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Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
 44,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Leishmania braziliensis panamensis promastigotes, temperature-induced in vitro-cultivated amastigotes, Vero cell-derived amastigotes, and rodent lesion-derived amastigotes were evaluated as antigens in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test for American cutaneous leishmaniasis. Test sensitivity was determined using sera from 34 U.S. soldiers with leishmaniasis diagnosed by demonstrating parasites in their skin lesions. Sera were collected from 3 to 24 months after exposure to Leishmania. Positive IFA reactions among patient sera were 82% with promastigotes or lesion amastigotes, 79% with in vitro amastigotes, and 76% with Vero cell amastigotes (P = N.S.). Positive titers ranged from 1:8 to 1:128 using all antigens. Test specificity was determined with 30 sera from healthy individuals. False positive reactions ranged from 0-5% depending on the antigen and all titers were less than or equal to 1:8. Test cross-reactivity was assessed with 47 sera from patients with other diseases. Depending on the antigen, cross-reactions occurred with sera from patients with Chagas' disease, lupus erythematosus, malaria, toxoplasmosis and amebiasis. None of the antigens cross-reacted with sera from patients with viral hepatitis, coccidioidomycosis, syphilis, schistosomiasis, and trichinosis. In replicate experiments, 99-100% of the sera varied no more than +/- 1 titer dilution. As sensitivity, specificity, cross-reactivity, and reproducibility of the four antigens were statistically similar, promastigotes, which can be easily and economically cultured in large numbers in vitro are recommended for use in the IFA test for American cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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PMID:Evaluation of promastigote and amastigote antigens in the indirect fluorescent antibody test for American cutaneous leishmaniasis. 635 6

This review of the immunological diagnosis of parasitic diseases defines the various indications, the means of collection and preparation, the various levels of specificity and the choice of parasitic antigen which should be used for immuno-diagnosis. The detection and assay of circulating antibodies relies on the techniques of immuno-precipitation (immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, electrosyneresis), indirect agglutination (latex and haemagglutination) or the use of labelled compounds (immunofluorescence, enzymo-immunoassay, radio-immunoassay). Their respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The detection and assay of circulating antigens involve the use of agglutination techniques (mycoses), radio-immunoassay or enzymo-immunoassay (protozooses and helminthiases). The authors review the applications of immunological diagnosis for the helminthiases (Trichinosis, Toxocarosis, Filariasis, Anguillosis, Ascaridiasis, Echinococcosis, Taeniasis and Cysticercosis, Distomatosis and Schistosomiasis), the protozoan infections (malaria, Toxoplasmosis, Amebiasis, Trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis) and the mycoses (Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Cryptococcosis). They also discuss the prospects for the development of immunological diagnosis by identification, purification and standardization of parasitic antigens and the study of circulating antigens and idiotypic anti-parasitic antibodies. Finally, they outline the respective responsibilities of the biologist and the prescribing doctor for the proper use of immunological diagnosis of parasitic diseases.
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PMID:[Current methods of immunologic diagnosis in parasitology]. 636

Immunodiagnostic tests for human protozoan and helminthic infections are reviewed. The need for immunodiagnostic tests varies with each infection but is of paramount importance in those infections that cannot be parasitologically diagnosed readily such as toxoplasmosis, pneumocystosis, Chagas' disease, trichinosis, hydatidosis, cysticercosis, and visceral larva migrans. Immunoassays are also needed for those worldwide highly prevalent infections with severe morbidity to be used in seroepidemiology and in the follow-up evaluation of control programs. The most important are malaria, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trypanosomiasis. Major advances have been made in the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a practical and rapid test for use in endemic countries and in the identification and isolation of diagnostic parasite antigens aided in particular by the use of monoclonal antibodies. Development of immunodiagnostic tests for specific parasite antigens in body fluids for many infections is being actively pursued.
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PMID:Immunodiagnostic tests for protozoan and helminthic infections. 643 27

A micro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilizing antigen dotted onto nitrocellulose filter discs (Dot-ELISA) was developed for the rapid diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani promastigotes applied to filter discs in volumes of 1 microliter were placed in 96-well microtiter plates, blocked with bovine serum albumin, then incubated with 4-fold dilutions of patient sera. After incubation with peroxidase-conjugated anti-human antibody, washing and addition of precipitable substrate, positive reactions appeared as blue dots on a white background which were easily read by eye. The procedure is performed at room temperature, takes about 2 h and is economical. At a reciprocal diagnostic titer of greater than or equal to 32, 41 of 42 (98%) leishmaniasis patients were positive, and positive titers ranged from 512 to 524,288. Control sera from healthy individuals showed 1 of 50 (2%) false positive reactions. Sera from patients with African trypanosomiasis, Chagas' disease, and lupus erythematosus were cross-reactive in the Dot-ELISA. No cross-reactivity was noted with sera from patients with amebiasis, coccidioidomycosis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, viral hepatitis, hydatidosis, malaria, schistosomiasis, syphilis, toxoplasmosis or trichinosis. In replicate experiments, 90% of 167 sera tested did not vary in titer. This rapid and inexpensive test should prove to be an important field diagnostic technique for visceral leishmaniasis.
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PMID:Dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA): a micro technique for the rapid diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. 654 6

