Stomach Worm Research Articles

Haemonchus contortus, an obligatory haematophagus worm infection in small ruminants: Population genetics and genetic diversity

Haemonchus contortus, a stomach worm, is prevalent in ruminants worldwide. They particularly hamper profitable small ruminant production. Here, we estimate the genetic variation of H. contortus collected from slaughtered goats and sheep from various geographic zones of Bangladesh using multiple genes. To perform this, adult parasites were isolated from the abomasum of slaughtered animals (sheep and goats). Among them, 79 male H. contortus were identified by microscopy. Following the extraction of DNA, ITS-2 and cox1 genes were amplified and subsequently considered for sequencing. After alignment and editing, sequences were analyzed to find out sequence variation, diversity pattern of genes, and population genetics of isolates. Among the sequence data, the analyses identified 19 genotypes of ITS-2 and 77 haplotypes of cox1 genes. The diversity of nucleotides was 0.0103 for ITS-2 and 0.029 for cox1 gene. The dendogram constructed by the genotype and haplotype sequences of H. contortus revealed that two populations were circulating in Bangladesh without any demarcation of host and geographic regions. Analysis of population genetics demonstrated a high flow of genes (89.2 %) within the population of the worm in Bangladesh. The Fst value showed very little amount of genetic difference among the worm populations of Bangladesh but marked genetic variation between different continents. The findings are expected to help explain the risks of anthelmintic resistance and the transmission pattern of the parasite, and also provide a control strategy against H. contortus.

Sosialisasi Gizi Guna Meningkatkan Pengetahuan dan Kesadaran Siswa Sekolah Dasar Wonosuko 2 Mengenai Pola Hidup Bersih dan Sehat

Primary schools have an important role in development, therefore the health of primary school children needs to be maintained properly. Based on data from 2000 the prevalence of stomach worms in elementary school children is 60-80% in 250,000 public and private schools and every year 100,000 Indonesian children die from diarrhea (Dep.Kes.RI, 2007). This activity method is in the form of lectures and technical assistance to increase the knowledge and awareness of elementary school students precisely at SD Negeri Wonosuko 2 located in Wonosuko Village, Wonosuko District, Bondowoso Regency. The material provided regarding healthy living behavior by applying Balanced Nutrition guidelines includes The results obtained in the "Friends of the 4 Pillars of Nutrition" activity of SD Wonosuko 2 students can understand PHBS, some aspects there are difficulties in providing learning to students with special needs at SD Negeri Wonosuko 2. With this social project, students can already apply a healthy lifestyle or also known as a healthy lifestyle in their daily lives.

Structural and functional analyses of nematode-derived antimicrobial peptides support the occurrence of direct mechanisms of worm-microbiota interactions

The complex relationships between gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes and the host gut microbiota have been implicated in key aspects of helminth disease and infection outcomes. Nevertheless, the direct and indirect mechanisms governing these interactions are, thus far, largely unknown. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that the excretory-secretory products (ESPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) of key GI nematodes contain peptides that, when recombinantly expressed, exert antimicrobial activity in vitro against Bacillus subtilis. In particular, using time-lapse microfluidics microscopy, we demonstrate that exposure of B. subtilis to a recombinant saposin-domain containing peptide from the ‘brown stomach worm’, Teladorsagia circumcincta, and a metridin-like ShK toxin from the ‘barber’s pole worm’, Haemonchus contortus, results in cell lysis and significantly reduced growth rates. Data from this study support the hypothesis that GI nematodes may modulate the composition of the vertebrate gut microbiota directly via the secretion of antimicrobial peptides, and pave the way for future investigations aimed at deciphering the impact of such changes on the pathophysiology of GI helminth infection and disease.

A rare case of stomach worm infestation in a pig

A rare case of stomach worm infestation in a pig

Children Education and Empowerment in an Effort to Improve Healthy Habits in Titi Payung

