Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0017536 (giardiasis)
 1,714 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Proteolytic enzymes seem to play important roles in the life cycles of all medically important protozoan parasites, including the organisms that cause malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, amebiasis, toxoplasmosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis and trichomoniasis. Proteases from all four major proteolytic classes are utilized by protozoans for diverse functions, including the invasion of host cells and tissues, the degradation of mediators of the immune response and the hydrolysis of host proteins for nutritional purposes. The biochemical and molecular characterization of protozoan proteases is providing tools to improve our understanding of the functions of these enzymes. In addition, studies in multiple systems suggest that inhibitors of protozoan proteases have potent antiparasitic effects. This review will discuss recent advances in the identification and characterization of protozoan proteases, in the determination of the function of these enzymes, and in the evaluation of protease inhibitors as potential antiprotozoan drugs.
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PMID:Proteases of protozoan parasites. 1021 91

A review is given on Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiosis, Toxoplasmosis, Toxocarosis, Trichinellosis and Taeniosis.
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PMID:[Parasitic zoonoses]. 1048 42

The Marshall Plan of 1947 kindled interest in research in Europe. The U.S. Public Health Service encouraged the use of blocked national currencies to research disease problems. The parasitic diseases were epidemic/epizootic problems in Poland. The initial project was trichinellosis. The 10-year study emphasized the natural history, epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy of trichinellosis in Poland. The wildlife source of trichinellosis was widespread. Clinical studies discounted the effectiveness of mebendazole but found steroids useful. Taenia saginata is common in Eastern Europe. T. saginata cystericosis in cattle is not easily diagnosed. Physical examination by meat inspectors missed 50% of the infected carcasses. Taenia solium is uncommon. Giardiasis is declining in Poland. The epidemiology of giardiasis in Poland is different from that in the United States, where water-borne infections are common. A study of toxoplasmosis revealed a low prevalence in women but a high prevalence in cats. No cases were identified in 4,311 newborns.
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PMID:Polish and American collaboration on zoonotic parasitic studies, 1960 to 1997. 1074 Oct 88

In Togo, livestock represent an important part of the national and subsistence economies. The most prevalent zoonoses documented in Toga are brucellosis, tuberculosis, cysticercosis and rabies. The status of other zoonoses such as toxoplasmosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis and salmonellosis is not known. A national eradication programme has been instigated to reduce the transmission of rabies. Good relations exist between veterinary and health personnel in the field but this level of interaction is absent at district and national level. This has resulted in information not being transferred between the two disciplines and the lack of a national strategy for the eradication of zoonoses in Togo.
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PMID:Current status of some zoonoses in Togo. 1091 69

Human-parasite relationships have played an essential role in the emergence or re-emergence of some parasitic diseases. These interactions are due to numerous causes. Some are linked to humans (immunodeficiencies due to AIDS among other causes, treatments, nosocomial contaminations, genetic predisposition), others concern the parasite (particular genotypes having modified their parasitic specificity). Several of these causes were predominant in the emergence of parasitoses such as cryptosporidiasis, microsporidioses or, to a certain point, pneumocystosis, the transmission of which has become zoonotic or even anthroponotic, inter-human. Re-emergent diseases (toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, giardiasis, strongyloidiasis, scabies) had already been described in human pathology, but their frequency or symptomatology have been drastically modified. In this case also, the unbalanced host-parasite relationship is largely responsible but it can not be dissociated from other causes, especially environmental and nutritional.
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PMID:Emerging parasite zoonoses: the role of host-parasite relationship. 1111 61

To develop an improved serodiagnostic test for amoebiasis, we performed a detailed analysis of the immunodominant epitopes of the 29 kDa surface antigen and evaluated its sensitivity and specificity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the fragment containing the immunodominant epitope was evaluated further and compared with full-length recombinant 29 kDa protein. Specificity and sensitivity of the two ELISAs were assessed using 55 human sera of parasitic protozoa infection cases (25 amoebiasis, 20 giardiasis and 10 toxoplasmosis sera) and 10 healthy control sera. The immunodominant epitope of the 29 kDa antigen is localised only in the N-terminus 14-54 amino acid residues. The sensitivities of the two ELISAs were very high, 92 and 96%, respectively. The specificity of the fragment was 100%, whereas the specificity of the full-length 29 kDa protein was 86.6%. These results indicate that the fragment containing the immunodominant epitope of the 29 kDa protein can be used to accurately serodiagnose amoebiasis without cross-reactivity from other parasites.
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PMID:Serodiagnosis of amoebiasis using a recombinant protein fragment of the 29 kDa surface antigen of Entamoeba histolytica. 1142 40

