• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2021

The computer vision diagnostic approach currently generates several malaria diagnostic tools. It enhances the accessible and straightforward diagnostics that necessary for clinics and health centers in malaria-endemic areas. A new computer malaria diagnostics tool called the malaria scanner was used to investigate living malaria parasites with easy sample preparation, fast and user-friendly. The cultured Plasmodium parasites were used to confirm the sensitivity of this technique then compared to fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and light microscopic examination. The measured percentage of parasitemia by the malaria scanner revealed higher precision than microscopy and was similar to FACS. The coefficients of variation of this technique were 1.2-6.7% for Plasmodium knowlesi and 0.3-4.8% for P. falciparum. It allowed determining parasitemia levels of 0.1% or higher, with coefficient of variation smaller than 10%. In terms of the precision range of parasitemia, both high and low ranges showed similar precision results. Pearson's correlation test was used to evaluate the correlation data coming from all methods. A strong correlation of measured parasitemia (r²=0.99, P<0.05) was observed between each method. The parasitemia analysis using this new diagnostic tool needs technical improvement, particularly in the differentiation of malaria species.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.487-500
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• 2014

A new method to calculate the transmittable prevalence of an epidemic disease is proposed based on a back-calculation formula. We calculated the probabilities of reactivation and of parasitemia as well as transmittable prevalence (the number of persons with parasitemia in the incubation period) of malaria in South Korea using incidence of 12 years(2001-2012). For this computation, a new probability function of transmittable condition is obtained. The probability of reactivation is estimated by the least squares method for the back-calculated longterm incubation period. The probability of parasitemia is calculated by a convolution of the survival function of the short-term incubation function and the probability of reactivation. Transmittable prevalence is computed by a convolution of the infected numbers and the probabilities of transmission. Confidence intervals are calculated using the parametric bootstrap method. The method proposed is applicable to other epidemic diseases in other countries where incidence and a long incubation period are available. We found the estimated transmittable prevalence in South Korea was concentrated in the summer with 276 cases on a peak at the $31^{st}$ week and with about a 60% reduction in the peak from the naive prevalence. The statistics of transmittable prevalence can be used for malaria prevention programs and to select blood transfusion donors.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.265-270
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• 2015

Hemoglobinopathy and malaria are commonly found worldwide particularly in malaria endemic areas. Thalassemia, the alteration of globin chain synthesis, has been reported to confer resistance against malaria. The prevalence of thalassemia was investigated in 101 malaria patients with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax along the Thai-Myanmar border to examine protective effect of thalassemia against severe malaria. Hemoglobin typing was performed using low pressure liquid chromatography (LPLC) and ${\alpha}$-thalassemia was confirmed by multiplex PCR. Five types of thalassemia were observed in malaria patients. The 2 major types of thalassemia were Hb E (18.8%) and ${\alpha}$-thalassemia-2 (11.9%). There was no association between thalassemia hemoglobinopathy and malaria parasitemia, an indicator of malaria disease severity. Thalassemia had no significant association with P. vivax infection, but the parasitemia in patients with coexistence of P. vivax and thalassemia was about 2-3 times lower than those with coexistence of P. falciparum and thalassemia and malaria without thalassemia. Furthermore, the parasitemia of P. vivax in patients with coexistence of Hb E showed lower value than coexistence with other types of thalassemia and malaria without coexistence. Parasitemia, hemoglobin, and hematocrit values in patients with coexistence of thalassemia other than Hb E were significantly lower than those without coexistence of thalassemia. Furthermore, parasitemia with coexistence of Hb E were 2 times lower than those with coexistence of thalassemia other than Hb E. In conclusion, the results may, at least in part, support the protective effect of thalassemia on the development of hyperparasitemia and severe anemia in malaria patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.409-412
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• 2009

