Cysteine proteinase 30 in clinical isolates of T. vaginalis from symptomatic and asymptomatic infected women.

A cysteine proteinase of 30 kDa (CP30) of Trichomonas vaginalis, is known to play a role in cytoadherence of the parasite to host cells. However, the CP30 activity in clinical isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients has not been analyzed. In the present study, CP30 was detected in 20 fresh and long-term culture maintained T. vaginalis isolates each from symptomatic and asymptomatic women by substrate gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Though CP30 was detected in all the fresh isolates from 20 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic women, the intensity of CP30 band was significantly higher in isolates from symptomatic as compared to asymptomatic women indicating higher expression in former. CP30 was found in all the 20 long-term cultured isolates from symptomatic whereas only in 70% of asymptomatic women indicating that CP30 expression is a more stable characteristic of symptomatic isolates. The isolates from symptomatic women, demonstrated significantly higher cytoadherence to VECs as compared to asymptomatic women. In both the types of isolates, this cytoadherence was inhibited significantly by CP30 specific hyperimmune serum. These results confirm that CP30 is an important virulence factor of T. vaginalis and has an important role in cytoadherence to VECs and thus has a role in pathogenesis of trichomoniasis.

Human toxocariasis and ascariasis: concomitant parasitism in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.

Human toxocariasis caused by Toxocara canis is common in both developing and developed countries and leads to visceral larva migrans with high morbidity and mortality. Ascariasis caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, too has global distribution and in India, high prevalence rate has been reported in Kashmir (J & K State). Both nematode parasites, Toxocara canis and A. lumbricoides require similar biological and environmental conditions for the development of eggs in soil. Therefore, the present study was attempted to detect the antibody response to T. Canis excretory-secretory (ES) antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in patients attending Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir to assess the magnitude of human toxocariasis in Kashmir, the highly endemic area of ascariasis. Interestingly, it was observed that 38 (82.60%) out of 46 patients harbouring Ascaris Iumbricoides had positive antibody response to T. Canis ES antigen while none of the 15 normal healthy subjects from the same endemic zone, 25 from low endemic zone Chandigarh and 15 from other parasitic infections (hookworm, hydatidosis, cysticercosis) indicated detectable positive response. Majority of the ascariasis positive patients studied were in the age group of 21-40 years. However, one ascariasis patient studied in the age group of 1-10 years (4 years old) had also positive antibody response to T. Canis antigen. This study is the first report of human toxocariasis in Kashmir, India, an endemic zone for ascariasis and emphasizes the need for detailed epidemiological study for the ultimate prevention and control of this disease