| immunization with a dna vaccine encoding toxoplasma gondii superoxide dismutase (tgsod) induces partial immune protection against acute toxoplasmosis in balb/c mice. | toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals including humans and causes toxoplasmosis. an effective vaccine could be an ideal choice for preventing and controlling toxoplasmosis. t. gondii superoxide dismutase (tgsod) might participate in affecting the intracellular growth of both bradyzoite and tachyzoite forms. in the present study, the tgsod gene was used to construct a dna vaccine (pegfp-sod). | 2017 | 28592247 |
| toxoplasma gondii in the food supply. | toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite toxoplasma gondii. infections are usually either asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms that are self-limited, but infections in immunosuppressed persons can be severe. infections in pregnant women can cause serious health problems in the child such as mental retardation and blindness. infection with t. gondii in immunocompetent adults can lead to impaired eyesight. toxoplasmosis has ranked very highly in two studies of death and di ... | 2017 | 28587147 |
| evaluation of potential anti-toxoplasmosis efficiency of combined traditional herbs in a mouse model. | toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide spread protozoan and is able to infect almost all warm-blood animals. no effective drugs are available clinically on toxoplasmosis. chinese traditional herbal medicines have provided remedies for many health problems. there exists a possibility that chinese herbs may provide protection against t. gondii. this work aims to assess the protective efficacy of combined chinese herbs against t. gondii. we screened five herbal medicines that have different pharmacologic ... | 2017 | 28585421 |
| geographical distribution of toxoplasma gondii genotypes in asia: a link with neighboring continents. | defining the pattern of genetic diversity of toxoplasma gondii is important to understand its worldwide distribution. during the last decades, a large number of studies have been published on toxoplasma genotypes circulating in europe, in north and south america. two continents are still largely unexplored, africa and, to a less extent, asia. in this last continent, an increasing number of publications reported genotypes circulating in diverse provinces of china, but very few data are available ... | 2017 | 28583867 |
| genetic analyses of chinese isolates of toxoplasma gondii reveal a new genotype with high virulence to murine hosts. | a great deal of evidence demonstrates that a strongly clonal population structure of toxoplasma gondii strains exists in humans and animals in north america and europe, while the strains from south america are genetically separate and more diverse. potential differences in virulence between different strains mean that an understanding of strain diversity is important to human and animal health. however, to date, only one predominant genotype, toxodb#9 (chinese i), and a few other genotypes, incl ... | 2017 | 28579032 |
| molecular detection of toxoplasma gondii in the slaughter sheep and goats from north india. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects almost all the warm blooded animals, including human beings. the disease usually remains asymptomatic but is a serious concern for pregnant women, developing foetus and immuno-compromised individuals. we collected 400 cardiac/skeletal muscle tissue samples from slaughter sheep (177) and goat (223) intended for human consumption from punjab, uttar pradesh and chandigarh states/union territory in north india. the samples were pep ... | 2017 | 28579027 |
| seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasma gondii infection in invasive raccoons (procyon lotor) in central europe. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in warm-blooded animals. most mammals, including humans, can become intermediate host, resulting in subclinical infection or even death. generally, there is limited information on the epidemiology of t. gondii of game species in germany. as omnivores, raccoons, which are particularly widespread and abundant in germany, are particularly exposed to infection the parasite. here, we report the seroprevalence of t. gon ... | 2017 | 28578461 |
| serologic evidence of toxoplasma gondii infection among cancer patients. a prospective study from qassim region, saudi arabia. | [no abstract available]. | 2017 | 28578450 |
| functional and phylogenetic evidence of a bacterial origin for the first enzyme in sphingolipid biosynthesis in a phylum of eukaryotic protozoan parasites. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate, intracellular eukaryotic apicomplexan protozoan parasite that can cause fetal damage and abortion in both animals and humans. sphingolipids are essential and ubiquitous components of eukaryotic membranes that are both synthesized and scavenged by the apicomplexa. here we report the identification, isolation, and analyses of the toxoplasma serine palmitoyltransferase, an enzyme catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step in sphingolipid biosynthesis: the condensa ... | 2017 | 28578314 |
| lack of viable parasites in cured 'parma ham' (pdo), following experimental toxoplasma gondii infection of pigs. | twelve large white pigs were experimentally infected with 1000 toxoplasma gondii oocysts/each. serology was carried out at different time points post infection (p.i.) and animals were slaughtered at four months p.i. one of two thighs was examined for t. gondii infection status by pcr and bioassay in mice. the other thigh was processed for parma ham production. four thighs were examined after twelve months of curing, four after fourteen months and four were examined after sixteen months. cured ha ... | 2017 | 28576364 |
| toxoplasma gondii moderates the association between multiple folate-cycle factors and cognitive function in u.s. adults. | toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) is a microscopic, apicomplexan parasite that can infect muscle or neural tissue, including the brain, in humans. while t. gondii infection has been associated with changes in mood, behavior, and cognition, the mechanism remains unclear. recent evidence suggests that t. gondii may harvest folate from host neural cells. reduced folate availability is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cognitive decline. w ... | 2017 | 28574478 |
| mast cell activator compound 48/40 is not an effective adjuvant for uv-attenuated toxoplasma gondii vaccine. | toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii, tg) is a globally distributed parasitic protozoan causing different forms of toxoplasmosis in humans. mast cells (mcs) play a role during t. gondii infection. several studies suggest that mc activator compound 48/80 (c48/80) may be an effective vaccine adjuvant resulting in a potent and protective antigen-specific immune response against bacteria or virus infections. the present study was performed to determine whether c48/80 had adjuvant activity for ultraviolet (u ... | 2017 | 28573462 |