Titi Payung Village is one of the villages in Air Putih District, Batu Bara Regency, North Sumatra Province. Titi Payung has an area of 165 hectares. There are a total of 2,551 people there, divided into 6 hamlets. Some of the health problems that often occur in school-age children are diseases related to children's personal hygiene and the environment like not brushing their teeth properly and correctly, the habit of washing hands with soap, and so on. Diseases that often arise due to lack of personal hygiene are diarrhea, helmintiasis (stomach worms), toothache, etc. (Saputra, 2013). For this reason, there are several activities that should be encouraged to be able increase knowledge and health quality for students, starting from Kindergarten/Taman Kanak-Kanak (TK) students to Elementary School/Sekolah Dasar (SD) students in Titi Payung Village as a form of prevention of diseases from an early age. The Implementation methods used are lectures and demonstrations. The set of activities carried out are the socialization of the importance of handwashing with soap (Cuci Tangan Pakai Sabun- CTPS) and socialization of maintaining dental and oral health. The results of the implementation of the socializations were the improvents of students' knowledge regarding the correct way to wash hands with soap and the correct way to brush the teeth. As conclusions, the Thematic Students' Study Service/ Kuliah Kerja Nyata Tematik (KKNT) of Universitas Sumatra Utara 2022 helped to increase the knowledge of students in Titi Payung Village and inspire to put more efforts to prevent disease from an early age.

Metabolic Effects of Infection by the Stomach Worm Obeliscoides cuniculi in Rabbits Fed Diets Varying in Nutritive Quality

Rabbits parasitized by Obeliscoides cuniculi were used as models for stomach worm parasitism in ruminants. A 3 × 4 randomized complete block design containing three levels of infection (NI, no infection; LI and HI, infections produced by 1,800 and 30,000 larvae, respectively) and four levels of diet (PC, high protein and carbohydrate; pc, low protein and carbohydrate; Pc, high protein, and low carbohydrate; pC, low protein and high carbohydrate) was replicated four times. Mean weight gains for rabbits on diets pc or PC were not influenced by infection level, whereas LI rabbits on diets Pc and pC gained as well as the NI animals and more than the HI ones. Only HI rabbits exhibited anorexia. NI and LI rabbits had positive feed conversion efficiencies, whereas those of HI rabbits were negative. The apparent digestibilities of organic matter, protein, and ash in rabits with different infection levels varied with diet. Daily nitrogen balances were positive. The changes in concentrations of amino acids in the plasma typically associated with systemic, fever-producing infections or with starvation or protein-calorie malnutrition did not occur in infected rabbits. Only the high level infections produced adverse effects on productivity. These effects occurred on diets pc, Pc and pC and were mediated by anorexia.infection parasites rabbits metabolic effects

Ex-vivo efficacy of commercially available anthelmintics against blood feeding stomach worm Haemonchus contortus of ruminants.

Haemonchus contortus is the most prevalent and pathogenic gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) in ruminants causing extensive economic losses. It is essential to estimate the efficacy of common commercially available anthelmintics against Haemonchus contortus parasite. Here, we standardized an ex-vivo culture platform for H. contortus and evaluated the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintics namely, albendazole (ABZ), levamisole (LVM), ivermectin (IVM), closantel (CLS) and rafoxanide (RFX). Adult worms were collected from abomasa of slaughtered animals, cultured in MEM, DMEM, M199 or RPMI with or without 20% FBS for up to 72h. Cultured worms were incubated with ABZ, LVM, IVM, RFX or CLS in DMEM supplemented with 20% FBS at different concentrations (0.5-50µg/ml) in triplicates and examined at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48h post treatment. Of the culture conditions, DMEM supplemented with 20% FBS supported the survival of H. contortus for (P < 0.001) longer period of time which was used in the evaluation of anthelmintics. The efficacy of CLS and RFX were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than other drugs and 100% mortality was observed at 2µg/ml of CLS and RFX within 12h post treatment. However, ABZ, LVM, and IVM showed significant effect at the concentration of 50µg/ml with 48, 36, and 24h, respectively. Morphological changes included severe cuticle disruption around the buccal cavity, posterior region and vulva as well as loss of cuticle structure integrity coupled with expulsion and fragmentation of digestive components of parasites when treated with 50µg/ml of ABZ, LVM, and IVM and 2µg/ml of RFX and CLS. Collectively, DMEM supplemented with 20% FBS can be used as ex-vivo culture platform for maintenance of H. contortus, and RFX and CLS can be used as the promising drugs for the prevention, control and treatment of H. contortus infections.