In this experiment, the correlation between antigenemia and specific antibody responses in Toxoplasma gondii-infected rabbits was assessed. We injected 1,000 T. gondii tachyzoites (RH) subcutaneously into 5 rabbits. Parasitemia, circulating antigens, and IgM and IgG antibody titers in blood were tested by ELISA and immunoblot. For detection of parasitemia, mice were injected with blood from rabbits infected with T. gondii and mice died between days 2 and 10 post-infection (PI). Circulating antigens were detected early on day 2 PI, and the titers increased from day 4 PI and peaked on day 12 PI. Anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibody titers increased on day 6 PI and peaked on days 14-16 PI. IgG was detected from day 10 PI, and the titers increased continuously during the experiment. The antigenic protein patterns differed during the infection period, and the number of bands increased with ongoing infection by the immunoblot analysis. These result indicated that Toxoplasma circulating antigens during acute toxoplasmosis are closely related to the presence of parasites in blood. Also, the circulating antigen levels were closely correlated with IgM titers, but not with IgG titers. Therefore, co-detection of circulating antigens with IgM antibodies may improve the reliability of the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2019

Malarial infection induces tissue hypoxia in the host through destruction of red blood cells. Tissue hypoxia in malarial infection may increase the activity of $HIF1{\alpha}$ through an intracellular oxygen-sensing pathway. Activation of $HIF1{\alpha}$ may also induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to trigger angiogenesis. To investigate whether malarial infection actually generates hypoxia-induced angiogenesis, we analyzed severity of hypoxia, the expression of hypoxia-related angiogenic factors, and numbers of blood vessels in various tissues infected with Plasmodium berghei. Infection in mice was performed by intraperitoneal injection of $2{\times}10^6$ parasitized red blood cells. After infection, we studied parasitemia and survival. We analyzed hypoxia, numbers of blood vessels, and expression of hypoxia-related angiogenic factors including VEGF and $HIF1{\alpha}$. We used Western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry to analyze various tissues from Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. In malaria-infected mice, parasitemia was increased over the duration of infection and directly associated with mortality rate. Expression of VEGF and $HIF1{\alpha}$ increased with the parasitemia in various tissues. Additionally, numbers of blood vessels significantly increased in each tissue type of the malaria-infected group compared to the uninfected control group. These results suggest that malarial infection in mice activates hypoxiainduced angiogenesis by stimulation of $HIF1{\alpha}$ and VEGF in various tissues.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 1992

Levels of platelets and other hematological values were monitored in 21 Saimiri and 12 Aotus monkeys over a period of three weeks post·infection with monkey·adapted Indochina CDC-1 strain of Plasmedium falciparum. In both Snlinoiri sciureus boliviensis and Aetus nancymai karyotype-1 monkeys the severest thrombocytopenia was observed at 14 days post-infection coinciding with peak parasitemia, neutropenia, Iynlphocytosis, and anemia associated with severe hemoglobinemia and elevated fibrinogen degeneration products(FDP's), MCH and MCV profiles in Aotus monkeys decreased with ascending parasitemia. In contrast, these parameters in Saimiri were characterized by a significant compensatory increase correlating with parasitemia. In general, thrombocytopenia was one of the earliest clinical manifestations of the infection with the platelets returning to normal levels shortly after peak parasitenlia at 14 days. Platelet kinetics had a strong correlation with hematologic and parasitologic values in the Aotus nlodel. No consistent associations were observed between platelet kinetics and other parameters in the Saimiri model. These data indicate that the Aotus model for malaria is more predictable than the Saimiri. Further, platelet turnover rates and recovery provide a useful prognostic parameter during malaria infection. The results are discussed in relation to the value of the two species of monkeys as models for the pathogenesis of human malaria.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 2023

The genus Babesia includes parasites that can induce human and animal babesiosis, which are common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The gut microbiota has not been examined in hamsters infected by Babesia duncani. Red blood cells infected with B. duncani were injected into hamsters through intraperitoneal route. To evaluate the changes in gut microbiota, DNAs were extracted from small intestinal contents, acquired from hamsters during disease development. Then, the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria was sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform. Gut microbiota alternation and composition were assessed according to the sequencing data, which were clustered with >97.0% sequence similarity to create amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were made up of the major components of the gut microbiota in all samples. The abundance of Bacteroidetes elevated after B. duncani infection than the B. duncani-free group, while Firmicutes and Desulfobacterota declined. Alpha diversity analysis demonstrated that the shown ASVs were substantially decreased in the highest parasitemia group than B. duncani-free and lower parasitemia groups. Potential biomarkers were discovered by Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis, which demonstrated that several bacterial families (including Muribaculaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Oscillospiraceae, Helicobacteraceae, Clostridia UGG014, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Lachnospiraceae) were potential biomarkers in B. duncani-infected hamsters. This research demonstrated that B. duncani infectious can modify the gut microbiota of hamsters.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.409-416
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• 1997

