• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Unlike previous studies that reported the infection rates of Dirofilaria immitis in companion dogs, D. immitis genes were tested directly on mosquitoes to see how many mosquitoes actually carry larvae. Mosquito samples were collected from six parks in Incheon from March to August 2018. A total of 18,589 mosquitoes was collected, classified by type and then made 575 sample pools based on 50 mosquitoes. The PCR method was used to detect Dirofilaria immitis genes of sample pools. Dirofilaria immitis genes were detected in 7 of the 575 pools, and these positive mosquito samples were collected in 4 out of the 6 parks. The types of detected mosquitoes were Aedes dorsalis and Ochlerotatus koreanus which have been identified to act as a vector for heart worm propagation in Incheon. Based on these results, it was concluded that D. immitis genes were found in mosquitoes in the neighborhood park.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.375-377
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• 2013

In the present study, we first report the seroprevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Shenyang, northeastern China. Sera from 528 randomly selected dogs were examined for D. immitis antigen using SNAP$^{(R)}$4Dx test kit; 12.7% tested showed seropositive. No significant difference of infection was observed in different genders and breeds (P>0.05), but the difference was significant in different age groups and rearing conditions (P<0.05). The result suggested that the risk of exposure to D. immitis in dogs is high in Shenyang, and should be given attention.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.65-67
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• 2005

The intestines and hearts of dogs were examined for Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, and Dirofilaria immitis, after necropsy between June 26 and September 29, 2004 in Chuncheon, Korea. Of the 662 dogs examined, 6 were infected with T. canis $(0.9\%),\;86\;with\;T.\;leonina\;(13.0\%)$. Fifty dogs were infected with D. immitis among 500 dogs examined $(10.0\%)$. Five were co-infected with T. canis and T. leonina, and three were co-infected with T. leonina and D. immitis. The cumulative positive infection rate for three species was $134/662(20.2\%)$. Considering previously reported seropositive rates of T. canis excretory-secretory antigen, i.e., $5\%$ in the adult population in Korea, the possibility of toxocariasis caused by T. leonina should be reevaluated.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.53-54
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• 2014

This study was conducted to determine the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in clinically normal (uninfected) Korean Jindo dogs and those infected with Dirofilaria (D.) immitis. Forty Korean Jindo dogs (22 females, 18 males) were obtained from two kennels in the Boryeong area of Chungnam Province and the Daejeon area, Korea. Significantly higher cTnI concentrations were observed in D. immitis-infected dogs than clinically normal dogs. cTnI testing in addition to thoracic radiography, echocardiography, and electrocardiography shows promise as an additional method for diagnosis of heartworm infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.77-83
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• 2015

Wuchereria bancrofti, Dirofilaria immitis, and Dirofilaria repens are filarial nematodes transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles genera. Screening by vector dissection is a tiresome technique. We aimed to screen filarial parasites in their vectors by single and multiplex PCR and evaluate the usefulness of multiplex PCR as a rapid xenomonitoring and simultaneous differentiation tool, in area where 3 filarial parasites are coexisting. Female mosquitoes were collected from 7 localities in Assiut Governorate, were microscopically identified and divided into pools according to their species and collection site. Detection of W. bancrofti, D. immitis, and D. repens using single PCR was reached followed by multiplex PCR. Usefulness of multiplex PCR was evaluated by testing mosquito pools to know which genera and species are used by filarial parasites as a vector. An overall estimated rate of infection (ERI) in mosquitoes was 0.6%; the highest was Culex spp. (0.47%). W. bancrofti, D. immitis, and D. repens could be simultaneously and differentially detected in infected vectors by using multiplex PCR. Out of 100 mosquito pools, 8 were positive for W. bancrofti (ERI of 0.33%) and 3 pools each were positive for D. immitis and D. repens (ERI 0.12%). The technique showed 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity. El-Nikhila, El-Matiaa villages, and Sahel Seleem district in Assiut Governorate, Egypt are still endemic foci for filarial parasites. Multiplex PCR offers a reliable procedure for molecular xenomonitoring of filariasis within their respective vectors in endemic areas. Therefore, it is recommended for evaluation of mosquito infection after lymphatic filariasis eradication programs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.101-110
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• 1994

심장사상충 자충이 합성한 당단백의 분지(분지) 역할을 하는 N-linked high mannose 타입 올리고당의 구조에 대한 조사를 수행하였다. 사상충 자충을 방사선 표식 2-[$^3H$] mmannose를 함유한 배지에서 24시간 배양하였다. 자충으로부터 분리 정제한 당단백을 pronate로 소화시킨 다음. concanavalin A-Sepharose 크로마토그라피하여 분획하였다. 37%의 mannose가 자충 대사에 이용되었으며 pectin chromatography를 사용하여 high mannose 타입의 올리고당을 회수하였다. 이 올리고당을 $endo-{\beta}-N-acetylglucosaminidase$ H 효소로 소화시킨 후 HPLC를 사용하여 highmannose 타입 올리고당의 구성을 분석하였다. 심장사상충 자충이 합성한 high mannose 타입 올리고당의 형태는 $Man_5GIcNAc_2,{\;}Man_6GIcNAc_2,{\;}Man_7GIcNAc_2과{\;}Man_8GlcNAc_2$로 확인되었다. 이와 같이 심장사상충 자충이 체내 합성한 high mannose 타입 올리고당이 일반 척추동물이 체내 합성한 high mannose 타입 올리고당과 구조적으로 일치하였다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.673-677
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• 2017

