Trichomonas vaginalis: Clinical relevance, pathogenicity and diagnosis

Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiological agent of trichomoniasis, the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Trichomoniasis is a widespread, global health concern and occurring at an increasing rate. Infections of the female genital tract can cause a range of symptoms, including vaginitis and cervicitis, while infections in males are generally asymptomatic. The relatively mild symptoms, and lack of evidence for any serious sequelae, have historically led to this disease being under diagnosed, and under researched. However, growing evidence that T. vaginalis infection is associated with other disease states with high morbidity in both men and women has increased the efforts to diagnose and treat patients harboring this parasite. The pathology of trichomoniasis results from damage to the host epithelia, caused by a variety of processes during infection and recent work has highlighted the complex interactions between the parasite and host, commensal microbiome and accompanying symbionts. The commercial release of a number of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) has added to the available diagnostic options. Immunoassay based Point of Care testing is currently available, and a recent initial evaluation of a NAAT Point of Care system has given promising results, which would enable testing and treatment in a single visit

Comparative aspects of immunity and vaccination in human and bovine trichomoniasis: a review

Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are important extracellular protozoans that cause, respectively, human and bovine venereal diseases. Trichomonads are extracellular parasites that primarily inhabit the genital tracts of the mammalian hosts where they overcome the mucus barrier and parasitize mucosa by contact-dependent or contact-independent cytotoxicity. Transient immunity is usually achieved by the host after clinical infection. At present, vaccination in cattle reduces infection rates and reproductive wastage in affected herds. After vaccination, immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels increase in systemic circulation while immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels rise in the vagina. Only moderate protection is conferred by means of vaccination. Future vaccine development strategies are needed for cattle to enhance the antigenic component or use adjuvant that strongly activates the innate immune response to produce safe and potent vaccines. This paper reviews the current knowledge of the immunology of trichomoniasis infection and the challenges and potential of vaccines in the control of the infection in human and bovine trichomoniasis.Institute of Food, Nutrition and Well-being (IFNuW) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.http://link.springer.com/journal/112502017-01-30hb201