Effect of ivermectin on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in Jamuna basin sheep

The effect of ivermectin on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of Jamuna basin sheep was investigated in relation to the areas, flock sizes and rearing systems. A total 420 faecal samples were examined microscopically by using Stoll’s ova dilution technique from June to December 2020. The number of eggs per gram of feces was calculated and it ranged from 100-500.The study showed that 100% sheep were found to be infected with one or more species of parasites. Four types of parasites were identified. In grazing animals, stomach worm, Paramphistomum worm, Fasciola and install feeding, stomach worm and Trichuris were found. The prevalence of parasites in grazing on 0 day was stomach worm 20%, Paramphistomum worm10% whereas in stall feeding it was stomach worm 15% and Trichuris 10%. In 15 days, in all grazing animals stomach worm was 10% and Paramphistomum worm 10% whereas in stall feeding it was stomach worm 5%. On 30th day, in grazing animals, stomach worm 15%, and Paramphistomum worm 10% were present, whereas in stall feeding it was stomach worm 10%, and Paramphistomum 10%. The highest prevalence of stomach worm was 20%, whereas Paramphistomum was the lowest with 10% as seen ingrazing animals. Stomach worm with 15% was the highest and theTrichuris with 10% was the lowest in stall feeding animals. Prevalence of parasites increased with the flock size on 0 day and ivermectin injection reduced the prevalence in 15 days and later it increased after 30 days of interval. The prevalence was higher in char area (35%) than the hilly area (15%). The sheep were more affected in grazing (25%) than stall feeding (20%). In conclusion, the use of ivermectin injection reduced the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites up to one month in sheep. SAARC J. Agric., 20(2): 235-245 (2022)

Excretory-secretory products from the brown stomach worm, Teladorsagia circumcincta, exert antimicrobial activity in in vitro growth assays

BackgroundOver the past decade, evidence has emerged of the ability of gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites to alter the composition of the host gut microbiome; however, the mechanism(s) underpinning such interactions remain unclear. In the current study, we (i) undertake proteomic analyses of the excretory-secretory products (ESPs), including secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), of the ‘brown stomach worm’ Teladorsagia circumcincta, one of the major agents causing parasite gastroenteritis in temperate areas worldwide; (ii) conduct bioinformatic analyses to identify and characterise antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with putative antimicrobial activity; and (iii) assess the bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic properties of T. circumcincta EVs, and whole and EV-depleted ESPs, using bacterial growth inhibition assays.MethodsSize-exclusion chromatography was applied to the isolation of EVs from whole T. circumcincta ESPs, followed by EV characterisation via nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Proteomic analysis of EVs and EV-depleted ESPs was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and prediction of putative AMPs was performed using available online tools. The antimicrobial activities of T. circumcincta EVs and of whole and EV-depleted ESPs against Escherichia coli were evaluated using bacterial growth inhibition assays.ResultsSeveral molecules with putative antimicrobial activity were identified in both EVs and EV-depleted ESPs from adult T. circumcincta. Whilst exposure of E. coli to whole ESPs resulted in a significant reduction of colony-forming units over 3 h, bacterial growth was not reduced following exposure to worm EVs or EV-depleted ESPs.ConclusionsOur data points towards a bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic function of T. circumcincta ESPs, likely mediated by molecules with antimicrobial activity.Graphical

Evaluation of Antihelminthic Activity of Bixa orellana

Intestinal worms are common problems in remote and rural areas of India. The communities of remote areas use some wild plants to treat intestinal worms. Among them, Bixa orellana is a monogenic plant of family Bixaceae, popularly known as lipstick tree or Annatto and locally called as Sinduri. It is traditionally used to kill the intestinal worms, results revealed that seeds of B. orellana possess diverse secondary metabolites such as tannin and phenolic compounds which might be responsible to kill the worms. Antihelminthic activity showed that seed extracts (aqueous, acetone, methanol, and ethanol) were effective against Eisenia fetida. Keeping the traditional uses of Sinduri against stomach worm and to reduce the side effects of synthetic drugs, the present experiment has been designed.

PENYULUHAN TENTANG PENCEGAHAN KEJADIAN KECACINGAN PADA ANAK DI DESA PENEN KECAMATAN BIRU-BIRU

From the results of the study, it turns out that the prevalence of worm disease is still high, namely 60-70%. This parasite is found all over the world. The frequency of this worm disease in Jakarta is quite high. In Bekasi, 1083 school children show a frequency of 24.4%. The incidence rate in Indonesia is still very high, namely almost all children aged 1-10 years have Ascariasis infection, while in adults it is estimated that 60% (in Jakarta).&#x0D; Indonesia still thrives on worm disease, the reason is that the personal hygiene of the community is still lacking. There are still many people who defecate on the ground, in rivers, in ditches, and on rice fields. Worm eggs can also be attached to major vegetables, that is, if the major vegetables are not cleaned using ditch water, river water and water that has been contaminated by worm eggs. Various factors that support the high rate of stomach infection pain in Indonesia are Indonesia's geographical location in the tropics which has a hot but humid climate, which allows stomach worms to breed well.

