Parasitic diseases malaria

Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito, one of the few species of the insect capable of carrying the human malaria parasite. The responsible protozoa ate from the genus P/asmodium of which only four of some 100 species can cause the disease in humans. The remaining species affect rodents, reptiles, monkeys, birds, and Hvestock. The species that infect humans are P/asmodium falciparum Plasmodium vivax Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. Note that concomitant multiple malaria infections are commonly seen in endemic areas, a phenomenon that further compHcates choice of treatment. 

Parasitic diseases, such as trypanosomiasis, malaria, and leishmaniasis, affect himdreds of millions people around the world, mainly in underdeveloped countries. They are also the most common opportunistic infections that affect patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Globally, malaria occupies the first place, but in Latin America, Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis) is the most relevant parasitic disease that produces morbidity and mortahty in low-income individuals. 

Although acquired immunity to some parasitic diseases may lower the level of infection, absolute immunity as seen in bacterial and viral infections is seldom seen in parasitic diseases. Since parasitic infections produce a wide variety of antigens because of the many life cycle phases, it is more difficult to identify a constant antigenic protein against which specific antibodies are protective. However, malaria remains a likely candidate for a vaccine and there are ongoing studies to develop one. 

Space constraints do not allow detailed discussions of the world of parasites, and clinicians and students are directed to some excellent resources for further details on parasites and parasitic diseases.1,2 Discussion in this chapter will include those parasitic diseases that are more likely to be seen in the United States and will include gastrointestinal parasites (primarily giardiasis and amebiasis), protozoan infections (malaria and South American trypanosomiasis), some common helminthic... 

Detection by LDMS and structural elucidation of other secondary metabolite products, generated in the host during the onset of the parasite disease, is discussed. These molecules may serve as additional biomarkers for rapid malaria diagnosis by LDMS. For instance, choline phosphate (CP) is identified as the source of several low-mass ions observed in parasite-infected blood samples in addition to heme biomarker ions. The CP levels track the sample parasitemia levels. This biomarker can provide additional specificity and sensitivity when compared to malaria detection based on heme ion signals alone. Furthermore the observed elevated CP levels are discussed in the context of Plasmodium metabolism during its intra-erythrocytic life cycle. These data can... 

The timing of the collection of blood specimens depends on the parasite disease suspected. For example, for certain filarial infections, specimens are best obtained between 10 00 p.m. and midnight, whereas for other infections, specimens are best obtained during the day. In malaria, the numbers and stages of parasites in the peripheral blood vary with different parts of the cycle. 

The high specificity of siderophore iron coordination has been extensively explored in iron-chelation therapy for various medical applications, including iron overload diseases, control of iron in specific brain tissues , arresting the growth and proliferation of malaria parasite within their host , as well as arresting the proliferation of cancer cells . Other directions for metal ligation involve enzyme inhibition, which have been demonstrated by the inhibition of urease by coordination of hydroxamate ligand to nickel ions and zinc coordination in matrix metalloprotease (MMP) inhibition by primary hydroxamates. ... 

Many Inherited blood diseases show this geographic distribution, possibly because the altered RBC physiology confers resistance to the malaria parasite, which infects normal, HbA-bearing RBCs. 

Malaria is a parasitic disease endemic in parts of the world where moisture and warmth permit the disease... 

Two major diseases, malaria and AIDS, are still out of control vaccines are not available, while the malaria parasite and the HIV virus, responsible for AIDS, have developed resistance to current dmgs. Variability of the agent, lack of commercial interest, and perhaps also unconfessed political plans at population growth control, have been an obstacle to active immunization against malaria. The hope for an HIV vaccine is now from the engagement of Merck Co (Conference 2001). 

Vaccines need to be developed against diseases with high mortality rates, such as AIDS, pneumonic plague, acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and parasitic diseases such as malaria. 

The marine environment clearly holds an enormous amount of potential to provide new leads for the development of treatments for infectious disease and antimalarial compounds in particular. The identification of new structural classes active against the malaria parasite will provide new mechanisms of action and better treatments for resistant strains. Since most malaria-infected regions also possess coastal areas rich in diverse marine invertebrate life, marine natural products provide an opportunity for these areas to utilize endemic resources to combat this devastating disease. 

Malaria is one of the oldest parasitic diseases. The difficulty of malaria control is aggravated by the appearance of strains of Plasmodium falciparum resistant to antimalarials, as well as resistance of the vector mosquitoes to DDT and other insecticides. The molecule quinine isolated from the bark of the Cinchona sp. tree, represents the model for the synthesis of the majority of drugs currently used for malarial treatment [194], Davioud-Charvet et al [206] describe the screening of a library of... 

Quinolines represent an important class of heterocycles, and the quinoline skeleton is present in various natural products, especially in alkaloids. Among them quinine is an active ingredient for the treatment of malaria [286]. Despite its relatively low efficacy and tolerability, quinine still plays an important role in the treatment of multiresistant malaria, one of the world s most devastating infectious diseases [287]. Therefore, the design of many drugs and affordable chemotherapies are based upon synthetic quinoline derivatives, such as chloroquine, mefloquine or quinacrine [288-292]. In addition, chimanine alkaloids, are also effective against parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis [293-295]. Besides,... 

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