| host lipid droplets: an important source of lipids salvaged by the intracellular parasite toxoplasma gondii. | toxoplasma is an obligate intracellular parasite that replicates in mammalian cells within a parasitophorous vacuole (pv) that does not fuse with any host organelles. one mechanism developed by the parasite for nutrient acquisition is the attraction of host organelles to the pv. here, we examined the exploitation of host lipid droplets (ld), ubiquitous fat storage organelles, by toxoplasma. we show that toxoplasma replication is reduced in host cells that are depleted of ld, or impaired in tag l ... | 2017 | 28570716 |
| diagnosis of swine toxoplasmosis by pcr and genotyping of toxoplasma gondii from pigs in henan, central china. | toxoplasma gondii, a widely prevalent protozoan parasite, causes serious toxoplasmosis infections in humans and other animals. among livestock, pigs are susceptible to t. gondii infection. despite henan being one of the biggest pig-raising provinces in china, little information exists on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in this location. therefore, we molecularly characterized dna samples from pigs in henan. a total of 1647 samples, including 952 from dead piglets, 478 from seriously sick fatte ... | 2017 | 28569215 |
| [investigation of cytokine responses and variations in the expression of beta-defensin-3 of caco-2 human colon epidermal adenocarsinoma and thp-1 human leukemia monocyte cell lines in response to toxoplasma gondii under various conditions]. | mononuclear phogocytic cells and epithelial cells are effective during the initiation and regulation of the innate immune response. they have an active role in mucosal immune response both mechanically and by interaction with other cells with cytokine release. defensins are microbicidal peptides that are expressed in various cells and are thought to be effective in the first line defense against pathogens. il-12 and il-10, showing proinflamatory and antiinflamatory activities, respectively, are ... | 2017 | 28566079 |
| synergistic activity between statins and bisphosphonates against acute experimental toxoplasmosis. | bisphosphonates are widely used for the treatment of bone disorders. these drugs also inhibit the growth of a variety of protozoan parasites, such as toxoplasma gondii, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis. the target of the most potent bisphosphonates is the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway enzyme farnesyl diphosphate synthase (fpps). based on our previous work on the inhibitory effect of sulfur-containing linear bisphosphonates against t. gondii, we investigated the potential synergistic intera ... | 2017 | 28559264 |
| synthesis and biological evaluation of anti-toxoplasma gondii activity of a novel scaffold of thiazolidinone derivatives. | we designed and synthesised novel n-substituted 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives for the evaluation of their anti-toxoplasma gondii efficacy. this scaffold was functionalised both at the n1-hydrazine portion with three structurally different moieties and at the lactam nitrogen with substituted benzyl groups selected on the basis of our previous structure-activity relationships studies. using three different assay methods, the compounds were assessed in vitro to determine both the levels of effi ... | 2017 | 28537532 |
| cerebral toxoplasmosis masquerading cns lymphoma on fdg pet-ct in post renal transplant patient. | 20 year old post renal transplant patient developed recurrent episodes of seizure. mri revealed focal lesion in right parieto-occipital lobe with perilesional edema. fdg pet-ct revealed multiple hypermetabolic lesions in bilateral cerebral hemisphere. subsequent biopsy from the lesion demonstrated bradyzoites of toxoplasma gondii with inflammatory cells and thereby, a confirmatory diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis was made. this case demonstrates the fact that increased fdg uptake in cerebral ... | 2017 | 28533649 |
| genotyping toxoplasma gondii with the b1 gene in naturally infected sheep from an endemic region in the pacific coast of mexico. | toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite with a broad ecological valence, which has been detected in a wide range of hosts and landscapes. although the genus is considered monospecific, in recent years it has been demonstrated to exhibit more genetic variability than previously known. in mexico, there are few genotyping studies, which suggest that classical, autochthonous, and atypical strains are circulating. the goal of this study was to describe t. gondii genetic diversity in naturally infec ... | 2017 | 28530509 |
| characterization of cytosine methylation and the dna methyltransferases of toxoplasma gondii. | dna methylation is a key epigenetic modification which confers phenotypic plasticity and adaptation. cyst-forming strains of toxoplasma gondii undergo tachyzoite to bradyzoite conversion after initial acute infection of a host, and the reverse conversion may occur in immune-suppressed hosts. the formation of m(5)c is catalyzed by dna methyltransferase (dnmt). we identified two functional dna methyltransferases, tgdnmta and tgdnmtb, in t. gondii that may mediate dna methylation. the recombinant p ... | 2017 | 28529454 |
| the merozoite-specific protein, tggra11b, identified as a component of the toxoplasma gondii parasitophorous vacuole in a tachyzoite expression model. | the apicomplexan, toxoplasma gondii, infects all warm-blooded animals as intermediate hosts but only felids as definitive hosts. dense granule proteins are critical for the survival of toxoplasma within host cells but, whilst these proteins have been studied intensively in tachyzoites, little is known about their expression in the coccidian stages in the cat intestine. transcriptomic profiling indicates that two putative dense granule proteins, tggra11a and tggra11b, are expressed uniquely in me ... | 2017 | 28526607 |
| toxoplasmic encephalitis in patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. | toxoplasmic encephalitis (te) is an opportunistic infection found in immunocompromised patients and te related cerebral mass lesion is often reported in acquired immunodeficiency acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (aids) patients. however, incidence of te related aids in korea is still rare and is unfamiliar to neurosurgeons. differential diagnosis is needed to rule out other brain lesions. a 39-year-old man visited the emergency room with rapid progressive left hemiparesis. magnetic resonance i ... | 2017 | 28516077 |