Molecular identification of Haemonchus contortus in goats

Haemonchus contortus commonly called the stomach worm or wire worm of ruminants inhabits the abomasum and is considered to be one of the economically important gastrointestinal strongyles in goats. In the present study, H. contortus was identified by PCR using the primers targeting partial 5.8S and partial internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS-2). Adult worms were identified morphologically and genomic DNA was extracted using DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit (QIAGEN, Germany). Gradient PCR protocol was standardised using the extracted genomic DNA. Ten-fold serial dilution of adult DNA was used to analyse the minimum detection limit and the products were amplified upto the tenth dilution. Cross reaction of primer sets was checked using the DNA extracted from predominant adult srongyles like Oesophagostomum columbianum and Trichostrongylus colubriformis and no cross reaction was seen at the optimum annealing temperature (60.7°C).

Vaccination against the brown stomach worm, Teladorsagia circumcincta, followed by parasite challenge, induces inconsistent modifications in gut microbiota composition of lambs

BackgroundGrowing evidence points towards a role of gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites of ruminants in modifying the composition of the host gut flora, with likely repercussions on the pathophysiology of worm infection and disease, and on animal growth and productivity. However, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms governing helminth-microbiota interactions and of their impact on host health and welfare relies on reproducibility and replicability of findings. To this aim, in this study, we analysed quantitative and qualitative fluctuations in the faecal microbiota composition of lambs vaccinated against, and experimentally infected with, the parasitic GI nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta over the course of two separate trials performed over two consecutive years.MethodsTwo trials were conducted under similar experimental conditions in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In each trial, lambs were randomly assigned to one of the following experimental groups: (i) vaccinated/infected, (ii) unvaccinated/infected and (iii) unvaccinated/uninfected. Faecal samples collected from individual animals were subjected to DNA extraction followed by high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatics and biostatistical analyses of sequence data.ResultsSubstantial differences in the populations of bacteria affected by immunisation against and infection by T. circumcincta were detected when comparing data from the two trials. Nevertheless, the abundance of Prevotella spp. was significantly linked to helminth infection in both trials.ConclusionsDespite the largely conflicting findings between the two trials, our data revealed that selected gut microbial populations are consistently affected by T. circumcincta infection and/or vaccination. Nevertheless, our study calls for caution when interpreting data generated from in vivo helminth-microbiome interaction studies that may be influenced by several intrinsic and extrinsic host-, parasite- and environment-related factors.Graphical

Response of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) supplementation on nutritional, endo-parasitic, and endocrine status in lambs

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of plantain herb (Plantago lanceolata L.) supplementation on growth, plasma metabolites, liver enzymatic activity, hormonal status, gastrointestinal parasites, and carcass characteristics of lambs. A total of 24 lambs, aged 6 months weighing 8.0 ± 0.5kg were randomly allocated to one of two dietary treatments: (1) CL diet-roadside grass and concentrate mixture; (2) PL diet-CL diet + 5% fresh plantain supplementation on a DM basis. The PL diet group exhibited 23% higher (P = 0.01) average daily gain and 15% improved (P = 0.03) feed conversion efficiency. Circulating cholesterol concentrations were suppressed by 9% (P = 0.03), and liver enzyme activity was improved by 5-25% (P < 0.05) in the lamb fed PL diet, compared with CL diet only. The inclusion of plantain in the diet was highly effective at suppressing the parasites, Paramphistomum spp. (P = 0.003) and coccidial parasites (P = 0.04), but not stomach worms. Moreover, plantain supplementation increased growth hormone and insulin concentrations in plasma level, whereas decreased carcass fat by 32.7%. Therefore, supplementation of the lambs' diet with plantain showed some beneficial effects on productivity and parasitic infection, while it led to a leaner carcass.

Gastric Physaloptera Infection in 27 Dogs (1997-2019).

