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Host-parasite Interactions (host-parasite + interaction)
Selected AbstractsA Proteome Approach to the Host-Parasite Interaction of the Microsporidian Encephalitozoon intestinalisTHE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2001HERCULES MOURA [source] Daytime variation in T-cell-mediated immunity of Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus nestlingsJOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Jesús Martínez-PadillaArticle first published online: 15 AUG 200 Host-parasite interactions are central in evolutionary and behavioural ecology. In the last few years, skin injections of the mitogen Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) have become one of the most important and widely used in-vivo assays of immune function in birds. However, there are no studies of the circadian variation suggesting that care should be taken interpreting results when using this technique. This 3-year study assessed PHA responses as a function of daylight time in 310 Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus nestlings at 24 days of age in Central Spain. I found that T-cell-mediated immunity was positively related to nestling mass and varied among years. Controlling for these variables, I also found that T-cell-mediated immunity decreased with the hour of sampling, and that this pattern was consistent between years. In addition, I found that at the end of the day only, T-cell-mediated immunity decreased with brood size. Parasites seem not to be behind this pattern, but I suggest that the cumulative effect of sibling competition during the day might explain the decrease of cellular immunity with the hour of sampling. Thus, I strongly recommend that future studies of cellular immunity should control for this potential source of variation when nestling self-maintenance is evaluated by the PHA-induced skin-swelling response. [source] THE EFFECTS OF MATING SYSTEM AND GENETIC VARIABILITY ON SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TREMATODE PARASITES IN A FRESHWATER SNAIL, LYMNAEA STAGNALISEVOLUTION, Issue 12 2004Mikael Puurtinen Abstract The amount and distribution of genetic variability in host populations can have significant effects on the outcome of host-parasite interactions. We studied the effect of mating system and genetic variability on susceptibility of Lymnaea stagnalis snails to trematode parasites. Mating system of snails from eight populations differing in the amount of genetic variability was manipulated, and self- and cross-fertilized offspring were exposed to naturally occurring trematode parasites in a controlled lake experiment. Susceptibility of snails varied between populations, but mating-system treatment did not have a significant effect. Heterozygosity of snails was negatively correlated with the probability of trematode infection, however, suggesting that parasitic diseases may pose a serious threat to populations lacking genetic variability. [source] Bacterial vaginosis , a disturbed bacterial flora and treatment enigma,APMIS, Issue 5 2005Review article IV The syndrome bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by a disturbed vaginal microflora in which the normally occurring lactobacilli yield quantitatively to an overgrowth of mainly anaerobic bacteria. As BV is a possible cause of obstetrics complications and gynaecological disease , as well as a nuisance to the affected women , there is a strong impetus to find a cure. In BV treatment studies, the diagnosis criteria for diagnosis of BV vary considerably and different methods are used for cure evaluation. The design of study protocols varies and there is no consensus respecting a suitable time for follow-up visits. For the purpose of this review, available data were recalculated for 4-week post treatment cure rates. For oral metronidazole the 4-week cure rate was found not to exceed 60,70%. Treatment regimens with topical clindamycin or topical metronidazole have the same cure rates. It can thus be said that no sound scientific basis exists for recommending any particular treatment. There is no evidence of beneficial effects on BV engendered by partner treatment, or by addition of probiotics or buffered gel. Long-term follow-up (longer than 4 weeks) shows a relapse rate of 70%. With a primary cure rate of 60,70%, and a similar relapse rate documented in the reviewed literature, clinicians simply do not have adequate data for determining treatment or designing clinical studies. This is unfortunate since , apart from the obvious patient benefits , clinical studies can often serve as a guide for more basic studies in the quest for underlying disease mechanisms. In the case of BV there is still a need for continued basic studies on the vaginal flora, local immunity to the flora and host-parasite interactions as an aid when designing informative clinical studies. [source] | ||||||||||