| neurophysiological changes induced by chronic toxoplasma gondii infection. | although the parasite toxoplasma gondii is one of the most pervasive neurotropic pathogens in the world, the host-parasite interactions during cns infection and the consequences of neurological infection are just beginning to be unraveled. the chronic stages of infection have been considered dormant, although several studies have found correlations of infection with an array of host behavioral changes. these may facilitate parasite transmission and impact neurological diseases. during infection, ... | 2017 | 28513566 |
| purification toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts using percoll gradients. | the protozoan parasite toxoplasma gondii is capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals and humans. infectious, transmissible forms of the parasite include oocysts produced by the sexual cycle within the definitive feline host and tissue cysts that form toxoplasma in the central nervous system and muscle during the asexual cycle within all chronically infected warm-blooded hosts. these tissue cysts are populated with slow-growing bradyzoites, which until recently have been thought to be dorman ... | 2017 | 28510363 |
| mhc i presentation of toxoplasma gondii immunodominant antigen does not require sec22b and is regulated by antigen orientation at the vacuole membrane. | the intracellular toxoplasma gondii parasite replicates within a parasitophorous vacuole (pv). t. gondii secretes proteins that remain soluble in the pv space, are inserted into pv membranes or are exported beyond the pv boundary. in addition to supporting t. gondii growth, these proteins can be processed and presented by mhc i for cd8(+) t-cell recognition. yet it is unclear whether membrane binding influences the processing pathways employed and if topology of membrane antigens impacts their m ... | 2017 | 28508576 |
| toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia: a review of published rcts. | over the last 60 years, accumulating evidence has suggested that acute, chronic, and maternal toxoplasma gondii infections predispose to schizophrenia. more recent evidence suggests that chronically infected patients with schizophrenia present with more severe disease. after acute infection, parasites form walled cysts in the brain, leading to lifelong chronic infection and drug resistance to commonly used antiparasitics. chronic infection is the most studied and closely linked with development ... | 2017 | 28508166 |
| frequency of toxoplasma gondii in the retina in eye banks in brazil. | ocular toxoplasmosis is the main cause of posterior uveitis worldwide frequently leading to vision loss. in brazil, the seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection ranges from 50 to 80% depending of the region studied. the frequency of toxoplasmic retinal scar may reach 18% of the adults in the south of brazil. our goal was to determine the frequency of t. gondii dna in retinas from eye banks from different regions in brazil. a total of 162 eyes were obtained from eye banks in manaus (n = 60), ... | 2017 | 28508165 |
| seroepidemiological study of toxoplasma gondii infection in a population of iranian epileptic patients. | epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders. underlying cause of epilepsy is unknown in 60 % of the patients. toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite which is capable of forming tissue cysts in brain of chronically infected hosts including humans. some epidemiological studies suggested an association between toxoplasmosis and acquisition of epilepsy. in this study we determined seroprevalence of latent toxoplasma infection in a population of iranian epileptic patients. partici ... | 2017 | 28507471 |
| toxoplasma gondii type i, predominant genotype isolated from sheep in south of iran. | this study was performed to determine the genetic diversity of toxoplasma gondii in sheep using nested-polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) in southern iran. | 2017 | 28507409 |
| socio-demographic determinants of toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in migrant workers of peninsular malaysia. | the number of migrants working in malaysia has increased sharply since the 1970's and there is concern that infectious diseases endemic in other (e.g. neighbouring) countries may be inadvertently imported. compulsory medical screening prior to entering the workforce does not include parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis. therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of t. gondii infection among migrant workers in peninsular malaysia by means of serosurveys conducted on a volunt ... | 2017 | 28506241 |
| seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasma gondii infection among cat sitters in korea. | the seroprevalence of human toxoplasmosis has been increasing in korea, and it is controversial whether cats are an important infection source or not. this study was performed to evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection in a high risk group (cat sitters) and to determine the possible importance of cats as an infection source in korea. risk factors, including the age, sex, and diet of cat sitters, their contact experience and contact frequency with stray cats, and origin, number ... | 2017 | 28506044 |
| influenza m1 virus-like particles consisting of toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein 4. | toxoplasma gondii infections occur throughout the world, and efforts are needed to develop various vaccine candidates expressing recombinant protein antigens. in this study, influenza matrix protein (m1) virus-like particles (vlps) consisting of t. gondii rhoptry antigen 4 (rop4 protein) were generated using baculovirus (rbv) expression system. recombinant rop4 protein with influenza m1 were cloned and expressed in rbv. sf9 insect cells were coinfected with recombinant rbvs expressing t. gondii ... | 2017 | 28506036 |
| genetic alterations within tlr genes in development of toxoplasma gondii infection among polish pregnant women. | the research was conducted to evaluate the role of genotypes, haplotypes and multiple-snp variants in the range of tlr2, tlr4 and tlr9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in the development of toxoplasma gondii infection among polish pregnant women. | 2017 | 28500897 |
| the common parasite toxoplasma gondii induces prostatic inflammation and microglandular hyperplasia in a mouse model. | inflammation is the most prevalent and widespread histological finding in the human prostate, and associates with the development and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. several factors have been hypothesized to cause inflammation, yet the role each may play in the etiology of prostatic inflammation remains unclear. this study examined the possibility that the common protozoan parasite toxoplasma gondii induces prostatic inflammation and reactive hyperplasia in a mou ... | 2017 | 28497488 |
