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Pathogens
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Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases
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Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 8807

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Po-Ching Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medicial University, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: immunology and inflammatory responses of infected pathogens (especially parasites and bacteria); tropical medicine; diagnostic reagents; vaccine development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parasitic infections and tropical infectious diseases have always been neglected in public health and medical research. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research on infectious diseases has begun to receive more attention. In recent years, with the scientific developments in the field of molecular immunity and biological information, parasites and other tropical infectious diseases have also been found to have comorbidities with many diseases, and have even been found to have a causal relationship with each other, including between schistosomiasis and liver disease or bladder cancer; cysticercosis and dementia; dengue fever and cardiovascular disease; etc. In addition, many new or extinct tropical diseases have also been discovered or have re-emerged and caused harm. More investigations and research are needed to prevent the spread of these infections and cause large-scale outbreaks.

For this Special Issue, we invite you to send original or review papers on aspects of parasitic infections and tropical infectious diseases.

Dr. Po-Ching Cheng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • parasite infection
  • tropical diseases
  • chronic inflammation
  • anti-infectious drugs
  • pathogen–host interaction
  • bacteria and virus
  • pathogenesis
  • epidemiology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 15837 KiB  
Article
Exploration of the Binding Site of Arachidonic Acid in gp63 of Leishmania mexicana and in Orthologous Proteins in Clinically Important Parasites
by Verónica Ivonne Hernández-Ramírez, Audifás-Salvador Matus-Meza, Norma Oviedo, Marco Antonio Magos-Castro, Carlos Osorio-Trujillo, Lizbeth Salazar-Villatoro, Luis Alejandro Constantino-Jonapa and Patricia Talamás-Rohana
Pathogens 2024, 13(9), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13090718 - 25 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1627
Abstract
Recently, we published that the monoclonal antibody (D12 mAb) recognizes gp63 of L. mexicana, and it is responsible for COX activity. This D12 mAb exhibited cross-reactivity with Trypanosoma cruzi, Entamoeba histolytica, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and Naegleria fowleri. COX activity [...] Read more.
Recently, we published that the monoclonal antibody (D12 mAb) recognizes gp63 of L. mexicana, and it is responsible for COX activity. This D12 mAb exhibited cross-reactivity with Trypanosoma cruzi, Entamoeba histolytica, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and Naegleria fowleri. COX activity assays performed in these parasites suggested the potential presence of such enzymatic activity. In our investigation, we confirmed that wild-type recombinant gp63 exhibits COX-like activity, in contrast to a mutated recombinant gp63 variant. Consequently, our objective was to identify sequences orthologous to gp63 and subsequently analyze the binding of arachidonic acid (AA) to the putative active sites of these proteins. Given the absence of a crystallized structure for this protein in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), it was imperative to first obtain a three-dimensional structure by homology modeling, using leishmanolysin from Leishmania major (PDB ID: LML1) as a template in the Swiss model database. The results obtained through molecular docking simulations revealed the primary interactions of AA close to the Zinc atom present in the catalytic site of gp63-like molecules of several parasites, predominantly mediated by hydrogen bonds with HIS264, HIS268 and HIS334. Furthermore, COX activity was evaluated in commensal species such as E. dispar and during the encystment process of E. invadens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases)
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13 pages, 2815 KiB  
Article
A PCR Test Using the Mini-PCR Platform and Simplified Product Detection Methods Is Highly Sensitive and Specific to Detect Fasciola hepatica DNA Mixed in Human Stool, Snail Tissue, and Water DNA Specimens
by Martha V. Fernandez-Baca, Alejandro Castellanos-Gonzalez, Rodrigo A. Ore, Jose L. Alccacontor-Munoz, Cristian Hoban, Carol A. Castro, Melinda B. Tanabe, Maria L. Morales, Pedro Ortiz, A. Clinton White, Jr., Miguel M. Cabada and on behalf of the Fasciola TMRC in Peru
Pathogens 2024, 13(6), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13060440 - 23 May 2024
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
Fasciola hepatica has a complex lifecycle with multiple intermediate and definitive hosts and influenced by environmental factors. The disease causes significant morbidity in children and its prevalent worldwide. There is lack of data about distribution and burden of the disease in endemic regions, [...] Read more.