The present study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for Dirofilaria immitis infection in cats from Liaoning province, northeastern China. From October 2014 to September 2016, sera of 651 cats, including 364 domestic cats and 287 feral cats (332 females and 319 males) were assessed. They were tested for the presence of D. immitis antigen using SNAP Heartworm RT test kit. In this population, the average prevalence was 4.5%. Age and rearing conditions (feral or domestic) were found to be associated with the prevalence of D. immitis. The prevalence was significantly higher in feral cats compared with domestic cats (8.4% vs 1.4%, P<0.01). There was no significant difference between males and females (4.7% vs 4.2%, P>0.05), but older cats (${\geq}3$ years old) showed a statistically higher prevalence compared with younger cats (<3 years old) in feral populations (16.8 vs 2.4%, P<0.01), while the difference between the age groups was not statistically significant in domestic cats (2.4% vs 0.51%, P>0.05), all these results suggest that outdoor exposure time may be one of the most important factors for D. immitis prevalence in cats. Results reveal that D. immitis are prevalence in domestic and feral cats in northeastern China, which indicates that appropriate preventive measures should be taken to decrease the incidence of feline heartworm disease in Liaoning province, northeastern China.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. More sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. Applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for D. immitis infection. A filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was initially identified by screening the assembled transcriptome of D. immitis (DiTCTP). A BLAST analysis suggested that the DiTCTP gene shared the highest similarity with TCTP from Loa loa at protein level (97%). A histidine-tagged recombinant DiTCTP protein (rDiTCTP) of 40 kDa expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed immunoreactivity with serum from a dog experimentally infected with heartworms. Localization studies illustrated the ubiquitous presence of rDiTCTP protein in the lateral hypodermal chords, dorsal hypodermal chord, muscle, intestine, and uterus in female adult worms. Further studies on D. immitis-derived TCTP are warranted to assess whether this filarial protein could be used for a diagnostic purpose.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.88-93
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• 2016

선형 사상충의 일종인 심장사상충은 개의 심폐 사상충증을 유발한다. 이에 본 연구의 목적은 심장사상충을 효과적으로 검출할 수 있는 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응 기법을 개발함에 있다. 연구에 있어서 사용된 프라이머 및 프로브는 선행연구에서 제작된 심장사상충 특이 프라이머 및 새롭게 제작된 TaqMan 프로브를 이용하였다. 선행연구에서 제작된 프라이머 및 농도별로 희석된 게놈유전자와 플라스미드유전자가 SYBR Green 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응 수행에 이용되었으며, 중합효소연쇄반응 과정 중 증폭 이후의 녹는 곡선의 결과를 분석하였다. 분석결과 사용된 프라이머는 각각 게놈유전자 및 플라스미드 유전자에서 특이 녹는 곡선을 나타냄에 따라 심장사상충 특이 사이토크롬 C 산화효소 유전자만을 증폭하고 있음을 확인 할 수 있었다. 새롭게 제작된 TaqMan 프로브는 SYBR Green 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응과의 결과를 농도별로 희석된 플라스미드 유전자를 이용하여 비교 분석하였고, 분석결과 TaqMan 프로브를 이용한 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응이 검출효율 및 특이도에 있어서 우수함을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구를 통하여 개발한 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응은 기존의 전통적인 진단기법의 한계를 극복할 수 있는 신속하고 정확한 향상된 진단기법을 제시한다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.235-239
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• 1998

1998년 6월과 7월 두 달간에 걸쳐 한국의 한 공군기지의 3-9세령의 군용견 35마리에서 스크리닝한 10마리의 개심장사상충 자연감염 개의 이정맥으로부터 2시간마다 72시간 동안 채혈하여 0.1ml 혈액의 후층도말 brilliant cresyl blue 표본을 만들어 미세사상충을 동정한 다음 그 수를 계산하였다. 이 실험은 일주일 간격으로 두번 실시하였다. 말초혈액에서 검출된 총 미세사상충의 2시간 간격 평균치에 대한 2시간 간격의 자충수의 백분율을 산출한 바 21시에 최고, 11시에 최저이었으며, 비록 최고치는 최저치의 2.17배로서 낮지만 일봉성 야간정기출현성이 인정되었다 (점근성, 95%).