Biochemical Characterization of a Trypanosomatid Isolated from the Plant Amaranthus retroflexus

A protozoan flagelate has recently been isolated from Amaranthus retroflexus. This plant grows near economically important crops in southeastern Spain, which are known to be parasitized by Phytomonas spp. The present study focuses on the characterization of the energy metabolism of this new isolate. These flagellates utilize glucose efficiently as their primary energy source, although they are unable to completely degrade it. They excrete ethanol, acetate, glycine, and succinate in lower amount, as well as ammonium. The presence of glycosomes was indicated by the early enzymes of the glycolytic pathway, one enzyme of the glycerol pathway (glycerol kinase), and malate dehydrogenase. No evidence of a fully functional citric-acid cycle was found. In the absence of catalase activity, these flagellates showed significant superoxide dismutase activity located in the glycosomal and cytosolic fractions. These trypanosomes, despite being morphologically and metabolically similar to other Phytomonas isolated from the same area, showed significant differences, suggesting that they are phylogenetically different species

Sudden spleen rupture in a Plasmodium vivax-infected patient undergoing malaria treatment

BACKGROUND: Splenomegaly is one of the most common features of malaria. However, spontaneous splenic rupture, although unusual, represents a severe complication often leading to death. It is mostly seen in acute infection and primary attack, and it is most commonly associated with Plasmodium vivax. Here, a case of spontaneous splenic rupture diagnosed with a portable ultrasound apparatus shortly after starting treatment and with recurrent parasitaemia after splenectomy, is reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: In November 2015, a 45-year-old Brazilian man presented to the hospital in Manaus with fever, headache and myalgia. He was diagnosed with P. vivax malaria and, after a normal G6PD test, he started treatment with chloroquine and primaquine and was discharged. Two days later, he went back to the hospital with abdominal pain, dyspnea, dry cough, pallor, oliguria and fever. Using a portable ultrasound, he was diagnosed of rupture of the spleen, which was removed by emergency surgery. After this episode, he suffered two more malaria episodes with high parasitaemia at approximately 2-month intervals. DNA from different portions of the spleen was extracted and a qualitative PCR was performed to detect P. vivax. CONCLUSIONS: The splenic rupture suffered by this patient occurred 2 days after starting the treatment. Having a portable ultrasound apparatus may have saved the patient's life, as it revealed a haemorrhage needing an urgent surgery. Parasites were detected by PCR in the extracted spleen. This patient suffered two more vivax malaria diagnosed episodes in spite of receiving and completing treatment with chloroquine and primaquine for each clinical attack. Splenic rupture during acute malaria is uncommon, but it is likely underdiagnosed and underreported, because the lack of means and equipment hinders diagnostic confirmation, especially in endemic areas

Extracellular vesicles in parasitic diseases

Parasitic diseases affect billions of people and are considered a major public health issue. Close to 400 species are estimated to parasitize humans, of which around 90 are responsible for great clinical burden and mortality rates. Unfortunately, they are largely neglected as they are mainly endemic to poor regions. Of relevance to this review, there is accumulating evidence of the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in parasitic diseases, acting both in parasite–parasite inter-communication as well as in parasite–host interactions. EVs participate in the dissemination of the pathogen and play a role in the regulation of the host immune systems. Production of EVs from parasites or parasitized cells has been described for a number of parasitic infections. In this review, we provide the most relevant findings of the involvement of EVs in intercellular communication, modulation of immune responses, involvement in pathology, and their potential as new diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents in some of the major human parasitic pathogens

Ambiente redox salival: Comparación entre pacientes con enfermedad periodontal inflamatoria y pacientes periodontalmente sanos Salivary redox environment: comparison between patients suffering from periodontal disease and periodontal healthy patients

