45 research outputs found
Diagnostic study on an immunochromatographic rapid test for schistosomiasis: comparison between use on serum and on blood spot from fingerprick
An immunochromatographic rapid test (ICT; Schistosoma ICT IgG-IgM, LDBIO Diagnostics) demonstrated high sensitivity (96%) in the diagnosis ofSchistosoma mansoniandS. haematobium. To date, the test has been validated for use on serum only, but in the absence of lab equipment, blood drop from fingerprick could be a useful option. This method is acquiring more interest because of the high flow of migrants rapidly moving across Italy and other European countries
Identification of miRNAs of Strongyloides stercoralis L1 and iL3 larvae isolated from human stool
Strongyloidiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the soil-transmitted nematode by Strongyloides stercoralis, that affects approximately 600 million people worldwide. In immunosuppressed individuals disseminated strongyloidiasis can rapidly lead to fatal outcomes. There is no gold standard for diagnosing strongyloidiasis, and infections are frequently misdiagnosed. A better understanding of the molecular biology of this parasite can be useful for example for the discovery of potential new biomarkers. Interestingly, recent evidence showed the presence of small RNAs in Strongyloididae, but no data was provided for S. stercoralis. In this study, we present the first identification of miRNAs of both L1 and iL3 larval stages of S. stercoralis. For our purpose, the aims were: (i) to analyse the miRNome of L1 and iL3 S. stercoralis and to identify potential miRNAs of this nematode, (ii) to obtain the mRNAs profiles in these two larval stages and (iii) to predict potential miRNA target sites in mRNA sequences. Total RNA was isolated from L1 and iL3 collected from the stool of 5 infected individuals. For the miRNAs analysis, we used miRDeep2 software and a pipeline of bio-informatic tools to construct a catalog of a total of 385 sequences. Among these, 53% were common to S. ratti, 19% to S. papillosus, 1% to Caenorhabditis elegans and 44% were novel. Using a differential analysis between the larval stages, we observed 6 suggestive modulated miRNAs (STR-MIR-34A-3P, STR-MIR-8397-3P, STR-MIR-34B-3P and STR-MIR-34C-3P expressed more in iL3, and STR-MIR-7880H-5P and STR-MIR-7880M-5P expressed more in L1). Along with this analysis, we obtained also the mRNAs profiles in the same samples of larvae. Multiple testing found 81 statistically significant mRNAs of the total 1553 obtained (FDRâ<â0.05; 32 genes expressed more in L1 than iL3; 49 genes expressed more in L3 than iL1). Finally, we found 33 predicted mRNA targets of the modulated miRNAs, providing relevant data for a further validation to better understand the role of these small molecules in the larval stages and their valuein clinical diagnostics
Accuracy of Five Serologic Tests for the Follow up of Strongyloides stercoralis Infection
BACKGROUND: Traditional faecal-based methods have poor
sensitivity for the detection of S. stercoralis, therefore are
inadequate for post-treatment evaluation of infected patients
who should be carefully monitored to exclude the persistence of
the infection. In a previous study, we demonstrated high
accuracy of five serology tests for the screening and diagnosis
of strongyloidiasis. Aim of this study is to evaluate the
performance of the same five tests for the follow up of patients
infected with S. stercoralis. METHODS: Retrospective study on
anonymized, cryo-preserved samples available at the Centre for
Tropical Diseases (Negrar, Verona, Italy). Samples were
collected before and from 3 to 12 months after treatment. The
samples were tested with two commercially-available ELISA tests
(IVD, Bordier), two techniques based on a recombinant antigen
(NIE-ELISA and NIE-LIPS) and one in-house IFAT. The results of
each test were evaluated both in relation to the results of
fecal examination and to those of a composite reference standard
(classifying as positive a sample with positive stools and/or at
least three positive serology tests). The associations between
the independent variables age and time and the dependent
variable value of serological test (for all five tests), were
analyzed by linear mixed-effects regression model. RESULTS: A
high proportion of samples demonstrated for each test a
seroreversion or a relevant decline (optical density/relative
light units halved or decrease of at least two titers for IFAT)
at follow up, results confirmed by the linear mixed effects
model that showed a trend to seroreversion over time for all
tests. In particular, IVD-ELISA (almost 90% samples demonstrated
relevant decline) and IFAT (almost 87%) had the best
performance. Considering only samples with a complete
negativization, NIE-ELISA showed the best performance (72.5%
seroreversion). CONCLUSIONS: Serology is useful for the follow
up of patients infected with S. stercoralis and determining test
of cure
Prevalence of Chagas disease and strongyloidiasis among HIV-infected Latin American immigrants in Italy â The CHILI study
INTRODUCTION: Screening HIV-positive migrants for neglected tropical diseases having potential for life-threatening reactivation, such as Chagas disease and strongyloidiasis is not widely implemented. We evaluated the prevalence of these infections among a large cohort of HIV-infected migrants from Latin America living in Italy.
METHOD: Cross-sectional study evaluating the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and Strongyloides stercoralis infections in HIV-infected migrants from Latin America enrolled in the Italian Cohort of Antiretroviral-NaĂŻve patients (ICONA) between 1997 and 2018, based on serology performed on sera stored in the ICONA Foundation biobank. Screening for Chagas disease was performed using two commercial ELISA complemented by commercial Immunoblot and CLIA if discordant. Strongyloidiasis was evaluated using a commercial ELISA.
RESULTS: 389 patients were analysed. Fifteen (3.86%) had at least one positive Chagas ELISA test. Prevalence of Chagas disease was 0.5% or 1.29% depending on the confirmatory technique. Serology for strongyloidiasis was positive in 16 (4.11%) patients. Only Nadir CD4+ T cell count was associated with discordant serology for Chagas disease (p = 0.046).
CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of seroassays for Chagas disease and strongyloidiasis in HIV-positive patients is unclear. To avoid missing potentially life-threatening infections, we suggest implementing additional diagnostic strategies in at-risk patients with inconclusive serology results
Schistosomiasis Screening of Travelers from Italy with Possible Exposure in Corsica, France
Correction to: Cluster identification, selection, and description in Cluster randomized crossover trials: the PREP-IT trials
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article
Tick-borne pathogens in removed ticks Veneto, northeastern Italy: A cross-sectional investigation
International audienceBackground: In Italy, the incidence of tick-borne diseases in humans is underestimated, as they are not obligatorily notifiable. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from human subjects in Veneto region (northeastern Italy), an area for which no published studies are yet available. Method: Forty-five ticks prospectively removed from human subjects, between March and August 2016, were analysed for bacterial DNA. Results: Seven of 45 ticks were infected with bacteria, including human pathogens: 4 Rickettsia spp. (9%), including R. monacensis and R. helvetica; 3 Borrelia spp. and 1 Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Three subjects bitten by infected ticks reported symptoms. Conclusions: Rickettsiosis and anaplasmosis, tick-borne diseases previously not considered in northeastern Italy, should not be neglected. A new survey for a longer period is required to obtain stronger epidemiological data