title: Molecular analysis of Dirofilaria repens removed from a subcutaneous nodule in a Japanese woman after a tour to Europe.
abstract: A premature female Dirofilaria species, subsequently identified as Dirofilaria repens by its morphological features and mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (12S rRNA) gene sequence, was removed from a subcutaneous nodule of the right temporal region of the head in a Japanese woman 2 years after she noticed swelling of her left calf following an insect sting during a tour to Europe; headache symptoms were noticed a few months later. The sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes from the organism were almost identical to those of sequences AM779772 (100% homology, 337/337) and AM749233 (99.8% homology, 536/537) of D. repens isolated from humans in Italy. However, the phylogenetic position of the 18S rRNA-internal transcribed spacer 1-5.8S rRNA region was in the same cluster as that of sequence JX290195 of Dirofilaria sp. "hongkongensis" (96.7% homology, 348/360), which was recently reported from Hong Kong as a novel Dirofilaria species. Information on regional genetic variation in D. repens isolated from animals and humans remains scarce. We report the detailed genetic features of this filaria as a reference isolate from a specific endemic area, to enrich the genetic database of D. repens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, 3-24-1 Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0073, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan.
authors.forename: Utako
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Okata
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan - Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan.
authors.forename: Ko-Ron
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D060348:Dirofilaria repens / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000469:parasitology; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000469:parasitology; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000469:parasitology; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S