Toxocara canis is a widespread parasite of canids with a wide range of paratenic hosts, but also one of the overlooked agents causing nervous system infections of humans. Previous experimental infections of mice demonstrated the impact of high infection doses of larvae on neurobehavioral disorders and pathological changes. In contrast to previous studies, we aimed to investigate the long-term (up to 100 weeks) impact of low- to high-dose infection in mice. We focused on their physical condition, motor skills, and the accompanying pathologies in the brain. Three groups of BALB/c mice were infected with 10, 100, and 1000 T. canis larvae/mouse and specific anti-T. canis excretory-secretory antigens immunoglobulin G antibody response, general condition, and motor skills were tested in defined intervals within 100 weeks after infection. The number of larvae in selected organs was assessed and the pathological changes in the brain were studied histologically. As a result, subtle to severe impairments in general condition and motor skills were detected, with generally earlier onsets occurring the higher the infection dose was. The specific immunoglobulin G antibody levels corresponding to the infection dose were detected in all infected groups. Necrosis, cellular infiltrations, and foamy cells developed in moderate- and high-infection dose mice, in contrast with hemorrhages detected in all groups. This study demonstrated the long-term negative impact of T. canis infection on the paratenic host, particularly at moderate and high infectious doses. Although pathological changes in the brain were observed even in low-infection dose mice, their physical and motor condition was comparable to the control group.

• MeSH
• imunoglobulin G * krev   MeSH
• larva MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• mozek * parazitologie   patologie   MeSH
• myši inbrední BALB C * MeSH
• myši MeSH
• protilátky helmintové * krev   MeSH
• Toxocara canis * imunologie   MeSH
• toxokaróza * parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Cílem sdělení je seznámit s formami očních projevů visceral larva migrans u dětí, jak dokresluje rozsáhlá fotodokumentace. Oční larvální toxokaróza (OLT) má i v dětském věku rozdílné klinické projevy, kdy vliv má věkové zastoupení. Nejčastěji bývá přítomen periferní granulom oka často s trakčním vitreálním pruhem táhnoucím se z periferie sítnice k papile zrakového nervu. Následuje granulom zadního pólu oka zasahující většinou od makulární krajiny do střední periferie sítnice vždy s vitritidou. U dětí se může OLT projevit i postižením optického nervu (cystický granulom hlavy zrakového nervu nebo neuropatie s vitritreální reakcí), fulminativní endoftalmitidou a vzácně i difúzní chorioretinitidou. Diagnostika se opírá o klinický oftalmologický nález a také laboratorní vyšetření hladin protilátek s případnou eosinofilií. Histologické vyšetření může prokázat kulovitou polyploidní osifikaci v cévnatce na zadním pólu oka jako následek fibrotizace a kalcifikace postupující z v okolí vstřebané larvy. Celková kombinovaná léčba anthelmetikem a kortikoidem je obtížná, a ne vždy přináší dobrý efekt ve smyslu uspokojivého zlepšení zrakové ostrosti. Projevy OLT u malých dětí jsou stále spojeny v diferenciální diagnóze s retinoblastomem a klinikou dalších nitroočních chorob.

The aim of this paper is to present an outline of forms of ocular manifestations of visceral larva migrans in children, as illustrated by the extensive photographic documentation. Ocular larval toxocariasis (OLT) has various clinical manifestations even in childhood age, in which age representation has an influence. The most common is presence of peripheral granuloma of the eye, frequently with a tractional vitreal streak leading from the retinal periphery to the optic nerve papilla. This is followed by granuloma of the posterior pole of the eye, usually reaching from the macular landscape to the central retinal periphery, always with vitritis. In children OLT may be manifested also in affliction of the optic nerve (cystic granuloma of the head of the optic nerve or neuropathy with vitreal reaction), fulminant endophthalmitis and in rare cases also diffuse chorioretinitis. The diagnosis rests upon a clinical ophthalmological finding, as well as laboratory examination of the levels of antibodies with potential eosinophilia. Histological examination may demonstrate spherical polypoid ossification in the choroid at the posterior pole of the eye as a consequence of fibrotisation and calcification, proceeding from the surrounding area of the absorbed larva. General combined treatment with antihelminthics and corticosteroids is arduous and does not always produce the desired effect in the sense of a satisfactory improvement of visual acuity. In differential diagnostics, manifestations of OLT in small children are still associated with retinoblastoma and a clinical picture of other intraocular diseases.