| lack of association between toxoplasma gondii infection and diabetes mellitus: a matched case-control study in a mexican population. | very little is known about the association between infection with toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) and diabetes mellitus. we perform an age- and gender-matched case-control study to determine the association of t. gondii infection and diabetes mellitus. | 2017 | 28496551 |
| first genetic characterization of toxoplasma gondii in stray cats from algeria. | toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease with worldwide distribution and a major public health problem. in algeria, no data are currently available about genotypes of toxoplasma gondii isolated from animals or humans. the present study assesses for the first time the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in stray cats, and provides molecular characterization of t. gondii strains circulating in this feline population in algiers, the capital city of algeria. sera from 96 stray cats were tested for the prese ... | 2017 | 28495193 |
| antibodies to toxoplasma gondii and leishmania spp. in domestic cats from luanda, angola. | toxoplasma gondii and leishmania spp. are zoonotic protozoa of importance to animal and public health. the present study aimed to assess for the first time the seroprevalence of these zoonotic parasites in a domestic feline population living in luanda, angola. one hundred and two cats were sampled at a veterinary medical centre, from may 2014 to february 2016. the age of the cats ranged from 2.5 to 143 months (median: 12 months; interquartile range: 7.5-24). serum samples were tested for immunog ... | 2017 | 28495190 |
| seroprevalence and factors associated with toxoplasma gondii infections in sheep in latvia: latvian dark headed sheep breed associated with higher seroprevalence. | toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite with both public health and veterinary importance. the aims of our study were to estimate the t. gondii seroprevalence in sheep in latvia and to evaluate potential risk factors for seropositivity. the blood samples investigated were collected from 1039 sheep from 84 farms between january 2012 and april 2013. the sera were tested for immunoglobulin g antibodies against t. gondii using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. antibodies against t. go ... | 2017 | 28488935 |
| recombinant tghsp70 immunization protects against toxoplasma gondii brain cyst formation by enhancing inducible nitric oxide expression. | toxoplasma gondii is known to cause congenital infection in humans and animals and severe disease in immunocompromised individuals; consequently development of vaccines against the parasite is highly necessary. under stress conditions, t. gondii expresses the highly immunogenic heat shock protein 70 (tghsp70). here, we assessed the protective efficacy of rtghsp70 immunization combined with alum in oral me-49 t. gondii infection and the mechanisms involved on it. it was observed that immunized mi ... | 2017 | 28487847 |
| the antifungal aureobasidin a and an analogue are active against the protozoan parasite toxoplasma gondii but do not inhibit sphingolipid biosynthesis. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of the phylum apicomplexa, and toxoplasmosis is an important disease of both humans and economically important animals. with a limited array of drugs available there is a need to identify new therapeutic compounds. aureobasidin a (aba) is an antifungal that targets the essential inositol phosphorylceramide (ipc, sphingolipid) synthase in pathogenic fungi. this natural cyclic depsipeptide also inhibits toxoplasma proliforation, wit ... | 2017 | 28486997 |
| development of a murine vertical transmission model for toxoplasma gondii oocyst infection and studies on the efficacy of bumped kinase inhibitor (bki)-1294 and the naphthoquinone buparvaquone against congenital toxoplasmosis. | establishment of a mouse model for congenital toxoplasmosis based on oral infection with oocysts from toxoplasma gondii me49 and its application for investigating chemotherapeutic options against congenital toxoplasmosis. | 2017 | 28486633 |
| toxoplasma gondii infection induces high mobility group box 1 released from mouse macrophages. | high mobility group box 1 (hmgb1) is abundantly expressed in intracellular engaged dna binding ability. however, more importantly, it is a weapon against infection through proinflammatory response and immune regulation while released to extracellular. toxoplasma gondii causes inflammatory pathological changes including ileitis and encephalitis in chronic infection. to investigate whether hmgb1 contributes to the toxoplasmosis lesions, we examined hmgb1 changes during t. gondii infection. the res ... | 2017 | 28484433 |
| prevalence of igg and igm anti-toxoplasma gondii antibodies in blood donors at urmia blood transfusion organization, iran. | the importance of toxoplasmosis lies in its global spread, opportunistic nature, and causative role in abortion or irreparable adverse effects on infants of infected pregnant women. toxoplasma gondii has different transmission routes to humans, including blood transfusion. the objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of igg and igm antibodies specific for t. gondii in blood donors at the urmia blood transfusion organization in west azerbaijan, iran. | 2017 | 28483726 |
| brains and brawn: toxoplasma infections of the central nervous system and skeletal muscle. | toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasitic pathogen that infects over a third of the world's population. following an acute infection, the parasite can persist within its mammalian host as intraneuronal or intramuscular cysts. cysts will occasionally reactivate, and - depending on the host's immune status and site of reactivation - encephalitis or myositis can develop. because these diseases have high levels of morbidity and can be lethal, it is important to understand how toxoplasma traffics t ... | 2017 | 28483381 |
| detection of toxoplasma gondii in chicken and soil of chicken farms in nanjing region, china. | soil is increasingly recognized as an important source in the transmission of toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii). the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of t. gondii in the soil and to grasp the relationships between the contamination of soil and chicken infections. | 2017 | 28482918 |
| acute infection with an avirulent strain of toxoplasma gondii causes decreasing and atrophy of nitrergic myenteric neurons of rats. | in the enteric nervous system (ens), nitrergic neurons produce and use nitric oxide (no) as an inhibitory motor neurotransmitter in response to parasitic infections, including those caused by toxoplasma gondii. however, damage to the host caused by no has been reported by various authors, and the role of no in protection or cytotoxicity continues to be extensively studied. in this study, nitrergic neurons were investigated in the myenteric plexus of the jejunum and the distal colon of rats infec ... | 2017 | 28478954 |
