Filarial parasites

The activity of ivermectin against the filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis in dogs suggested a possible role for the control of filarial parasites of humans (20). It has been extensively tested in human onchocerciasis and is now considered to be the dmg of choice. In a single yearly oral dose, it suppresses microfilariae in the skin and eyes and, in most cases, prevents the progression of the disease to blindness. Table 4 shows the results of a 30-patient double-blind study recorded over one year. 

Boreham, P.F.L. and Atwell, R.B. (1983) Adverse drug reactions in the treatment of filarial parasites haematological, biochemical, immunological and pharmacological changes in Dirofilaria immitis infected dogs treated with diethylcarbamazine. International Journal for Parasitology 13, 547-556. 

Xie, X., Bain, O. and Williams, S.A. (1994) Molecular phylogenetic studies on filarial parasites based on 5S ribosomal spacer sequences. Parasite 1,141-151. 

Gasser, RB., LeGoff, L., Petit, G. and Bain, O. (1996d) Rapid delineation of closely-related filarial parasites using genetic markers in spacer rDNA. Acta Tropica 62, 143—150. 

Fig. 9.1. Transmission electron micrographs of parasitic nematode cuticles in transverse section. The structurally distinct layers and the underlying hypodermal syncytia are indicated. Nematodes depicted are the infective larval stage of the canid parasite Toxocara canis and the fourth larval stage of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi.

Chandrashekar, R., Tsuji, N., Morales, T., Ozols, V. and Mehta, K. (1998) An ERp60-like protein from the filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis has both... 

Hong, X.Q., Ma, D., Page, A.P., Kumar, S. and Carlow, C.KS. (1998b) Highly conserved large molecular weight cyclophilin of filarial parasites. Experimental Parasitology 88, 246—251. 

Lu, W.H., Egerton, G.L., Bianco, A.E. and Williams, S.A. (1998) Thioredoxin peroxidase from Onchocerca volvulus a major hydrogen peroxide detoxifying enzyme in filarial parasites. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 91, 221-235. 

Ma, D., Hong, X., Raghavan, N., Scott, A.L., McCarthy, J.S., Nutman, T.B., Williams, S.A. and Carlow, C.K.S. (1996) A cyclosporin A-sensitive small molecular weight cyclophilin of filarial parasites. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 79, 235-241. 

Mehta, K., Rao, U.R., Vickery, A.C. and Fesus, L. (1992) Identification of a novel transglutaminase from the filarial parasite Brugia malayi and its role in growth and development. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 53, 1-15. 

Singh, R.N., Chandrashekar, R. and Mehta, K. (1995) Purification and partial characterization of a transglutaminase from dog filarial parasite, DiroJUaria immitis. InternationalJournal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology 27, 1285—1291. 

Haslam, S.M., Houston, KM., Harnett, W., Reason, A.J., Morris, H.R. and Dell, A. (1999) Structural studies of phosphorylcholine-substituted A-glycans of filarial parasites conservation amongst species and discovery of novel chito-oligomers. Journal of Biological Chemistry 274, 20953-20960. 

Paxton, WA, Yazdanbakhsh, M., Kurniawan, A., Partono, F., Maizels, R.M. and Selkirk, M.E. (1993) Primary structure and IgE response to the repeat subunit of gpl 5/400 from human lymphatic filarial parasites. Infection and Immunity 61, 2827-2833. 

Ajuh, P.M., Cowell, P., Davey, M.J. and Shevde, S. (1994) Cloning of a cDNA encoding a putative nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit of the human filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus. Gene 144, 127-129. 

Taylor M, Le Goff L, Harris A, Malone E, Allen JE, Maizels RM Removal of regulatory T cell activity reverses hyporesponsiveness and leads to filarial parasite clearance in vivo. J Immunol 2005 174 4924-4933. 

Recently Liu and Weller [84] have reviewed the arachidonic acid metabolism in filarial parasites and other helminths. Arachidonic acid (AA) is a 20 carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid derived from dietary fatty acids. In human tissues, AA is usually present in the esterified form such as glycerolipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids. The free AA, released by phospholipases, undergoes various enzymatic oxygenations to form local mediators such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are collectively known as eicosanoids (Chart 9). These eicosanoids are associated with platelet aggregation, vasodilation, leukocyte inflammatory and immune functions and cellular adhesion [85]. 

Imai S, Tezuka H, Eujita K (2001) A factor of inducing IgE from a filarial parasite prevents insulin-dependent diabetes meDitus in nonobese diabetic mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 286(5) 1051-1058... 

Paciorkowski N, Porte P, Shultz LD, Rajan TV B1 B lymphocytes play a critical role in host protection against lymphatic filarial parasites. J Exp Med 2000 191 731-736. 

Repository on Filarial Parasites and Reagents at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha... 

Human filarial parasite antigen detection Kit CDRI, Lucknow... 

W. bancwfti than ivermectin alone. Because albendazole has broad potency against intestinal helminths, combination therapy with ivermectin and albendazole would carry the added advantage of reducing the prevalence and intensity of filarial parasites as well as of intestinal nematodes. 

Kohler, P. (1991) The pathways of energy-generation in filarial parasites. Parasitol. Today 7 21-25. 

L. loa is a tissue-migrating filarial parasite found in river regions of Central and West Africa Adult worms in subcutaneous tissues typically cause episodic swellings and allergic reactions. Rarely, encephalopathy, cardiomyopathy, or nephropathy occurs. Diethylcarbamazine is the best single drug for the treatment of loiasis, initially in small initial doses to diminish host reactions that result from destruction of microfilariae. Glucocorticoids often are required to control acute reactions. 

The second example for the use of satellite DNA for taxonomy are studies on filarial parasites (see also the contribution of R. Post)... 

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