Fasciola hepatica has a complex lifecycle with multiple intermediate and definitive hosts and influenced by environmental factors. The disease causes significant morbidity in children and its prevalent worldwide. There is lack of data about distribution and burden of the disease in endemic regions, owing to poor efficacy of the different diagnostic methods used. A novel PCR-based test was developed by using a portable mini-PCR® platform to detect Fasciola sp. DNA and interpret the results via a fluorescence viewer and smartphone image analyzer application. Human stool, snail tissue, and water samples were used to extract DNA. Primers targeting the ITS-1 of the 18S rDNA gene of Fasciola sp. were used. The limit of detection of the mini-PCR test was 1 fg/μL for DNA samples diluted in water, 10 fg/μL for Fasciola/snail DNA scramble, and 100 fg/μL for Fasciola/stool DNA scramble. The product detection by agarose gel, direct visualization, and image analyses showed the same sensitivity. The Fh mini-PCR had a sensitivity and specificity equivalent to real-time PCR using the same specimens. Testing was also done on infected human stool and snail tissue successfully. These experiments demonstrated that Fh mini-PCR is as sensitive and specific as real time PCR but without the use of expensive equipment and laboratory facilities. Further testing of multiple specimens with natural infection will provide evidence for feasibility of deployment to resource constrained laboratories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases)
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12 pages, 668 KiB  
Article
Emerging and Reemerging Parasitic Diseases in Taiwan: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Case Reports in 2001~2018
by Shao-Lun Hsu and Chia-Kwung Fan
Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050383 - 5 May 2024
Viewed by 1705
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases can cause significant economic burdens at national and global levels. However, governments often underestimate or ignore these diseases, especially in developed countries. This retrospective, case-oriented study analyzed parasitic diseases reported in Taiwan between 2001 and 2018. One hundred [...] Read more.
Emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases can cause significant economic burdens at national and global levels. However, governments often underestimate or ignore these diseases, especially in developed countries. This retrospective, case-oriented study analyzed parasitic diseases reported in Taiwan between 2001 and 2018. One hundred and thirty-two eligible clinical profiles of Taiwanese patients obtained from the NCBI, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases and local journals according to age, sex, source of infection, symptoms, risk factors, and geographical regions were analyzed. The analysis results showed that the number/frequency of cases caused by nematodes (46.97%) or protozoa (37.88%) was significantly higher than that of trematodes (9.85%) or cestodes (5.30%) (p < 0.0001). Northern Taiwan (46.97%) had a significantly higher rate than Southern Taiwan (33.33%), Central Taiwan (8.33%), and Eastern Taiwan (5.30%) (p < 0.05). The 15–65 age group (68.94%) had a significantly higher rate than the 65–90 age group (22.73%) and the 0–15 age group (8.33%) (p < 0.0001). Males (70.46%) had a significantly higher number/frequency of cases than females (29.54%) (p < 0.0001). People who acquired the infection through the food/soil route (32.58%) or who had a low immune status (32.58%) had a higher rate than travel-related infections (15.15%) (p < 0.001). The present study showed that emerging/reemerging parasitic infections continue to be of great concern to the lives and health of Taiwanese citizens and, if ignored, will threaten the health of the Taiwanese people; therefore, the delineation of preventive measures by health authorities is urgently warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases)
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11 pages, 2551 KiB  
Article
Cystatins from the Human Liver Fluke Opisthorchis viverrini: Molecular Characterization and Functional Analysis
by Amornrat Geadkaew-Krenc, Rudi Grams, Sinee Siricoon, Nanthawat Kosa, Dawid Krenc, Wansika Phadungsil and Pongsakorn Martviset
Pathogens 2023, 12(7), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070949 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1514
Abstract
A high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) has been observed in Thailand. This usually rare cancer has been associated with infection with the human liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini. Secretions of the parasite that interact with the host are thought to be [...] Read more.
