• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.425-426
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• 2009

The present study investigated the infection status of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae in freshwater crabs (n = 363) and crayfish (n = 31) from October 2007 to October 2008 using the crush method. All of the freshwater crabs, Eriocheir japonicus, were negative for P. westermani metacercariae while 10 (32.3%) of the 31 examined crayfish were positive. The 10 positive crayfish were caught in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, and there were 8-59 (mean 28.4) metacrcariae per infected crayfish. These results suggest that P. westermani metacerariae are still transmitted by crayfish enzootically in southern Korea, and that freshwater crabs may transmit metacercariae only on rare occasions.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.527-538
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the activity of antibodies in the tissues of Paragonimus westermani at the different developmental stages. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Immunelectron microscopy (IEM) were applied, using the dog sera infected with metacercariae isolated from Cambaroides similis. These dog sera were obtained from 3rd to 96th week after infection by bleeding. The supernatants of homogenated worms for worm antigen were used. The worm tissues were embedded in Lowicryl HM 20 medium, treated with infected serum and protein A gold complex (particle size; 12 nm) and observed by electron microscope. In the pattern of antibody levels by ELISA test in all developemental worm antigens, the activity of antibody was very weak in the 3rd week, but strong in the worm antibody from 4th to 20th week after infection. Its activity was maintained even till 96th week. The antibody level of the L2th week worm antigen was higher than those of the 20th and 48th week worm antigens. Generally, many gold particles were observed on the secretory granules and the epithelial lamellae. Thus, it was concluded that the antigenic materials in the developmental worm tissues were especially concentrated on the secretory granules in the parenchymal tissues and the epithelial lamellae in the lumen of the caecum.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.91-100
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• 1990

폐흡충(Paragonimus Tuestermani) 피낭유충을 흰쥐(Wistar) 및 고양이에 감염시키고 감염 힐청이나 분회분리된 IgG또는 보체가 정상 또는 감염 흰쥐 복강 대식세포의 폐흡충 유충 살충에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 부착 실험 (adherence assay) 및 세포독성을 통하여 관찰하였다. 폐흡충 감염은 복강 대식세포를 비특이적으로 활성화시퍼 대식세포의 유충에 대한 부착률 및 세포독성을 증가시켰으며, 감염 혈청을 첨가하였을 때 항체-의존 세포매개성 세포독성에 의해 배양 6시간 후에 세포 부착률 및 세포독성이 가장 강하였다. 감염 혈청을 56℃에서 30분간 가열하였을 때 IgG 항체 변성에 의해 세포독성이 저하되었다. IgG 및 보체를 첨가한 경우 세포 부착률은 낮았으나 24시간 후에는 유충이 사멸하였다. 그러나 보체의 단독적인 역할은 이 실험에서 알 수 없었다.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.71-80
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• 1979

Paragonimiasis is a common trematodiasis of medical importance and one of public health problems in many areas of sob thern part of Korea. During the last sixty years, several on the prevalence among the Korean population have been carried out by various investigators, although the general distribution and prevalences of paragonimiasis are now yet clearly determind. This study was undertaken to evaluate the status of human paragonimiasis in Kang Hwa Gun, Kyung gi Province, Korea by the use of intradermal screening test whih Veronal buffered saline antigen. A total number of 208 residents (male 119, female 89) of all age group in Kilgeong-Ri, Yangdo Myun, Kang Hwa Gun were examined by the intradermal test with paragonimus antigen. The infestation rate of crayfish with Paragonimus metacerearia was also examine in Konneung and Jeoungha village, Kilgeong-Ri from March 1973 to October 1978 by the interval of two to five years. 1. In the resnlt of 208 residents, Kilgeong-Ri, the positive rate showed in 29.3% in as a whole(36.1% in male, 20.2% in female). The highest positive rate showed in 10 to 19 age group(41.5%). 2. Among the residents in Kilgeong-Ri, Paragonimus eggs were detected in 11 residents by the sputum and the stool examinations without the intradermal test result. 3. The infestation rate of crayfish with Paragonimus inetacercaria was 90.6%(116 out of 128 crayfishes) in Konneung village, and 61.5%(24 out of 39) crayfishes) in Jeongha village, Kilgeng-Ri. 4. The fluctation of the infestation tate and density of crayfish with Paragonimus metacercaria was decreased by the interval of two to five years in Konneung and Jeongha village in Kilgeong-Ri.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.349-352
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• 2012

A 94-year-old female with end-stage renal disease presents with fever, fatigue, and hematochezia. She had previously resided in Hunan Province, China, and Myanmar, and she immigrated to Taiwan 30 years ago. Colonoscopy revealed a colonic ulcer. Biopsy of the colonic ulcer showed ulceration of the colonic mucosa, and many Paragonimus westermani-like eggs were noted. Serum IgG antibody levels showed strong reactivity with P. westermani excretory-secretory antigens by ELISA. Intestinal paragonimiasis was thus diagnosed according to the morphology of the eggs and serologic finding. After treatment with praziquantel, hematochezia resolved. The present case illustrates the extreme manifestations encountered in severe intestinal paragonimiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.345-347
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• 2012

Paragonimiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the lung fluke, Paragonimus spp. Lung flukes may be found in various organs, such as the brain, peritoneum, subcutaneous tissues, and retroperitoneum, other than the lungs. Abdominal paragonimiasis raises a considerable diagnostic challenge to clinicians, because it is uncommon and may be confused with other abdominopelvic inflammatory diseases, particularly peritoneal tuberculosis, and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Also, subcutaneous paragonimiasis does not easily bring up clinical suspicion, due to its rarity. We herein report 2 cases of abdominal paragonimiasis and 1 case of subcutaneous paragonimiasis in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.763-766
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• 2013

A synthetic peptide was prepared based on the antigenic region of Paragonimus westermani pre-procathepsin L, and its applicability for immunodiagnosis for human paragonimiasis (due to Paragonimus heterotremus) was tested using an ELISA to detect IgG4 antibodies in the sera of patients. Sera from other helminthiases, tuberculosis, and healthy volunteers were used as the references. This peptide-based assay system gave sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 94.6%, 96.2%, 100%, and 88.9%, respectively. Cross reactivity was frequently seen against the sera of fascioliasis (75%) and hookworm infections (50%). Since differential diagnosis between paragonimiasis and fascioliasis can be easily done by clinical presentation and fascioliasis serology, this cross reaction is not a serious problem. Sera from patients with other parasitoses (0-25%) rarely responded to this synthetic antigen. This synthetic peptide antigen seems to be useful for development of a standardized diagnostic system for paragonimiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.95-99
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• 2008

Eosinophil degranulation plays a crucial role in tissue inflammatory reactions associated with helminth parasitic infections and allergic diseases. Paragonimus westermani, a lung fluke causing human paragonimiasis, secretes a large amount of cysteine proteases, which are involved in nutrient uptake, tissue invasion, and modulation of hos's immune responses. There is, however, limited information about the response of eosinophils to direct stimulation by cysteine proteases (CP) secreted by P. westermani. In the present study, we tested whether degranulation and superoxide production from human eosinophils can be induced by stimulation of the 2 CP (27 kDa and 28 kDa) purified from excretory-secretory products (ESP) of P. westermani newly excysted metacercariae (PwNEM). A large quantity of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) was detected in the culture supernatant when human eosinophils isolated from the peripheral blood were incubated with the purified 27 kDa CP. Furthermore, the 27 kDa CP induced superoxide anion production by eosinophils in time- and dose-dependent manners. In contrast, the purified 28 kDa CP did not induce superoxide production and degranulation. These findings suggest that the 27 kDa CP secreted by PwNEM induces superoxide production and degranulation of human eosinophils, which may be involved in eosinophil-mediated tissue inflammatory responses during the larval migration in human paragonimiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.187-196
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• 2006

The mammalian trematode Paragonimus westermani is a typical digenetic parasite, which can cause paragonimiasis in humans. Host tissues and blood cells are important sources of nutrients for development, growth and reproduction of P. westermani. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding a 47 kDa hemoglobinase of P. westermani was characterized by sequencing analysis, and its localization was investigated immunohistochemically. The phylogenetic tree prepared based on the hemoglobinase gene showed high homology with hemoglobinases of Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma spp. Moreover, recombinant P. westermani hemoglobinase degradaded human hemoglobin at acidic pH (from 3.0 to 5.5) and its activity was almost completely inhibited by E-64, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical studies showed that P. westermani hemoglobinase was localized in the epithelium of the adult worm intestine implying that the protein has a specific function. These observations suggest that hemoglobinase may act as a digestive enzyme for acquisition of nutrients from host hemoglobin. Further investigations may provide insights into hemoglobin catabolism in P. westermani.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.347-350
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• 2017

An epidemiological study was performed to know the recent infection status of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae (PwMc) in freshwater crayfish, Cambaroides similis, from 2 streams in Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. Crayfish were collected from creeks in Bogil-do (Island), Wando-gun, and in a creek near Daeheung Temple in Haenam-gun. The infection rate of crayfish with PwMc in Bogil-do was 89.8%, and the metacercarial burden was 37 PwMc per the infected crayfish. Crayfish in a creek near Daeheung Temple were larger and twice heavier than those in Bogil-do. Of them, 96.5% were infected with PwMc. An average of 140 metacercariae was found in the infected crayfish, almost quadruple to those of Bogil-do. There was a strong correlation between the number of PwMc and body weight of the crayfish. These results suggest that P. westermani metacercariae are still prevalent in crayfish of the 2 regions in Jeollanam-do, Korea.