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K R Kazacos

Publications and source records attributed to K R Kazacos.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Immunofluorescent localization of eosinophil granule major basic protein in fatal human cases of Baylisascaris procyonis infection.

We examined eosinophil degranulation in tissues from patients infected with Baylisascaris procyonis as shown by the extracellular deposition of granule major basic protein (MBP). We utilized immunofluorescence to localize MBP in eosinophils and at sites of degranulation to study specimens from 2 fatal cases of B. procyonis infection. Large numbers of intact eosinophils were present in the brain around blood vessels and necrotic migration tracks and in mesenteric granulomata. Extensive extracellular MBP deposition was present in the necrotic migration tracks in the brain and around larvae in the mesenteric granulomata in association with the radiating eosinophilic deposits characteristic of the "Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon." The Splendore-Hoeppli deposits consist in part of eosinophil granule MBP. Release of the cytotoxic MBP in response to invading larvae may cause tissue damage. Central nervous system tissue damage by cytotoxic eosinophil granule proteins may contribute to the neurologic symptoms of B. procyonis infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Molecular characterization of sylvatic isolates of Trichinella spiralis.

Genetic relationships of 20 Trichinella isolates from Indiana wildlife were assessed and compared to Trichinella isolated from an infected swine herd. Trichinella larvae were isolated from coyotes, mink, raccoons, and red foxes. The larvae were maintained and amplified in white mice (ICR) and wild mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Differences in phenotypic characters of sylvatic isolates in the 2 laboratory hosts included an approximately 10-30-fold increase in parasite fecundity in wild mice. DNA for each isolate was extracted from Trichinella larvae and analyzed by dot-blot hybridization using a repetitive DNA probe pBP2 that recognizes DNA sequences specific for swine Trichinella. The probe hybridized only to Trichinella from swine and a single coyote isolate. Restriction endonucleases were used to digest DNA and the resulting fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis. Based on the presence of repetitive DNA sequences in the Trichinella genome, distinctive banding patterns were seen among the isolates. Trichinella isolated from swine had a pattern distinct from all sylvatic isolates except 1 from a coyote. Because this coyote was from the same general locality as the swine Trichinella outbreak, it was concluded that the isolate represents transmission of swine trichinellosis to the wildlife population. Further analysis using the enzyme Cla I identified unique banding patterns for wild isolates, suggesting that the sylvatic group is a genetically heterogeneous complex.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Physicochemical characterization and monoclonal and polyclonal antibody recognition of Baylisascaris procyonis larval excretory-secretory antigens.

Baylisascaris procyonis larval excretory-secretory (ES) antigens consisted of complex glycoproteins ranging from 10 kDa to over 200 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and lectin binding. Five monoclonal antibodies (Bapr1-Bapr5) produced against B. procyonis ES antigens were assayed by western blotting with larval ES antigens from B. procyonis, Baylisascaris melis, Baylisascaris transfuga, Ascaris suum, and Toxocara canis. Bapr1 and Bapr2 recognized periodate-sensitive epitopes on 14-kDa ES components of B. procyonis, B. melis, and B. transfuga, whereas Bapr4 and Bapr5 recognized periodate-resistant epitopes present on 55-kDa ES components of B. procyonis and B. melis. Bapr3 primarily recognized periodate-resistant epitopes on 33-45-kDa components of B. procyonis and B. melis ES. Heterologous rabbit antisera cross-reacted with many B. procyonis ES antigens on western blots, but recognition of the 33-45-kDa components was genus-specific. Normal human sera and T. canis-positive human sera also cross-reacted with many B. procyonis ES antigens, including those of 33-45 kDa. However, periodate oxidation markedly decreased cross-reactions and allowed for differential immunodiagnosis of B. procyonis versus T. canis. These studies demonstrated that antibody recognition of carbohydrate epitopes on ES components is an important cause of cross-reactions in antibody detection assays. Recognition of periodate-resistant (protein) epitopes on the 33-45-kDa B. procyonis ES components appears to be useful for genus-specific immunodiagnosis of larva migrans caused by Baylisascaris spp.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Cerebrospinal nematodiasis in prairie dogs from a research facility.

Baylisascaris spp larvae were determined to cause CNS disease in 3 prairie dogs maintained at a research facility. Clinical signs consisted of ataxia, stumbling, and head tilt, which progressed to severe torticollis, paddling in lateral recumbency, and loss of the righting reflex. Gross lesions were not found at necropsy. Microscopically, the cerebellar white matter and medulla oblongata were most severely affected and had numerous sections of large ascarid larvae. Our findings indicated that natural infections of Baylisacaris spp larvae can cause CNS disease in prairie dogs. Also, Baylisascaris spp larval infection should be considered in differential diagnoses of CNS disease in prairie dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Multifocal retinitis in New Zealand sheep dogs.