A high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) has been observed in Thailand. This usually rare cancer has been associated with infection with the human liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini. Secretions of the parasite that interact with the host are thought to be a major component of its pathogenicity and proteolysis is a key biological activity of the secreted molecules. In this study, we present a molecular analysis of cysteine proteinase inhibitors (cystatins) of Opisthorchis viverrini. Six cDNA coding sequences of Opisthorchis viverrini cystatins, OvCys1–6, were cloned from the adult stage of the parasite using RT-PCR. Based on their sequences, OvCys1 and OvCys2 are classified as type 1 cystatins, while OvCys3–6 are classified as type 2 cystatins, with each containing a signal peptide and only one C-terminal disulfide bond. Their C-terminal region sequences are diverse compared with other cystatin members. Cystatins OvCys1, 3 and 4 were found in crude worm extracts and excretory-secretory (ES) products from the adult parasite using Western blot detection, while the other isoforms were not. Thus, OvCys1, 3 and 4 were selected for inhibition analysis and immune reactivity with Opisthorchis viverrini-infected hamster sera. OvCys1, 3, and 4 inhibited mammalian cathepsin L more effectively than cathepsin B. The pH range for their full activity was very wide (pH 3–9) and they were heat stable for at least 3 h. Unlike Fasciola gigantica cystatins, they showed no immune reactivity with infected hamster sera based on indirect ELISA. Our findings suggest that Opisthorchis viverrini cystatins are not major antigenic components in the ES product of this parasite and that other effects of Opisthorchis viverrini cystatins should be investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases)
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18 pages, 2888 KiB  
Article
Differential Analysis of Key Proteins Related to Fibrosis and Inflammation in Soluble Egg Antigen of Schistosoma mansoni at Different Infection Times
by Ying-Chou Chen, I-An Chen, Shih-Yi Peng and Po-Ching Cheng
Pathogens 2023, 12(3), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12030441 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2041
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major global health problem. Schistosomes secrete antigens into the host tissue that bind to chemokines or inhibit immune cell receptors, regulating the immune responses to allow schistosome development. However, the detailed mechanism of chronic schistosome infection-induced liver fibrosis, including the [...] Read more.
Schistosomiasis is a major global health problem. Schistosomes secrete antigens into the host tissue that bind to chemokines or inhibit immune cell receptors, regulating the immune responses to allow schistosome development. However, the detailed mechanism of chronic schistosome infection-induced liver fibrosis, including the relationship between secreted soluble egg antigen (SEA) and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, is still unknown. We used mass spectrometry to identify the SEA protein sequences from different infection weeks. In the 10th and 12th infection weeks, we focused on the SEA components and screened out the special protein components, particularly fibrosis- and inflammation-related protein sequences. Our results have identified heat shock proteins, phosphorylation-associated enzymes, or kinases, such as Sm16, GSTA3, GPCRs, EF1-α, MMP7, and other proteins linked to schistosome-induced liver fibrosis. After sorting, we found many special proteins related to fibrosis and inflammation, but studies proving their association with schistosomiasis infection are limited. Follow-up studies on MICOS, MATE1, 14-3-3 epsilon, and CDCP1 are needed. We treated the LX-2 cells with the SEA from the 8th, 10th, and 12th infection weeks to test HSC activation. In a trans-well cell model in which PBMCs and HSCs were co-cultured, the SEA could significantly induce TGF-β secretion, especially from the 12th week of infection. Our data also showed that TGF-β secreted by PBMC after the SEA treatment activates LX-2 and upregulates hepatic fibrotic markers α-SMA and collagen 1. Based on these results, the CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) screened at the 12th infection week could be investigated further. This study clarifies the trend of immune mechanism variation in the different stages of schistosome infection. However, how egg-induced immune response transformation causes liver tissue fibrosis needs to be studied further. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasite Infection and Tropical Infectious Diseases)
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