Con el objetivo de estudiar el Ambiente redox salival del paciente con enfermedad periodontal inflamatoria y el paciente sano desde el punto de vista periodontal, fue realizado un estudio observacional, transversal y de casos y controles en Pinar del Río, de Julio 2006 a Julio 2007. El universo lo constituyeron 35 individuos; no se aplicó muestreo; se conformaron dos grupos,"Estudio", que incluyó pacientes afectados periodontalmente, y "Control", que incluyó pacientes sanos periodontalmente; a ambos se les realizó un interrogatorio y un examen bucal; los datos fueron registrados en un Cuaderno de Recogida de Datos; se les recogió una muestra de saliva, la cual fue refrigerada a -20oC hasta el momento de la realización de las determinaciones bioquímicas en el analizador automático HITACHI. Para el procesamiento estadístico se aplicó la prueba de Outliers, ensayos de Shapiro, Wilks, se aplicó la prueba T de student y coeficiente de correlación de Pearson; el nivel de significación estadística empleado fue p<0,05. Se comprobó la existencia de un desequilibrio en el Ambiente redox del paciente enfermo respecto al sano. Se encontraron valores medios significativamente más altos de Productos Avanzados de Oxidación de Proteínas en los pacientes "Estudio" respecto a los "Control" y valores medios significativamente más altos en la Capacidad Reductora del Hierro Férrico en los pacientes "Control" respecto a los "Estudio". Se determinó que las variables de mayor valor diagnóstico para la enfermedad periodontal son los Productos Avanzados de Oxidación de Proteínas y la Capacidad Reductora del Hierro Férrico. Palabras clave: Estrés oxidativo, Enfermedad periodontal, saliva. ABSTRACT Aimed at studying Salivary Redox Environment of the patient suffering from the inflammatory periodontal disease and healthy patients from the periodontal point of view an observation, cross-sectional, a cases and controls study was carried out during July 2006-June 2007 in Pinar del Rio. The universe was comprised of 35 individuals; no sampling was applied; and two groups were formed, “Study” which included affected patients and “Control” periodontally healthy patients.  Both groups were interviewed and a oral and dental examination was performed.  Data were collected in a Data Processing Notebook.  A sample of saliva was taken and kept refrigerated at -20º C to conduct a biochemical analysis with a HITACHI automatic analyzer. The statistical process outliers values, Shapiro-Wilks, Students’s test, Pearson´s correlation coefficient were calculated, all of them at 95 % of certainty. The existence of an imbalance in the Patient’s Redox Environment respect to healthy patients was observed. Mean values were significantly higher than the Avanced Products of Protein Oxidation in the patients of the “Study” respect to those in “Control” and mean values were significantly higher in the Reducing Capacity of the Ferro-Iron in “Control” patients compared with “Study”, determining that the Advanced Products of Protein Oxidation and the Reducing Capacity of the Ferro-Iron were  the variables of the major diagnostic value for periodontal disease. Key words: Oxidative stress; Periodontal disease; saliva

Advancing Key Gaps in the Knowledge of Plasmodium vivax Cryptic Infections Using Humanized Mouse Models and Organs-on-Chips

Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite representing 36.3% of disease burden in the South-East Asia region and the most predominant species in the region of the Americas. Recent estimates indicate that 3.3 billion of people are under risk of infection with circa 7 million clinical cases reported each year. This burden is certainly underestimated as the vast majority of chronic infections are asymptomatic. For centuries, it has been widely accepted that the only source of cryptic parasites is the liver dormant stages known as hypnozoites. However, recent evidence indicates that niches outside the liver, in particular in the spleen and the bone marrow, can represent a major source of cryptic chronic erythrocytic infections. The origin of such chronic infections is highly controversial as many key knowledge gaps remain unanswered. Yet, as parasites in these niches seem to be sheltered from immune response and antimalarial drugs, research on this area should be reinforced if elimination of malaria is to be achieved. Due to ethical and technical considerations, working with the liver, bone marrow and spleen from natural infections is very difficult. Recent advances in the development of humanized mouse models and organs-on-a-chip models, offer novel technological frontiers to study human diseases, vaccine validation and drug discovery. Here, we review current data of these frontier technologies in malaria, highlighting major challenges ahead to study P. vivax cryptic niches, which perpetuate transmission and burden

Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers in Heart Transplant Patient with Chronic Chagas Disease

Chagas disease is emerging in countries to which it is not endemic. Biomarkers for earlier therapeutic response assessment in patients with chronic Chagas disease are needed. We profiled plasma-derived extracellular vesicles from a heart transplant patient with chronic Chagas disease and showed the potential of this approach for discovering such biomarkers

Morphological and Transcriptional Changes in Human Bone Marrow During Natural Plasmodium vivax Malaria Infections.

--- - Label: BACKGROUND NlmCategory: BACKGROUND content: The presence of Plasmodium vivax malaria parasites in the human bone marrow (BM) is still controversial. However, recent data from a clinical case and experimental infections in splenectomized nonhuman primates unequivocally demonstrated the presence of parasites in this tissue. - Label: METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS content: In the current study, we analyzed BM aspirates of 7 patients during the acute attack and 42 days after drug treatment. RNA extracted from CD71+ cell suspensions was used for sequencing and transcriptomic analysis. - Label: RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS content: We demonstrated the presence of parasites in all patients during acute infections. To provide further insights, we purified CD71+ BM cells and demonstrated dyserythropoiesis and inefficient erythropoiesis in all patients. In addition, RNA sequencing from 3 patients showed that genes related to erythroid maturation were down-regulated during acute infections, whereas immune response genes were up-regulated. - Label: CONCLUSIONS NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS content: This study thus shows that during P. vivax infections, parasites are always present in the BM and that such infections induced dyserythropoiesis and ineffective erythropoiesis. Moreover, infections induce transcriptional changes associated with such altered erythropoietic response, thus highlighting the importance of this hidden niche during natural infections

Global and Regional IUCN Red List Assessments: 3

In this contribution, the conservation status assessment of four vascular plants are presented according to IUCN categories and criteria. It includes the assessment at global level of Crepis lacera Ten subsp. titani (Pamp.) Roma-Marzio, G.Astuti & Peruzzi and Anthyllis hermanniae L. subsp. sicula Brullo & Giusso and the regional assessment of Commicarpus plumbagineus (Cav.) Standl. (Spain and Europe) and Ambrosia maritima L. (Italy)