Allergic diseases and parasitosis [Alerjik hastaliklar ve parazitoz.]

PubMed ID: 17124666During recent decades, studies from Western countries suggest that there has been a significant increase in the incidence and prevalence of atopic diseases. Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between geohelminth infection and allergy leading to the suggestion that geohelminths protect against allergy. Geohelminth parasites modulate allergic inflammation directed against parasite antigens and the same mechanisms may affect responses to inhalant aeroallergens. Recently, it has been demonstrated that helminths induce suppressed host immune responses by the priming for regulatory T cells. New treatments being considered for the treatment of asthma include live infections with hookworms. Insights provided by how geohelminths modulate inflammatory responses may allow the development of new treatments that mimic these effects

Optimisation of diagnostic real time PCR assays for ITS-1 and ITS-2 regions of Leishmania Genus

WOS: 00026926400050

Leishmaniasis in Turkey: Determination of Leishmania species by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in Southeastern Anatolia, mainly in Sanliurfa and Hatay provinces, and the causative agents are mostly Leishmania tropica and less frequently L. infantum. Here, we report the first MALDI-TOF analyses of Leishmania promastigotes obtained from the cultures of two CL cases from Osmaniye and Hatay provinces who were initially diagnosed by microscopy, culture and identified as L. infantum with Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR). Methods: Samples obtained from the skin lesions of patients were initially stained with Giemsa and cultivated in NNN medium. Examination of the smears and cultures revealed Leishmania amastigotes and promastigotes, respectively. The promastigotes (MHOM/TR/2012/CBU15 and MHOM/TR/2012/MK05) obtained from the cultures of both patients were used for RT-PCR targeting the ITS-1 region in the SSU of rRNA. The reference strains of four Leishmania species (L. infantum, L. donovani, L. tropica and L. major) were initially assessed with MALDI-TOF and their data were added to MALDI-TOF Biotyper Library. Results: Both RT-PCR and MALDI-TOF analyses indicated that the causative agent in both patient samples was L. infantum. Conclusion: Despite disadvantages such as requirement of culture fluid with nothing but promastigotes and high cost, MALDI-TOF analysis may be a fast, sensitive and specific diagnostic tool in especially large-scale research studies, where the cost declines, relatively