Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in milk and risk factors analysis of seroprevalence in pregnant women at Sharkia, Egypt

Aim: Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important zoonotic parasitic diseases worldwide. Infection is not only acquired by contact with the definitive host, but also by ingestion of raw milk and milk products. The aim of the study was to detect T. gondii DNA in milk samples, and to estimate anti-T. gondii antibodies in pregnant women for the analysis of the associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: The study involved molecular examination of 150 milk samples collected from rural settings at Sharkia, Egypt. Seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was determined in 100 pregnant women by indirect haemagglutination test. The analysis of risk factors associated with seropositive results was assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: T. gondii DNA was detected in 8% and 2% of goat and sheep milk samples, respectively, while none of cow milk samples were positive. Seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in pregnant women was 82%, anti-T. gondii-IgG and anti-T. gondii-IgM were detected in 63% and 11% serum samples, respectively. The results showed a significant correlation between the seroprevalence and the contact with cats and consumption of raw milk and homemade cheese. Conclusion: The role of raw milk in transmission of T. gondii cannot be excluded. Contact with cats remains the main risk factor for acquiring T. gondii infection; also consumption of raw milk and milk products is considered an important risk factor. Further large scale studies are recommended to clarify the association of T. gondii seroprevalence with different risk factors

Real-Time PCR in HIV/Trypanosoma cruzi Coinfection with and without Chagas Disease Reactivation: Association with HIV Viral Load and CD4+ Level

Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America and is caused by the flagellate protozoan T. cruzi. The acute phase is asymptomatic in the majority of the cases and rarely causes inflammation of the heart or the central nervous system. Most infected patients progress to a chronic phase, characterized by cardiac or digestive involvement when not asymptomatic. However, when patients are also exposed to an immunosuppressant (such as chemotherapy), neoplasia, or other infections such as HIV, T. cruzi infection may develop into a severe disease (Chagas disease reactivation) involving the heart and central nervous system. The current microscopic methods for diagnosing Chagas disease reactivation are not sensitive enough to prevent the high rate of death observed in these cases. Therefore, we propose a quantitative method to monitor blood levels of the parasite, which will allow therapy to be administered as early as possible, even if the patient has not yet presented symptoms

A new spin-oriented nuclei facility: POLAREX

Using the On-Line Nuclear Orientation method, POLAREX (POLARization of EXotic nuclei) is a new facility allowing to study the anisotropic decay of spin-oriented nuclei. Based on the combination of on-line implantation of radioactive nuclei with Low Temperature Nuclear Orientation technique and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, POLAREX allows to measure nuclear electromagnetic moments and ground-state spins, in the aim to get information about the wave function composition of the nuclear state. Polarized nuclei can also be used to study fundamental interactions involving nuclear β-decay asymmetries. The POLAREX infrastructure will be installed at Accélérateur Linéaire auprés du Tandem d’Orsay in order to study neutron-rich nuclei, some of which have not been studied yet. Will be presented here, all the possibilities of this new facility and a non exhaustive scientific program

Metalloproteases in Trypanosoma rangeli-infected Rhodnius prolixus

Protease activities in the haemolymph and fat body in a bloodsucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus, infected with Trypanosoma rangeli, were investigated. After SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing gelatin as substrate, analysis of zymograms performed on samples of different tissues of controls and insects inoculated or orally infected with short or long epimastigotes of T. rangeli, demonstrated distinct patterns of protease activities: (i) proteases were detected in the haemolymph of insects which were fed on, or inoculated with, short epimastigotes of T. rangeli (39 kDa and 33 kDa, respectively), but they were not observed in the fat body taken from these insects; (ii) protease was also presented in the fat bodies derived from naive insects or controls inoculated with sterile phosphate-saline buffer (49 kDa), but it was not detected in the haemolymph of these insects; (iii) no protease activity was observed in both haemolymph and fat bodies taken from insects inoculated with, or fed on, long epimastigotes of T. rangeli. Furthermore, in short epimastigotes of T. rangeli extracts, three bands of the protease activities with apparent molecular weights of 297, 198 and 95 kDa were detected while long epimastigotes preparation presented only two bands of protease activities with molecular weights of 297 and 198 kDa. The proteases from the insect infected with T. rangeli and controls belong to the class of either metalloproteases or metal-activated enzymes since they are inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline. The significance of these proteases in the insects infected with short epimastigotes of T. rangeli is discussed in relation to the success of the establishment of infection of these parasites in its vector, R. prolixus