Infection with the stomach worm Physaloptera spp. in dogs can cause chronic vomiting, although the diagnosis is often difficult owing to a low worm burden, single-sex infections, a failure to produce ova, or ova that are of greater density than solutions routinely used for qualitative fecal flotation. A retrospective evaluation was performed of 27 dogs that had gastric Physaloptera spp. infection confirmed endoscopically. In 23 of 27 dogs (85.2%), chronic vomiting was the chief complaint, and Physaloptera was an incidental finding in 3 dogs with esophageal or gastric foreign bodies. The worm burden was low (1-3 worms) in 21 dogs (77.8%), but 2 dogs were infected with large numbers (>50 worms). Prior therapy with routine doses of anthelmintics was ineffective in eight dogs prior to endoscopy. A higher dose and longer duration of fenbendazole in combination with pyrantel pamoate is recommended for treatment of suspected or confirmed infections. Reinfection is common in some dogs and should not be viewed as treatment failure.

Effectiveness of planned teaching programme regarding worm infestation on knowledge among mothers of under-five children in rural area of Lucknow district

Background: According to the World Health Organization 241 million children between the ages of 1 and 14 years are at high risk of parasitic intestinal worms in India. As per the first-post news updated November 24, 2019, At least 241 million children below the age of 14 years are at high risk of getting stomach worms in India. The study was conducted with the objective to assess the level of knowledge and effectiveness of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding worm infestation among the mothers of under-five children.Methods: The experimental pre-test-post-test control group design used and probability random sampling technique was adapted to select 92 mothers for both groups. Tool was used semi-structured knowledge questionnaire and planned teaching programme was implemented only on experimental group.Results: The results revealed that in experimental group post-test mean and SD score i.e. (16±3.56) was significantly higher the pre-test score i.e. (8.26±3.79) and compared the ‘t’ value, calculated ‘t’ value was (3.76) at the level of significance (0.05) and tabulated with 45 degree of freedom i.e. (2.01). So, it showed that the planned teaching programme regarding worm infestation among the mothers of under-five children in rural area was found effective.Conclusions: The present study assessed the knowledge among mothers of under-five children regarding worm infestation and found that mothers had poor knowledge related to worm infestation. After the planned teaching programme on worm infestation there was significant improvement on knowledge of the mothers of under-five children regarding worm infestation in experimental group.

Infection with the sheep gastrointestinal nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta increases luminal pathobionts

BackgroundThe multifaceted interactions between gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites, host gut microbiota and immune system are emerging as a key area of research within the field of host-parasite relationships. In spite of the plethora of data available on the impact that GI helminths exert on the composition of the gut microflora, whether alterations of microbial profiles are caused by direct parasite-bacteria interactions or, indirectly, by alterations of the GI environment (e.g. mucosal immunity) remains to be determined. Furthermore, no data is thus far available on the downstream roles that qualitative and quantitative changes in gut microbial composition play in the overall pathophysiology of parasite infection and disease.ResultsIn this study, we investigated the fluctuations in microbiota composition and local immune microenvironment of sheep vaccinated against, and experimentally infected with, the ‘brown stomach worm’ Teladorsagia circumcincta, a parasite of worldwide socio-economic significance. We compared the faecal microbial profiles of vaccinated and subsequently infected sheep with those obtained from groups of unvaccinated/infected and unvaccinated/uninfected animals. We show that alterations of gut microbial composition are associated mainly with parasite infection, and that this involves the expansion of populations of bacteria with known pro-inflammatory properties that may contribute to the immunopathology of helminth disease. Using novel quantitative approaches for the analysis of confocal microscopy-derived images, we also show that gastric tissue infiltration of T cells is driven by parasitic infection rather than anti-helminth vaccination.ConclusionsTeladorsagia circumcincta infection leads to an expansion of potentially pro-inflammatory gut microbial species and abomasal T cells. This data paves the way for future experiments aimed to determine the contribution of the gut flora to the pathophysiology of parasitic disease, with the ultimate aim to design and develop novel treatment/control strategies focused on preventing and/or restricting bacterial-mediated inflammation upon infection by GI helminths.DCvTgHLrMa4pPTvhPWGjhoVideo

Pathological Conditions Associated with Physaloptera Stomach Worm Infestation in Bengal Monitor Lizard Varanus bengalensis

The present study reports pathological conditions associated with Physaloptera sp. stomach worm infestation in Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis). Four adult Bengal monitor lizards were rescued from the poachers and kept at Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru. Faecal samples from all were collected and examined. Physaloptera sp. ova were found in all faecal samples examined by sedimentation technique. One Bengal monitor lizard died during the period and systematically examined at necropsy for gross pathological lesions. Adult Physaloptera sp. nematodes were found to be firmly attached to the gastric mucosa causing erosive inflammatory foci. Histopathological examination of stomach revealed the presence of many immature and mature worms encapsulated within fibrous connective tissue. The intestinal villi were stunted and many cross sections of the worms could be demonstrated in the lumen. The worms also migrated to liver parenchyma and got encapsulated with fibrous connective tissue with infiltration of eosinophils in the sinusoids and the vascular tissue spaces. This seems to be the first report of Physaloptera sp. nematodiasis in Bengal monitor lizard kept under captivity for a period of 1.5 months.