| nanomedicine advances in toxoplasmosis: diagnostic, treatment, and vaccine applications. | toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the intracellular parasite toxoplasma gondii that affects about one third of the world's population. the diagnosis of this disease is carried out by parasite isolation and host antibodies detection. however, the diagnosis presents problems in regard to test sensitivity and specificity. currently, the most effective t. gondii treatment is a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, although both drugs are toxic to the host. in addition to the ... | 2017 | 28477099 |
| molecular detection and genetic characterization of toxoplasma gondii in farmed raccoon dogs (nyctereutes procyonoides) in shandong province, eastern china. | toxoplasma gondii is a successful opportunistic parasite, affecting a wide range of vertebrate animals and humans. genetic diversity of t. gondii in raccoon dogs (nyctereutes procyonoides) is of great importance to understand the transmission of t. gondii in the environment. however, no information is available about the distribution of genetic diversity of t. gondii infection in raccoon dogs. this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and genetic characterization of t. gondii from racc ... | 2017 | 28476602 |
| calmodulin-like proteins localized to the conoid regulate motility and cell invasion by toxoplasma gondii. | toxoplasma gondii contains an expanded number of calmodulin (cam)-like proteins whose functions are poorly understood. using a combination of crispr/cas9-mediated gene editing and a plant-like auxin-induced degron (aid) system, we examined the roles of three apically localized cams. cam1 and cam2 were individually dispensable, but loss of both resulted in a synthetic lethal phenotype. cam3 was refractory to deletion, suggesting it is essential. consistent with this prediction auxin-induced degra ... | 2017 | 28475612 |
| disseminated toxoplasmosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation showing unusual magnetic resonance images. | we herein report a patient who had disseminated toxoplasmosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation showing atypical clinical presentation and neuroimaging. parkinsonism symptoms such as muscle rigidity, bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability were initial manifestations. magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse symmetrical lesions of bilateral basal ganglia lacking ringed enhancement. post-mortem analysis revealed multiple tachyzoites of toxoplasma gondii in the basal ganglia, m ... | 2017 | 28474756 |
| systematic assessment of environmental risk factors for bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. | the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder is likely to involve both genetic and environmental risk factors. in our study, we aimed to perform a systematic search of environmental risk factors for bd. in addition, we assessed possible hints of bias in this literature, and identified risk factors supported by high epidemiological credibility. | 2017 | 28470927 |
| cat-rodent toxoplasma gondii type ii-variant circulation and limited genetic diversity on the island of fernando de noronha, brazil. | in brazil, studies on animals and humans in mainland areas have shown that most strains of toxoplasma gondii are pathogenic to mice and exhibit great genetic variability. | 2017 | 28468666 |
| plasma membrane association by n-acylation governs pkg function in toxoplasma gondii. | cyclic gmp (cgmp)-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase g [pkg]) is essential for microneme secretion, motility, invasion, and egress in apicomplexan parasites, however, the separate roles of two isoforms of the kinase that are expressed by some apicomplexans remain uncertain. despite having identical regulatory and catalytic domains, pkg(i) is plasma membrane associated whereas pkg(ii) is cytosolic in toxoplasma gondii to determine whether these isoforms are functionally distinct or redundan ... | 2017 | 28465425 |
| seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in humans and pigs in north sulawesi, indonesia. | toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite, is a major public health concern throughout the world. importantly, toxoplasmosis has several adverse effects, including neurological and ocular diseases. there are currently no data on the prevalence of t. gondii infection in humans or animals in north sulawesi, although indonesia is known to have a high seroprevalence of this parasite. in this study, the prevalence of t. gondii was determined in samples of humans and pigs from north sulaw ... | 2017 | 28465107 |
| toxoplasma gondii and pre-treatment protocols for polymerase chain reaction analysis of milk samples: a field trial in sheep from southern italy. | toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan toxoplasma gondii. ingestion of raw milk has been suggested as a risk for transmission to humans. here the authors evaluated pre-treatment protocols for dna extraction on t. gondii tachyzoite-spiked sheep milk with the aim of identifying the method that resulted in the most rapid and reliable polymerase chain reaction (pcr) positivity. this protocol was then used to analyse milk samples from sheep of three different farms in southern it ... | 2017 | 28462207 |
| evidence for host genetic regulation of altered lipid metabolism in experimental toxoplasmosis supported with gene data mining results. | toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful parasites on earth, infecting a wide array of mammals including one third of the global human population. the obligate intracellular protozoon is not capable of synthesizing cholesterol (chl), and thus depends on uptake of host chl for its own development. to explore the genetic regulation of previously observed lipid metabolism alterations during acute murine t. gondii infection, we here assessed total chl and its fractions in serum and selected t ... | 2017 | 28459857 |
| rottlerin-mediated inhibition of toxoplasma gondii growth in bewo trophoblast-like cells. | autophagy is a crucial and physiological process for cell survival from yeast to mammals, including protozoan parasites. toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite, typically exploits autophagic machinery of host cell; however host cell upregulates autophagy to combat the infection. herein we tested the efficacy of rottlerin, a natural polyphenol with autophagic promoting properties, against toxoplasma infection on the chorioncarcinoma-derived cell line bewo. we found that rottlerin, at sub-to ... | 2017 | 28455500 |
