
Subject(s)
Administration, Oral , Aged , Animals , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology , Bronchoscopy , Diethylcarbamazine/administration & dosage , Female , Filariasis/diagnosis , Humans , Microfilariae/isolation & purification , Radiography, ThoracicABSTRACT
Durante 41 meses se investigó la presencia de parásitos en una población HIV seropositiva con las características clínicas de los estadíos 3 y 4 según la clasificación de la OMS. Se analizaron 212 muestras fecales de 135 pacientes y 53,33 por ciento de ellos presentaban enteroparásitos. A las heces recolectadas en formol 10 por ciento se les realizó un examen parasitológico directo, una concentración por Ritchie y la tinción de 2 frotis con Safranina 1 por ciento y 2 con Ziehl-Neelsen modificada para identificar Cryptosporidium sp. Las frecuencias detectadas fueron: Cryptosporidium sp. 11,11 por ciento; I. belli 2,96 por ciento; G. lamblia 11,85 por ciento; B. hominis 26,66 por ciento; A. lumbricoides 2,96 por ciento; E. vermicularis 1,48 por ciento; H. nana 0,74 por ciento; E. coli 13,33 por ciento por ciento; E. nana 5,93 por ciento; Ch. mesnilii 2,22 por ciento e I. butschlii 0,74 por ciento; resultando 46 pacientes monoparasitados, 19 b, 5 tri y 2 tetraparasitados. Se procesaron 17 lavados broncoalveolares (LBA) y 194 esputos, recolectados en formal 10 por ciento y centrifugados hasta agotamiento. Con el sedimento se realizaron 10 frotis y se colorearon con azul de toluidina O. La tinción de Groccot Gomori se usó para confirmar los casos dudosos. En el 47 por ciento de los LBA y en 22,68 por ciento de los esputos (E) se diagnosticó P. carinii. Esto representa el 34,68 por ciento. El porcentaje de positividad fue: 30,88 por ciento para los pacientes que remitieron un único esputo; 36,84 por ciento más de uno y 27,276 por ciento para LBA. Por último 7 pacientes enviaron LBA y E, siendo 2 positivos y 2 negativos en ambos materiales, mientras que en 3 pacientes se diagnosticó P. carinii sólo en LBA