• MeSH
• anthelmintika aplikace a dávkování   farmakokinetika   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• chorioretinitida etiologie   MeSH
• diferenciální diagnóza MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• ELISA metody   MeSH
• endoftalmitida etiologie   MeSH
• larva migrans viscerální diagnóza   etiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• oči patologie   MeSH
• toxokaróza * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• přehledy MeSH

Toxocara canis, a gastrointestinal parasite of canids, is also highly prevalent in many paratenic hosts, such as mice and humans. As with many other helminths, the infection is associated with immunomodulatory effects, which could affect other inflammatory conditions including autoimmune and allergic diseases. Here, we investigated the effect of T. canis infection on the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Mice infected with 2 doses of 100 T. canis L3 larvae 5 weeks prior to EAE induction (the Tc+EAE group) showed higher EAE clinical scores and greater weight loss compared to the non-infected group with induced EAE (the EAE group). Elevated concentrations of all measured serum cytokines (IL-1α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN-γ and TNF-α) were observed in the Tc+EAE group compared to the EAE group. In the CNS, the similar number of regulatory T cells (Tregs; CD4+FoxP3+Helios+) but their decreased proportion from total CD4+ cells was found in the Tc+EAE group compared to the EAE group. This could indicate that the group Tc+EAE harboured significantly more CD4+ T cells of non-Treg phenotype within the affected CNS. Altogether, our results demonstrate that infection of mice with T. canis worsens the course of subsequently induced EAE. Further studies are, therefore, urgently needed to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms and to investigate possible risks for the human population, in which exposure to T. canis is frequent.

• MeSH
• CD4-pozitivní T-lymfocyty patologie   MeSH
• cytokiny MeSH
• encefalomyelitida autoimunitní experimentální * patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• roztroušená skleróza * patologie   MeSH
• Toxocara canis * MeSH
• toxokaróza * komplikace   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The nematodes Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) and Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) have been associated with worse human cognitive function in children and middle-aged adults. In this study, we sought to determine the association between Toxocara seropositivity and serointensity determined by detection of IgG antibodies against the Toxocara antigen recombinant Tc-CTL-1 and cognitive function in older adults, including approximately 1,350 observations from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mean fluorescence intensity was used to quantify IgG antibodies against the Toxocara recombinant Tc-CTL-1 antigen, and respondents were considered positive at values greater than 23.1. In adjusted models from sample sizes ranging from 1,274 to 1,288 depending on the individual cognitive task, we found that Toxocara seropositivity was associated with worse performance on the animal-fluency task (b = -1.245, 95% CI: -2.392 to -0.099, P< 0.05) and the digit-symbol coding task (b = -5.159, 95% CI: -8.337 to -1.980, P< 0.001). Toxocara serointensity assessed using log-transformed mean fluorescence intensity as a continuous variable was associated with worse performance on the digit-symbol coding task (b = -1.880, 95% CI: -2.976 to -0.783, P < 0.001). There were no significant associations with tasks assessing memory. Further, age modified the association between Toxocara and cognitive function, although sex, educational attainment, and income did not. These findings suggest that Toxocara might be associated with deficits in executive function and processing speed in older U.S. adults, although additional research is required to better describe cognitive function in older adults who are seropositive for Toxocara spp.

• MeSH
• imunoglobulin G MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• Toxocara MeSH
• toxokaróza * komplikace   diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• výživa - přehledy MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Larval toxocarosis is a zoonosis caused by larvae of Toxocara canis and T. cati, a gastrointestinal nematode of canids and felids, respectively. Diagnosis is usually performed by ELISA IgG using Toxocara excretory-secretory products as an antigen. Due to laboriousness of isolation of the products and subsequent process of standardization of antigenic compounds, routine use of this method is limited and can produce inaccurate diagnostical results. The purpose of this study was to discover new specific antigenic proteins that could be used in routine serological methods of larval toxocarosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Toxocara excretory-secretory products were collected and separated by SDS-PAGE. Proteins from the gel were electro-transferred to a membrane and incubated with mouse sera. Antigenic proteins were analyzed using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach. Selected proteins were prepared in recombinant form and tested with mice and human sera by ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: A total of four recombinant protein antigens were prepared (rTc-TES-26, rTc-ASA, rTc-PDP, and rTc-ASP). They were analyzed by ELISA and Western blot using mice and human sera. For all sera, three of the four recombinant antigens correlated with Toxocara excretory-secretory products in ELISA analysis. By Western blot, the infection was confirmed in all experimentally infected mice and two out of seven human patients. CONCLUSION: Combination of the presented methods and analyses represents a possible method of effective identification of Toxocara protein antigens for the purpose of routine serodiagnosis.

• MeSH
• antigeny helmintové MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• larva MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• Toxocara canis * MeSH
• Toxocara MeSH
• toxokaróza * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Human toxocariasis is a helminthozoonosis caused by the migration of Toxocara species larvae through an organism. The infection in humans is transmitted either by direct ingestion of the eggs of the parasite, or by consuming undercooked meat infested with Toxocara larvae. This parasitosis can be found worldwide, but there are significant differences in seroprevalence in different areas, depending mainly on hot climate conditions and on low social status. However, the literature estimates of seroprevalence are inconsistent. Infected patients commonly present a range of symptoms, e.g., abdominal pain, decreased appetite, restlessness, fever, and coughing. This manuscript presents a case report of a polytraumatic patient who underwent a two-phase spinal procedure for a thoracolumbar fracture. After the second procedure, which was a vertebral body replacement via thoracotomy, the patient developed a pathologic pleural effusion. A microscopic cytology examination of this effusion revealed the presence of Toxocara species larvae. Although the patient presented no specific clinical symptoms, and the serological exams (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot) were negative, the microscopic evaluation enabled a timely diagnosis. The patient was successfully treated with albendazole, with no permanent sequelae of the infection.

• MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• paraziti * MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• sociální status MeSH
• Toxocara MeSH
• toxokaróza * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• kazuistiky MeSH

• MeSH
• akutní retinální nekróza MeSH
• brucelóza farmakoterapie   krev   patofyziologie   MeSH
• chorioretinitida MeSH
• diferenciální diagnóza MeSH
• herpetické infekce farmakoterapie   klasifikace   krev   patofyziologie   MeSH
• histoplazmóza farmakoterapie   imunologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• infekce bakteriemi rodu Bartonella farmakoterapie   krev   patofyziologie   MeSH
• infekční nemoci * klasifikace   komplikace   MeSH
• kandidóza farmakoterapie   patofyziologie   patologie   MeSH
• kryptokokóza farmakoterapie   imunologie   komplikace   MeSH
• leptospiróza diagnóza   farmakoterapie   mikrobiologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lymeská nemoc farmakoterapie   krev   patofyziologie   MeSH
• myiáza diagnostické zobrazování   klasifikace   přenos   MeSH
• oční symptomy * MeSH
• oční toxoplazmóza diagnostické zobrazování   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• onchocerkóza oční diagnostické zobrazování   MeSH
• Pneumocystis carinii izolace a purifikace   patogenita   účinky léků   MeSH
• schistosomóza diagnostické zobrazování   klasifikace   přenos   MeSH
• spalničky komplikace   krev   patofyziologie   MeSH
• toxokaróza imunologie   patologie   MeSH
• toxoplazmóza MeSH
• uveitida klasifikace   MeSH
• zánět zrakového nervu MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Ac), or the rat lungworm, is a major cause of eosinophilic meningitis. Humans are infected by ingesting the 3rd stage larvae from primary hosts, snails, and slugs, or paratenic hosts. The currently used molecular test is a qPCR assay targeting the ITS1 rDNA region (ITS1) of Ac. METHODS: In silico design of a more sensitive qPCR assay was performed based on tandem repeats predicted to be the most abundant by the RepeatExplorer algorithm. Genomic DNA (gDNA) of Ac were used to determine the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the best primer/probe combination. This assay was then applied to clinical and environmental samples. RESULTS: The limit of detection of the best performing assay, AcanR3990, was 1 fg (the DNA equivalent of 1/100 000 dilution of a single 3rd stage larvae). Out of 127 CDC archived CSF samples from varied geographic locations, the AcanR3990 qPCR detected the presence of Ac in 49/49 ITS1 confirmed angiostrongyliasis patients, along with 15/73 samples previously negative by ITS1 qPCR despite strong clinical suspicion for angiostrongyliasis. Intermediate hosts (gastropods) and an accidental host, a symptomatic horse, were also tested with similar improvement in detection observed. AcanR3990 qPCR did not cross-react in 5 CSF from patients with proven neurocysticercosis, toxocariasis, gnathostomiasis, and baylisascariasis. AcanR3990 qPCR failed to amplify genomic DNA from the other related Angiostrongylus species tested except for Angiostrongylus mackerrasae (Am), a neurotropic species limited to Australia that would be expected to present with a clinical syndrome indistinguishable from Ac. CONCLUSION: These results suggest AcanR3990 qPCR assay is highly sensitive and specific with potential wide applicability as a One Health detection method for Ac and Am.

• MeSH
• Angiostrongylus cantonensis * genetika   MeSH
• Angiostrongylus * MeSH
• infekce hlísticemi řádu Strongylida * diagnóza   MeSH
• koně MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• meningitida * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Larval toxocarosis (LT), a zoonotic disease transmitted by dogs, cats, and other carnivores, is caused by roundworms of the genus Toxocara. Humans become infected by ingesting embryonated eggs of this parasite. In this study, we present data on the seroprevalence of LT in the Czech Republic collected by the National Reference Laboratory for Tissue Helminthoses in 2012-2016. METHODS: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a total of 4428 adults and children with or without clinical symptoms were examined for the presence of IgG antibodies against Toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigens. RESULTS: Of all the persons examined, specific Toxocara antibodies were detected in 160 (3.6%) individuals. There were, however, significant differences between various regions, with seropositivity rates ranging from 1.4 to 7.5%. CONCLUSION: In comparison to studies from 1998 and 2004, our results suggest a decrease in overall Toxocara seroprevalence in the Czech population, whereby the rates are similar to or even lower than rates in some other Central European countries.

• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• imunoglobulin G krev   MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• larva MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• protilátky helmintové krev   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• Toxocara izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• toxokaróza krev   epidemiologie   MeSH
• zoonózy epidemiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

• MeSH
• pediatrie MeSH

• Konspekt
• Pediatrie
• NLK Obory
• pediatrie