| mechanisms and pathways of toxoplasma gondii transepithelial migration. | toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasite and a prevalent food-borne parasitic pathogen. infection of the host occurs principally through oral consumption of contaminated food and water with the gastrointestinal tract being the primary route for entry into the host. to promote infection, t. gondii has evolved highly specialized strategies for rapid traversal of the single cell thick intestinal epithelial barrier. parasite transmigration via the paracellular pathway between adjacent cells enable ... | 2017 | 28452683 |
| immunization with toxoplasma gondii peroxiredoxin 1 induces protective immunity against toxoplasmosis in mice. | to develop a vaccine against toxoplasma gondii, a vaccine antigen with immune-stimulating activity is required. in the present study, we investigated the immunogenicity and prophylactic potential of t. gondii peroxiredoxin 1 (tgprx1). the tgprx1 was detected in the ascitic fluid of mice 6 days postinfection, while specific antibody levels were low in the sera of chronically infected mice. treatment of murine peritoneal macrophages with recombinant tgprx1 triggered il-12p40 and il-6 production, b ... | 2017 | 28448521 |
| determination of a key antigen for immunological intervention to target the latent stage of toxoplasma gondii. | toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, establishes a chronic infection by forming cysts preferentially in the brain. up to one third of the human population worldwide is estimated to be chronically infected with this parasite. however, there is currently no drug effective against the cyst form of the parasite. in addition, the protective immunity against the cysts remains largely unknown. we analyzed the molecular mechanisms by which the immune system detects host cells ... | 2017 | 28446567 |
| management of suspected primary toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in norway: twenty years of experience of amniocentesis in a low-prevalence population. | primary infection with toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy may pose a threat to the fetus. women infected prior to conception are unlikely to transmit the parasite to the fetus. if maternal serology indicates a possible primary infection, amniocentesis for toxoplasma pcr analysis is performed and antiparasitic treatment given. however, discriminating between primary and latent infection is challenging and unnecessary amniocenteses may occur. procedure-related fetal loss after amniocentesis is of ... | 2017 | 28441952 |
| chronic toxoplasma gondii infection exacerbates secondary polymicrobial sepsis. | sepsis is a severe syndrome that arises when the host response to an insult is exacerbated, leading to organ failure and frequently to death. how a chronic infection that causes a prolonged th1 expansion affects the course of sepsis is unknown. in this study, we showed that mice chronically infected with toxoplasma gondii were more susceptible to sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (clp). although t. gondii-infected mice exhibited efficient control of the bacterial burden, they showed ... | 2017 | 28439500 |
| tgf-β1 improving abnormal pregnancy outcomes induced by toxoplasma gondii infection: regulating nkg2d/dap10 and killer subset of decidual nk cells. | our current aim was to investigate whether injection of tgf-β1 played an important role in improving abnormal pregnancy outcomes with t. gondii infection and how the tgf-β1 regulated. results showed that tgf-β1 exhibited improved pregnancy outcomes induced by t. gondii infection. dnk cytotoxicity was increased with t. gondii infection while decreased with tgf-β1 treatment. dnk cytotoxicity related nkg2d/dap10 expression, perforin, granzyme, ifn-γ and killer subsets were all increased with t. gon ... | 2017 | 28438315 |
| a novel dense granule protein, gra41, regulates timing of egress and calcium sensitivity in toxoplasma gondii. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite with high seroprevalence in humans. repeated lytic cycles of invasion, replication, and egress drive both the propagation and the virulence of this parasite. key steps in this cycle, including invasion and egress, depend on tightly regulated calcium fluxes and, although many of the calcium-dependent effectors have been identified, the factors that detect and regulate the calcium fluxes are mostly unknown. to address this knowle ... | 2017 | 28436089 |
| toxoplasma infection in an immunocompetent host: possible risk of living with multiple cats. | a 32-year-old man presented with agitation, headache, and confusion. he was immunocompetent and had been living with multiple cats for many years. his vital signs were stable. he was afebrile. multiple blood tests did not show any serious problem. brain magnetic resonance imaging (mri) revealed multiple ring-enhancing white matter lesions. cerebrospinal fluid analysis did not show any signs of infection. based on a presumptive diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, high-dose corticosteroid treatment w ... | 2017 | 28435763 |
| prevalence and genetic characterization of toxoplasma gondii in badgers (melogale moschata) in southern china by pcr-rflp. | toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite which is able to infect almost all warm-blooded animals. there is no information about the prevalence and genetic characterization of t. gondii in badgers (melogale moschata) in china. here, a total of 367 badgers were captured from different cities in jiangxi province, southern china. genomic dna was extracted from brain tissues of each badgers, and 57 (15.45%) of them were positive for t. gondii by semi-nested pcr of the b1 g ... | 2017 | 28434971 |
| prevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection in hiv-infected patients and food animals and direct genotyping of t. gondii isolates, southern ghana. | toxoplasma gondii is of public health and veterinary importance causing severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals including hiv/aids patients and in congenital cases and animals. there is limited information on the epidemiology of t. gondii infection in humans, particularly hiv patients and food animals and the parasite genotypes in ghana. a total of 394 hiv-infected patients from three hospitals were screened for t. gondii anti-igg and igm using elisa. dnas from blood samples of seroposi ... | 2017 | 28434050 |
| epidemiology of toxoplasma gondii among blood donors in iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | asymptomatic toxoplasma gondii transmitted from blood donors to receiving patients has become a concern. numerous articles have been published on the epidemiology of t. gondii in blood donors in iran and a systematic review of the results shows quite different findings, hence this study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of t. gondii in iranian blood donors using meta-analysis. | 2017 | 28433405 |