A total of 47 patients with toxoplasmosis (21 cases) with amoebic liver abscess (14 cases) and with giardiasis (12 cases) as well as 14 healthy control were subjected to thorough history taking, clinical examination, stool & urine analysis, complete blood picture, ESR, C-reactive protein, ASO, widal test, blood cultures, liver function tests, serum creatinine, hepatitis viral markers, rheumatoid factor, auto-antibodies, stool culture, rectal snip, chest X-ray, abdominal sonar, level of serum adhesion molecules (sICAM-1, sELAM-1), ELISA detection of Toxoplasma antibodies in serum, liver biopsy, detection and counting of Giardia cysts. In toxoplasmosis group, highly significant increase in serum levels of sICAM-1 (P<0.01) and significant increase in serum levels of sELAM-1 (P<0.05) in comparison to control. However, only sICAM-1 levels were significantly increased in IgM cases more than in IgG cases. In amoebic liver abscess group, both sICAM-1 and sELAM-1 significantly increased when compared with control. In giardiasis group, highly significant increase of serum levels of sELAM-1 was noticed than in control group (P<0.01), while sICAM-1 showed no significant difference (P>0.05). There was no correlation between sELAM-1 and number of cysts in the stool (intensity of infection). Soluble forms of adhesion molecules especially sICAM-1 have the potentiality as good markers of endothelial damage, severity of disease and to less extend load of infection.
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PMID:Evaluation of soluble adhesion molecules in the diagnosis of amoebiasis, giardiasis and toxoplasmosis. 1177 96

Humans are hosts to nearly 300 species of parasitic worms and over 70 species of protozoa, some derived from our primate ancestors and some acquired from the animals we have domesticated or come in contact with during our relatively short history on Earth. Our knowledge of parasitic infections extends into antiquity, and descriptions of parasites and parasitic infections are found in the earliest writings and have been confirmed by the finding of parasites in archaeological material. The systematic study of parasites began with the rejection of the theory of spontaneous generation and the promulgation of the germ theory. Thereafter, the history of human parasitology proceeded along two lines, the discovery of a parasite and its subsequent association with disease and the recognition of a disease and the subsequent discovery that it was caused by a parasite. This review is concerned with the major helminth and protozoan infections of humans: ascariasis, trichinosis, strongyloidiasis, dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, loasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, cestodiasis, paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, African trypanosomiasis, South American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, cyclosporiasis, and microsporidiosis.
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PMID:History of human parasitology. 1236 71

Prophylactic vaccines can be expected to be one of the major practical outputs of parasitology research. Various groups within Australia have pursued the vaccine objective for several years, with particular emphasis on blood-stage falciparum malaria in man, intestinal helminths of sheep and cattle, cutaneous myiasis (blowfly strike) in sheep, cysticercosis in sheep and cattle, bovine babesiosis, and cattle ticks. Other vaccine programmes are concerned with giardiasis, filariasis, toxoplasmosis, fascioliasis, coccidiosis in poultry, cutaneous leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis japonica. For many years, the only available vaccine against a parasite in Australia has been the attenuated Babesia bovis vaccine produced by the Tick Fever Research Centre of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. Strategies for achieving molecular vaccines are generally similar within the various research groups. They involve analysis of the immunology and immunochemistry of a model or in-vitro system; development of functional monoclonal antibodies; analysis of antibody specificities in clinically and/or functionally defined polyclonal sera; screening of cDNA or genomic expression libraries; peptide synthesis; identification of an appropriate vaccination schedule involving adjuvants or new recombinant DNA-based antigen delivery systems. Outlined below are five of the major vaccine programmes.
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PMID:Molecular vaccines against parasites. 1546 18

This report addresses Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Cyclospora, and more briefly, Toxoplasma as the main parasitic protozoa of concern to food production worldwide. Other parasitic protozoa may be spread in food or water but are not considered as great a risk to food manufacture. The protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora have proven potential to cause waterborne and foodborne disease. Toxoplasma gondii has been considered a risk in specific cases, but humans are not its primary host. Cryptosporidium and Giardia are widespread in the environment, particularly the aquatic environment, and major outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis have occurred as a result of contaminated drinking water. Large outbreaks of waterborne cyclosporiasis have not been identified. Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora have potential significance in the preparation and consumption of fresh produce and in catering practice, in which ready-to-eat foods may be served that have not received heat treatment. None of the three organisms Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora has been shown to be a problem for heat processed food or tap water that has undergone appropriate treatment at a water treatment works. All three are sensitive to standard pasteurisation techniques. Although humans are not a primary host for T. gondii, the potential exists for both waterborne and foodborne toxoplasmosis. Parasitic protozoa do not multiply in foods, but they may survive in or on moist foods for months in cool, damp environments. Their ecology makes control of these parasites difficult. For general control of parasitic protozoa in the food chain, the following steps are necessary: - Follow good hygienic practice in food service and catering industries.- Minimise dissemination of cysts and oocysts in the farming environment and via human waste management.- Include these microorganisms in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans of water suppliers, industries or sectors that use fresh produce, and operations in which contaminated process or ingredient water could end up in the product (e.g., where water supplies may become contaminated).
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PMID:Foodborne protozoan parasites. 1608 23


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