The status of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) as a chemotherapeutic agent for malaria, toxoplasmosis, and pediculosis is reviewed. The use of TMP-SMZ may be advocated for the treatment of malaria when concurrent bacterial infections are present or when conventional antimalarial agents are not available. Present evidence suggests that TMP-SMZ is effective in the treatment of toxoplasmosis; however, its role in treatment of this disease requires study. Although TMP-SMZ can eliminate head louse infections, topical insecticidal preparations are the preferred treatment.
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PMID:Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of malaria, toxoplasmosis, and pediculosis. 705 Dec 40

Pyrimethamine, a 2,4-diaminopyrimidine useful in the treatment of malaria and toxoplasmosis, was found to enhance antibody and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to sheep red cells in mice. The immunodepression of tumour-bearing mice was also reversed by pyrimethamine. This drug may prove useful as a general immunostimulant in clinical situations where the immune system has been compromised by cancer or other debilitating illnesses.
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PMID:Immunopotentiation by pyrimethamine in the mouse. 738 92

Recent studies have identified genes involved in resistance to intracellular pathogens. Such genes include the murine MHC class I gene, Ld (toxoplasmosis), HLA-BW53, HLA DRB1* 1302-DQ B10s01 and TNF2 (malaria), murine Nramp (toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis and tuberculosis), gene(s) modulating the T-helper type 1 and type 2 dichotomy (leishmaniasis, leprosy and HIV infection) and the natural killer cell complex (cytomegalovirus infection). There also have been other advances in immunogenetics that have led to a better understanding of resistance to intracellular pathogens. These include effector mechanisms of immune response genes and factors modulating genetic susceptibility. Identification of genes that determine resistance/susceptibility (and their effector mechanisms) has impacted on vaccine development. Immunogenetics has been important in characterizing roles of TCR genes, superantigens, and host genes that play a role in molecular mimicry in disease pathogenesis. In addition, recent work with gene knockout, recombinant inbred or congenic, mutant, consomic, and transgenic mice, positional cloning, mouse/human gene homologies to identify candidate human resistance genes, and the rapid expansion of the gene transcription maps of the human genome, have been important in analysis of resistance to intracellular pathogens.
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PMID:Immunogenetics in the analysis of resistance to intracellular pathogens. 749 19

Seroepidemiologic studies using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) are valuable in malaria control programs in identifying local foci of malaria, in diagnosing malaria in asymptomatic, low-parasitemia blood donors in nonendemic countries, in detecting imported malaria and preventing its introduction into new areas, and in excluding recurrent fever from causes other than malaria. Because other diseases may occur in areas where malaria is prevalent, the aim of this work, using the IFAT, was to determine the frequency of cross-reactions between blood-stage antigens of Plasmodium falciparum and antibodies present in the serum of individuals with leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis and Chagas' disease. Since malaria transmission does not occur in the study area (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) where these other diseases are present, we studied sera from individuals living in this area who had never been in the areas endemic for malaria in the Amazon region. Positive reactivity of sera with blood malaria antigens evaluated by IFAT at dilutions > or = 1:40 was detected in 19 (38%) of 50 individuals with cutaneous leishmaniasis, five (62%) of eight individuals with visceral leishmaniasis, 14 (32%) of 44 individuals with Chagas' disease, four (11%) of 36 individuals with toxoplasmosis, and in none of the 14 uninfected controls. All 23 of the control malaria sera from the endemic area (State of Mato Grosso, Brazil) were positive at high dilutions. We found no correlation between titers of the IFAT with malaria and the specific antigens used for serodiagnosis of the other protozoan infections studied. At dilutions of 1:20 and 1:40, the sensitivity of the IFAT test was 100% and specificity was 52% and 72%, respectively. At a dilution of 1:80, the sensitivity was 86% and the specificity was 90%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Cross-reactivity between antibodies in the sera of individuals with leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and Chagas' disease and antigens of the blood-stage forms of Plasmodium falciparum determined by indirect immunofluorescence. 767 25

Because of renewed interest in parasitic diseases, increasing numbers of persons in clinical and research laboratories have the potential for exposure to parasites and therefore are at risk for acquiring parasitic infections. In this review of laboratory-acquired parasitic infections, we concentrate on protozoan diseases that frequently have been reported to be laboratory acquired: malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis (American and African), and toxoplasmosis. These diseases can be severe, even fatal, and may be difficult to diagnose. Many laboratorians who have acquired these diseases did not recall having had an accident. Of those with recognized accidents, needlestick injuries were the most common. Laboratories should have established protocols for handling specimens that may contain viable organisms and for responding to laboratory accidents.
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PMID:Laboratory-acquired malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and toxoplasmosis. 809 80

There is currently less than a one in a million chance that a blood transfusion within the United States will be complicated by a parasitic infection. However, changes in population demographics and increases in international travel and immigration may all contribute to an increase in the number of parasitemic individuals who present as prospective blood donors. Consequently, a need may arise to develop new policies to prevent transfusion-transmitted parasitic infections. In the present review, the following parasitic infections of concern to the safety of the US blood supply will be discussed: malaria, Chagas' disease, babesiosis, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and microfilariasis.
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PMID:Parasitic infections and their impact on blood donor selection and testing. 816 86


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