Thirty-nine percent of 1,448 working sheep dogs were affected with varying degrees of multifocal retinal disease on ophthalmoscopic examination. Lesions consisted of localized areas of hyperreflexia in the tapetal fundus, often associated with hyperpigmentation. Severely affected animals had widespread hyperreflexia with retinal vascular attenuation. Only 6% of 125 New Zealand dogs raised in urban environment were similarly affected. Both eyes of 70 dogs from New Zealand were examined histologically. Forty-seven of 70 dogs had ocular inflammatory disease. Ten other dogs had noninflammatory eye disease, and 13 dogs had normal eyes. Histologically, eyes with inflammatory disease were divided into three categories: Dogs 3 years of age or less with active inflammatory disease of the retina, uvea, and vitreous. Four dogs in this group had migrating nematode larvae identified morphologically as genus Toxocara. Diffuse retinitis and retinal atrophy in conjunction with localized retinal necrosis and choroidal fibrosis. Dogs in this category were severely, clinically affected. Chronic, low-grade retinitis with variable retinal atrophy. Most dogs in this category were over 3 years of age, and many were visually functional. The existence of a definable spectrum of morphological changes associated with inflammation, suggests that Toxocara sp. ocular larva migrans may be the cause of a highly prevalent, potentially blinding syndrome of working sheep dogs in New Zealand.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Pathology of pentastomid infections (Sebekia mississippiensis) in fish.

Differential pathogenesis was observed in two species of fish naturally infected with the pentastome Sebekia mississippiensis. Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) showed a mild inflammatory response to developing nymphs, whereas swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) had an extensive granulomatous inflammatory reaction with accompanying hemorrhage, myositis, and myodegeneration. This suggested that certain species of tropical fish reared in the southeastern United States may be at risk to potentially harmful infections with this parasite.

Alligators and Crocodiles↗
PubMed1986

Cerebrospinal nematodiasis in pheasants.

Infection with larvae of Baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon ascarid, was the cause of neurologic disease affecting young pheasants on a commercial pheasant ranch in Wisconsin. The disease was chronic and insidious, affecting 1% to 2% of the birds over a period of 2 years. Histologic lesions in the brain consisted of multifocal areas of necrosis and inflammation associated with Baylisascaris larvae. Onset of the disease at the farm correlated with introduction of chopped straw as bedding for the young birds. The straw was from a neighbor's barn and was contaminated with raccoon feces that contained B procyonis eggs. Cessation of use of the contaminated straw resulted in cessation of CNS disease in pheasants on the ranch.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Trichinosis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

A tongue biopsy technique for the detection of trichinosis in swine.

A tongue biopsy technique developed for the detection of Trichinella spiralis infection in swine involves taking a deep core biopsy of the tongue musculature, and examination of the sample by digestion. Using this procedure, 31 of 52 (60%) swine from an Indiana herd were found to be infected with T. spiralis. The average biopsy weighed 0.42 g, and the intensity of infection averaged 180 larvae per gram (range 2-1157). The biopsy was quick and easy to perform and the tongues healed well following the procedure. This technique may have applicability for Trichinella detection in epidemiological, control and research studies on swine and other animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Field evaluation of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for swine trichinosis: efficacy of the excretory-secretory antigen.

A field evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for swine trichinosis was done with sera obtained from 5 herds experiencing ongoing transmission of Trichinella spiralis. Epizootiologic studies conducted on these herds offered an opportunity to evaluate the accuracy of an ELISA, using larval T spiralis excretory-secretory antigens. Sera from 162 infected pigs and 143 serum samples from noninfected pigs originating from the same farms were tested. The infection status of the pigs was determined by digestion of diaphragm or tongue muscle samples. Two criteria were established to classify the ELISA optical density (OD) readings: Criterion I stated that an OD greater than or equal to 5 times the mean OD of several normal swine sera pools was positive; criterion II stated that a OD greater than or equal to 4 times the normal sera values was positive. The results obtained did not reveal obvious serologic variations among infected herds located in the 4 states involved. Overall, the test detected 93% (criterion I) and 96% (criterion II) of infected pigs. The majority of false-negative sera was from hogs that had less than 5 larvae/g of muscle; 1 hog had 73.8 larvae/g of diaphragm muscle. The false-positive rates were 8% for criterion I and 9% for criterion II. The actual rate for these false-positive samples may have been overestimated, because generally, only small tissue samples (0.4 to 10 g) were digested; larger sample sizes might have altered the results. The relevance of this qualification is that these pigs originated from herds with prevalence rates greater than 50%. Other factors that may account for occasional false-positive sera or false-negative sera in the swine trichinosis ELISA are discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Ivermectin for treatment of nasal capillariasis in a dog.

One oral dose of ivermectin successfully rid a dog of Capillaria aerophila that were infecting the nasal passages. Diagnosis was made by finding the eggs in the feces and in the nasal discharge, and or finding the worms in a biopsy specimen taken from the nasal passage. Ivermectin was chosen because of ease of administration, expected efficacy, and minimal expense. Although this dog did not show any of the adverse CNS effects associated with the use of ivermectin, these potential side-effects should be kept in mind any time this anthelmintic is used in dogs.

Animals↗