Studies of neurocysticercosis and animal cestode infections

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

After much effort, laboratories efforts in Lima, Peru and at NIH have made significant progress on a number of projects. In vitro susceptibility of T. solium cysts was determined to enantiomers of albendazole sulfoxide using previous established methods from our laboratory. The (+)-R enantiomer was significantly more active than the (-)-L enantiomer. T. crassiceps was adapted for in vitro susceptibility studies and identified new compounds with activity to cestodes cysts. Monoclonal antibodies were produced to T. solium cysts or excretory secretory products and were extensively characterized. A number seem to be useful to identify antigens in the CSF and serum and are promising in the diagnosis and treatment of complicated disease. The naturally infected pig was developed as a model to understand acute treatment induced host inflammatory reactions to cysts that manifest mostly as seizures in parenchymal disease. We were able to use Evans Blue injection to show blood brain barrier( BBB) dysfunction in treated of naturally degenerating cysts compared these to clear cysts. We used a semi quantitative assessment of the histopathology and immune responses (RT-PCR) to a panel of cytokines and chemokines to compared pretreatment to post treatment and cysts with blue capsules (BBB dysfunction) to cysts with clear cysts. In general inflammatory responses and cyst damage are increased in blue cysts and increase from 48 hr. to 120 hr. Subarachnoid cysticercosis is one of the severe infections in neurocysticercosis. We compared patients with basilar subarachnoid disease to those to parenchymal disease and showed that over 61% of those with subarachnoid disease had spinal involvement compared with little involvement in parenchymal disease. Previously a Cysticercosis Consortium consisting of physicians in North American interested in furthering study and information about neurocysticercosis was formed by myself and Dr. Mahanty. We reviewed and published current information showing that infection occurs in hundreds of millions of people worldwide causing millions of cases of epilepsy. Neurocysticercosis is also present in the U.S. and is one of the most common important morbid infections seen.