The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics.
BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum are the most frequent causative agents of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Approximately 200 million people in the world are infected with schistosomes. Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is often difficult. High percentages of low level infection...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:bd9dbf50675d49088b67ccefdd0a9df4 2023-05-15T15:13:38+02:00 The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. Stephan Karl Lucía Gutiérrez Rafael Lucyk-Maurer Roland Kerr Renata R F Candido Shu Q Toh Martin Saunders Jeremy A Shaw Alexandra Suvorova Andreas Hofmann Michael J House Robert C Woodward Carlos Graeff-Teixera Timothy G St Pierre Malcolm K Jones 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 https://doaj.org/article/bd9dbf50675d49088b67ccefdd0a9df4 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3656142?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 https://doaj.org/article/bd9dbf50675d49088b67ccefdd0a9df4 PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 7, Iss 5, p e2219 (2013) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 2022-12-31T11:17:05Z BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum are the most frequent causative agents of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Approximately 200 million people in the world are infected with schistosomes. Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is often difficult. High percentages of low level infections are missed in routine fecal smear analysis and current diagnostic methodologies are inadequate to monitor the progress of parasite control, especially in areas with low transmission. Improved diagnostic methods are urgently needed to evaluate the success of elimination programs. Recently, a magnetic fractionation method for isolation of parasite eggs from feces was described, which uses magnetic microspheres to form parasite egg - magnetic microsphere conjugates. This approach enables screening of larger sample volumes and thus increased diagnostic sensitivity. The mechanism of formation of the conjugates remains unexplained and may either be related to specific surface characteristics of eggs and microspheres or to their magnetic properties. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we investigated iron localization in parasite eggs, specifically in the eggshells. We determined the magnetic properties of the eggs, studied the motion of eggs and egg-microsphere conjugates in magnetic fields and determined species specific affinity of parasite eggs to magnetic microspheres. Our study shows that iron is predominantly localized in pores in the eggshell. Parasite eggs showed distinct paramagnetic behaviour but they did not move in a magnetic field. Magnetic microspheres spontaneously bound to parasite eggs without the presence of a magnetic field. S. japonicum eggs had a significantly higher affinity to bind microspheres than S. mansoni eggs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that the interaction of magnetic microspheres and parasite eggs is unlikely to be magnetic in origin. Instead, the filamentous surface of the eggshells may be important in facilitating the binding. Modification of microsphere surface properties ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 7 5 e2219 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Stephan Karl Lucía Gutiérrez Rafael Lucyk-Maurer Roland Kerr Renata R F Candido Shu Q Toh Martin Saunders Jeremy A Shaw Alexandra Suvorova Andreas Hofmann Michael J House Robert C Woodward Carlos Graeff-Teixera Timothy G St Pierre Malcolm K Jones The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum are the most frequent causative agents of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Approximately 200 million people in the world are infected with schistosomes. Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is often difficult. High percentages of low level infections are missed in routine fecal smear analysis and current diagnostic methodologies are inadequate to monitor the progress of parasite control, especially in areas with low transmission. Improved diagnostic methods are urgently needed to evaluate the success of elimination programs. Recently, a magnetic fractionation method for isolation of parasite eggs from feces was described, which uses magnetic microspheres to form parasite egg - magnetic microsphere conjugates. This approach enables screening of larger sample volumes and thus increased diagnostic sensitivity. The mechanism of formation of the conjugates remains unexplained and may either be related to specific surface characteristics of eggs and microspheres or to their magnetic properties. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we investigated iron localization in parasite eggs, specifically in the eggshells. We determined the magnetic properties of the eggs, studied the motion of eggs and egg-microsphere conjugates in magnetic fields and determined species specific affinity of parasite eggs to magnetic microspheres. Our study shows that iron is predominantly localized in pores in the eggshell. Parasite eggs showed distinct paramagnetic behaviour but they did not move in a magnetic field. Magnetic microspheres spontaneously bound to parasite eggs without the presence of a magnetic field. S. japonicum eggs had a significantly higher affinity to bind microspheres than S. mansoni eggs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that the interaction of magnetic microspheres and parasite eggs is unlikely to be magnetic in origin. Instead, the filamentous surface of the eggshells may be important in facilitating the binding. Modification of microsphere surface properties ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stephan Karl Lucía Gutiérrez Rafael Lucyk-Maurer Roland Kerr Renata R F Candido Shu Q Toh Martin Saunders Jeremy A Shaw Alexandra Suvorova Andreas Hofmann Michael J House Robert C Woodward Carlos Graeff-Teixera Timothy G St Pierre Malcolm K Jones |
author_facet |
Stephan Karl Lucía Gutiérrez Rafael Lucyk-Maurer Roland Kerr Renata R F Candido Shu Q Toh Martin Saunders Jeremy A Shaw Alexandra Suvorova Andreas Hofmann Michael J House Robert C Woodward Carlos Graeff-Teixera Timothy G St Pierre Malcolm K Jones |
author_sort |
Stephan Karl |
title |
The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
title_short |
The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
title_full |
The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
title_fullStr |
The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
title_full_unstemmed |
The iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
title_sort |
iron distribution and magnetic properties of schistosome eggshells: implications for improved diagnostics. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 https://doaj.org/article/bd9dbf50675d49088b67ccefdd0a9df4 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 7, Iss 5, p e2219 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3656142?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 https://doaj.org/article/bd9dbf50675d49088b67ccefdd0a9df4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002219 |
container_title |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
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7 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
e2219 |
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1766344171856068608 |