| are poikilothermic animals real hosts for toxoplasma gondii? | the protozoan toxoplasma gondii is believed to be a common parasite of almost all endothermic animals and humans. however, recent reports of toxoplasmosis in marine mammals raise concern that cold-blooded animals may also be a potential source of t. gondii infection. the article discusses the presence of t. gondii in aquatic and terrestrial poikilothermic animals, which may be important elements in the transmission of the parasite. | 2017 | 28432838 |
| dual role of the toxoplasma gondii clathrin adaptor ap1 in the sorting of rhoptry and microneme proteins and in parasite division. | toxoplasma gondii possesses a highly polarized secretory system, which efficiently assembles de novo micronemes and rhoptries during parasite replication. these apical secretory organelles release their contents into host cells promoting parasite invasion and survival. using a crelox-based inducible knock-out strategy and the ddfkbp over-expression system, we unraveled novel functions of the clathrin adaptor complex tgap1. first, our data indicate that ap1 in t. gondii likely functions as a cons ... | 2017 | 28430827 |
| the roles of mast cells in parasitic protozoan infections. | protozoan parasites such as plasmodium spp., leishmania spp., trypanosoma spp., and toxoplasma gondii are major causes of parasitic diseases in both humans and animals. the immune system plays a critical role against protozoa, but their immune mechanism remains poorly understood. this highlights the need to investigate the function of immune cells involved in the process of parasite infections and the responses of host immune system to parasite infections. mast cells (mcs) are known to be centra ... | 2017 | 28428784 |
| toxoplasma gondii in backyard pigs: seroepidemiology and mouse bioassay. | the aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of toxoplasma gondii in backyard pigs destined for human consumption in pernambuco state, brazil. blood and tissue samples (liver, heart, brain, lung and diaphragm) were collected from 224 pigs from legal slaughterhouses and tested for t. gondii infection. antibodies to t. gondii were found in the sera of 37.9% (85/224) by using the immunofluorescence antibody test (cut-off - 1:64). tissue samples from seropositive pigs were bioassayed in mice ... | 2017 | 28426411 |
| cd103(+) cd8 t cells in the toxoplasma-infected brain exhibit a tissue-resident memory transcriptional profile. | during chronic infection, memory t cells acquire a unique phenotype and become dependent on different survival signals than those needed for memory t cells generated during an acute infection. the distinction between the role of effector and memory t cells in an environment of persistent antigen remains unclear. here, in the context of chronic toxoplasma gondii infection, we demonstrate that a population of cd8 t cells exhibiting a tissue-resident memory (trm) phenotype accumulates within the br ... | 2017 | 28424687 |
| induction of protective immunity against toxoplasma gondii in mice by nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase-ii (ntpase-ii) self-amplifying rna vaccine encapsulated in lipid nanoparticle (lnp). | rna-based vaccine represents an irresistible and safe immunization strategy with decreasing theoretical risks of genomic integration and malignant cell transformation. to our knowledge, however, there is no report about development of rna vaccine against toxoplasma gondii infection. we have previously demonstrated that the recombinant t. gondii nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase-ii (ntpase-ii) protein is able to provide protective th1 cell-mediated immunity against t. gondii. herein, we evaluated ... | 2017 | 28424680 |
| global mirna expression profiling of domestic cat livers following acute toxoplasma gondii infection. | although micrornas (mirnas) play an important role in liver homeostasis, the extent to which they can be altered by toxoplasma gondii infection is unknown. here, we utilized small rna sequencing and bioinformatic analyses to characterize mirna expression profiles in the liver of domestic cats at 7 days after oral infection with t. gondii (type ii) strain. a total of 384 mirnas were identified and 82 were differentially expressed, of which 33 were up-regulated and 49 down-regulated. also, 5690 pr ... | 2017 | 28424428 |
| tgpl2, a patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein, is involved in the maintenance of apicoplast lipids homeostasis in toxoplasma. | patatin-like phospholipases are involved in numerous cellular functions, including lipid metabolism and membranes remodeling. the patatin-like catalytic domain, whose phospholipase activity relies on a serine-aspartate dyad and an anion binding box, is widely spread among prokaryotes and eukaryotes. we describe tgpl2, a novel patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein from the parasitic protist toxoplasma gondii. tgpl2 is a large protein, in which the key motifs for enzymatic activity ... | 2017 | 28419631 |
| intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae of toxoplasma gondii induced acute ileitis in mice harboring a human gut microbiota. | within seven days following peroral high dose infection with toxoplasma gondii susceptible conventionally colonized mice develop acute ileitis due to an underlying t helper cell (th) -1 type immunopathology. we here addressed whether mice harboring a human intestinal microbiota developed intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae upon ileitis induction. | 2017 | 28414794 |
| presence of toxoplasma gondii in drinking water from an endemic region in southern mexico. | toxoplasmosis can be acquired through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water with oocysts of toxoplasma gondii, highly resistant to the routinely disinfection processes; based on chlorination commonly used in the water supply industry. the aim of this study was to determine the presence of t. gondii dna in samples of public drinking water from an endemic region of southern mexico. in total 74 samples of water (5 l each) were collected from the three well fields (i, ii, and iii) and 71 inde ... | 2017 | 28414523 |
| toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in iranian women and risk factors of the disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. | toxoplasmosis is caused by an intracellular obligatory parasite, toxoplasma gondii, and it has global distribution. the purposes of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in iranian pregnant women, and girls and women of childbearing age, and identify potentially preventable risk factors. | 2017 | 28413330 |