In vitro evaluation of anthelmintic activity of tannin-containing plant Artemisia extracts against Haemonchus contortus from goat

Gastrointestinal nematode causes significant production losses in grazing ruminants and anthelmintic resistance are increasing at an alarming rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic effects of tannin-containing plant Artemisia vulgaris against stomach worm Haemonchus contortus of goat. In this respect, in vitro anthelmintic activities of crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of A. vulgaris were investigated on eggs, larvae (L3) and adults of H. contortus in the laboratory. Experimental plant Artemisia was collected, dried in shade and grinded to coarse powder and subjected to prepare crude aqueous and ethanolic extract. The experiment revealed that crude ethanolic extracts completely inhibited egg hatching at concentration of 5 mg/ml whereas aqueous extracts at concentration of 10 mg/ml. After exposure of 8 hours, the crude ethanolic extracts inhibited 69.33%, 51% and 38% larval motility tested at 20 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 5 mg/ml concentrations, respectively while the crude aqueousextracts inhibited 57.33%, 48.67% and 34.67% at the same concentrations. The ethanolic extract showed better in vitro effects against adult stomach worm than the aqueous extract in terms of motility inhibition at different hours post-treatment. Dose dependent effects were also observed for both extract. After 2 and 8 hours of exposure, the ethanolic extract induced 53.33% and 100% mortality at the highest tested concentration respectively, while the aqueous extract induced 47.67% and 86.67% at the same concentration. To our best knowledge, this is the first study in Bangladesh on the in vitro anthelmintic effects of A. vulgaris against H. contortus. Further in vitro and in vivo trials with this plant are required to evaluate their anthelmintic effects precisely.&#x0D; J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(3): 363–368, 2019

Characterisation of a niche-specific excretory\u2013secretory peroxiredoxin from the parasitic nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta

BackgroundThe primary cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in small ruminants in temperate regions is the brown stomach worm, Teladorsagia circumcincta. Host immunity to this parasite is slow to develop, consistent with the ability of T. circumcincta to suppress the host immune response. Previous studies have shown that infective fourth-stage T. circumcincta larvae produce excretory–secretory products that are able to modulate the host immune response. The objective of this study was to identify immune modulatory excretory–secretory proteins from populations of fourth-stage T. circumcincta larvae present in two different host-niches: those associated with the gastric glands (mucosal-dwelling larvae) and those either loosely associated with the mucosa or free-living in the lumen (lumen-dwelling larvae).ResultsIn this study excretory–secretory proteins from mucosal-dwelling and lumen-dwelling T. circumcincta fourth stage larvae were analysed using comparative 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. A total of 17 proteins were identified as differentially expressed, with 14 proteins unique to, or enriched in, the excretory–secretory proteins of mucosal-dwelling larvae. One of the identified proteins, unique to mucosal-dwelling larvae, was a putative peroxiredoxin (T. circumcincta peroxiredoxin 1, Tci-Prx1). Peroxiredoxin orthologs from the trematode parasites Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica have previously been shown to alternatively activate macrophages and play a key role in promoting parasite induced Th2 type immunity. Here we demonstrate that Tci-Prx1 is expressed in all infective T. circumcincta life-stages and, when produced as a recombinant protein, has peroxidase activity, whereby hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is reduced and detoxified. Furthermore, we use an in vitro macrophage stimulation assay to demonstrate that, unlike peroxiredoxins from trematode parasites Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica, Tci-Prx1 is unable to alternatively activate murine macrophage cells.ConclusionsIn this study, we identified differences in the excretory–secretory proteome of mucosal-dwelling and lumen-dwelling infective fourth-stage T. circumcincta larvae, and demonstrated the utility of this comparative proteomic approach to identify excretory–secretory proteins of potential importance for parasite survival and/or host immune modulation.