Bovine theileriosis caused by Theileria sergenti is the tick-borne intraery- throcytic piroplasmosis, that occurs in most regions of Korea. It results in severe economic losses on a farm caused by anemia, milk production loss, abortion and death. This study was undertaken to confirm the effects of the growth hormone and the insulin-like growth factor-I which are associated in the growth of cattle infected by T sergenti. The blood of one hundred and twenty ten-month Holstein was collected and the prepared blood smear was stained with acridine orange to investigate their parasitemia. And the hematological profiles were observed. According to the value of the hematocrit, they were categorized into four groups : Group 1 was under 20 percent, groups 2 and 3 were from over 21 to under 30 percent and from over 31 to under 35 percent and group 4 was over 36 percent. As the value of the hematocrit decreased, parasitemia(%) in erythrocytes was observed to increase(Y=-1.064X + 30.537, r=0.660). The amounts of the growth hormone and the insulin-like growth factor-I in the serum were measured by the radioimmunoassay. The growth hormone in serum of the group 1, group 2, group 3 and group 4 were observed as $0.238{\pm}0.043nmol/l$, $0.21{\pm}0.024nmol/l$, $0.366{\pm}0.035nmol/l$ and $0.646{\pm}0.223nmol/l$, respectively. The quantitative of the insulin-like growth factor-I in the same groups were observed also as $209.686{\pm}18.94ng/ml$, $250.9{\pm}12.609ng/ml$, $279.3{\pm}8.883ng/ml$ and $365.9{\pm}22.45ng/ml$, respectively. It can be concluded that the growth hormone and the insulin-like growth factor-I were observed to decrease in severe anemia due to theileriosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 1992

Theileria sergenti were isolated from infected erythrocytes by hypotonic Iysis, and soluble meroBoite antigens were purified by sonication and differential centrifugation. The preparation contained 29, 34, 35 and 105 kD immuno-dominant polypeptides. The soluble antigens (0.5 mg/ml) were prepared and fortified with Freund's adjuvant. Five month old naive Korean calves were subcutaneously inoculated with the preparation and a booster dose was administered 4 weeks later Nine weeks after the booster dose, vaccinates and controls were challenged with a homologous stabilate (5.6×106 RBC/dose, 40% Parasitemia). All animals were monitored for hematocrit, total erythrocyte count, parasitemia and for the specific antibody by Western immuno- blot (WB) and indirect immuno-auorescent antibody(IFA) test. By 18 weeks after vaccination (6 weeks after the challenge), vaccinated cattle had an average IFA titer of 1 : 10,240 compared with 1 : 1,280 of the controls. The vaccinates showed ne91igib1e change in hematocrit and total RBC count whereas control animals showed significant (P<0.05) hematological chanties and associated anemia. After vaccination and challenge, the antibody responses demonstrated that vaccination had induced significant production of antibody to the 29 and 35 kD polypeptides. The latter polypeptide was much more strongly recognized by the vaccinated animals, and thus it may be a potential candidate for the vaccine.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.501-505
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• 2014

In recent years, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been widely used for malaria detection, primarily because of their simple operation, fast results, and straightforward interpretation. The Asan $EasyTest^{TM}$ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag is one of the most commonly used malaria RDTs in several countries, including Korea and India. In this study, we tested the diagnostic performance of this RDT in Uganda to evaluate its usefulness for field diagnosis of malaria in this country. Microscopic and PCR analyses, and the Asan $EasyTest^{TM}$ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag rapid diagnostic test, were performed on blood samples from 185 individuals with suspected malaria in several villages in Uganda. Compared to the microscopic analysis, the sensitivity of the RDT to detect malaria infection was 95.8% and 83.3% for Plasmodium falciparum and non-P. falciparum, respectively. Although the diagnostic sensitivity of the RDT decreased when parasitemia was ${\leq}500\;parasites/{\mu}l$, it showed 96.8% sensitivity (98.4% for P. falciparum and 93.8% for non-P. falciparum) in blood samples with parasitemia ${\geq}100\;parasites/{\mu}l$. The specificity of the RDT was 97.3% for P. falciparum and 97.3% for non-P. falciparum. These results collectively suggest that the accuracy of the Asan $EasyTest^{TM}$ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag makes it an effective point-of-care diagnostic tool for malaria in Uganda.