| disruption of outer blood-retinal barrier by toxoplasma gondii-infected monocytes is mediated by paracrinely activated fak signaling. | ocular toxoplasmosis is mediated by monocytes infected with toxoplasma gondii that are disseminated to target organs. although infected monocytes can easily access to outer blood-retinal barrier due to leaky choroidal vasculatures, not much is known about the effect of t. gondii-infected monocytes on outer blood-retinal barrier. we prepared human monocytes, thp-1, infected with t. gondii and human retinal pigment epithelial cells, arpe-19, grown on transwells as an in vitro model of outer blood- ... | 2017 | 28406972 |
| protection induced by virus-like particles containing toxoplasma gondii microneme protein 8 against highly virulent rh strain of toxoplasma gondii infection. | toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) microneme protein 8 (mic8) represents a novel, functional distinct invasion factor. in this study, we generated virus-like particles (vlps) targeting toxoplasma gondii mic8 for the first time, and investigated the protection against highly virulent rh strain of t. gondii in a mouse model. we found that vlp vaccination induced toxoplasma gondii-specific igg and igg1 antibody responses in the sera. upon challenge infection with rh strain of t. gondii tachyzoites, vacc ... | 2017 | 28406951 |
| vaccination against parasites - status quo and the way forward. | although vaccination against various pathogens is integral to health management of swine, vaccines against parasites have not yet been commercialized for the use in pigs. the incentive to develop and commercialize anti-parasitic vaccines in swine are twofold; on the one hand parasitic diseases which are economically important, such as ascarosis and neonatal coccidiosis, could be controlled in a sustainable manner; on the other hand, the transmission of zoonotic parasites, such as toxoplasma gond ... | 2016 | 28405456 |
| novel fitc-labeled igy antibody: fluorescence imaging toxoplasma gondii in vitro. | toxoplasmosis is caused by t. gondii and can create serious health problems in humans and also worldwide economic harm. because of the clinical and veterinary importance of toxoplasmosis, its timely and accurate diagnosis has a major impact on disease-fighting strategies. t. gondii surface antigen 1 (sag1), an immunodominant-specific antigen, is often used as a diagnostic tool. therefore, the aim of this study was the optimization of novel fluorescein isothiocyanate (fitc) labeling of the sag1-s ... | 2017 | 28404997 |
| investigation of toxoplasma gondii in semen, testicle and epididymis tissues of primo-infected cats (felis catus). | this study aimed to investigate the presence of toxoplasma gondii in semen, testicle and epididymis tissues of cats experimentally infected by this coccidium. a total of 12 male felines without a definite breed that were of reproductive age and serologically negative for t. gondii were selected and distributed to the following three experimental groups: gi, inoculated with 600 tissue cysts of the p strain of t. gondii (isolate iii); gii, inoculated with 2×10(5) tachyzoites of the rh strain (isol ... | 2017 | 28404209 |
| rrop2 from toxoplasma gondii as a potential vaccine against oocyst shedding in domestic cats. | the aim of the present study was to evaluate oocyst shedding in cats immunized by nasal route with t. gondii proteins rop2. twelve short hair cats (felis catus) were divided in three groups g1, g2 and g3 (n=4). animals from g1 received 100 μg of rrop2 proteins plus 20 μg of quil-a, g2 received 100 μg of bsa plus 20 μg of quil-a, and the g3 only saline solution (control group). all treatments were done by intranasal route at days 0, 21, 42, and 63. the challenge was performed in all groups on day ... | 2017 | 28403374 |
| different inoculum loads of toxoplasma gondii induce reduction of myenteric neurons of the rat colon. | toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by toxoplasma gondii, is an important health problem, especially in immunocompromised hosts. t. gondii uses the gut wall as an infection gateway, with tropism for muscular and nervous tissues causing intestinal alterations, including some in the enteric nervous system. this study aims at investigating the colon of rats infected by t. gondii in order to understand how the amount of oocysts influences in myenteric neuronal changes. sixty wistar rats (rattus norvegic ... | 2017 | 28403373 |
| seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasma gondii in slaughter pigs in shaanxi province, northwestern china. | toxoplasma gondii is an important food-borne zoonotic protozoan parasite, which can infect endothermic animals, including pigs. however, data on t. gondii in slaughter pigs in shaanxi province were still lacking. to detect the seroprevalence and analyze the risk factors of t. gondii infection in slaughter pigs in shaanxi province, northwestern china, a total of 784 serum samples were collected from four administrative regions and detected by indirect hemagglutination test for t. gondii infection ... | 2017 | 28402727 |
| loss of predator aversion in female rats after toxoplasma gondii infection is not dependent on ovarian steroids. | toxoplasma gondii infection reduces aversion to cat odors in male rats. relevant proximate mechanisms include interaction of gonadal testosterone and brain nonapeptide arginine-vasopressin. both of these substrates are sexually dimorphic with preferential expression in males; suggesting either absence of behavioral change in females or mediation by analogous neuroendocrine substrates. here we demonstrate that toxoplasma gondii infection reduces aversion to cat odor in female rats. this change is ... | 2017 | 28400143 |
| toxoplasma gondii in raw and dry-cured ham: the influence of the curing process. | the aim of this work was to analyze toxoplasma gondii in raw hams by mouse bioassay and to evaluate the effect of curing on the viability of the parasite to assess the risk of infection from eating dry-cured ham. after a serology study of 1200 pigs in aragón (spain), forty-one naturally infected pigs with different serological titers against t. gondii were selected. two cured periods (9 and 12 months) were evaluated as well as the influence of the physicochemical composition of hams on t. gondii ... | 2017 | 28400005 |
| evaluation of toxoplasma elite mgb real-time pcr assay for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. | molecular diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis or disseminated toxoplasmosis is based mainly on pcr. the repeated dna element rep529 has become the main dna target used in most pcr methods, whether laboratory developed or commercial. in this multicenter study, we evaluated the toxoplasma elite mgb (elitech) commercial kit by comparison with three reference quantitative pcr assays (ras) used routinely in three proficient laboratories of the french national reference center for toxoplasmosis netw ... | 2017 | 28202794 |