title: Clinical diagnostic value of viable Schistosoma japonicum eggs detected in host tissues.
abstract: Schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases, is endemic in more than 70 countries. However, the clinical diagnosis of patients with a low degree of infection is an unsolved technical problem. In areas endemic for schistosomiasis japonica, proctoscopy detection of eggs has been one method used for clinical diagnosis. However, it is often a challenge to find typical live eggs and it is difficult to distinguish live eggs from large numbers of partially degraded and/or completely degraded eggs within colon biopsy tissue. To address this problem, we tested six different morphological and biochemical/molecular markers (ALP; morphological characteristics of egg; CalS (calcified substance); AOS (antioxidase); SDHG (succinic dehydrogenase) and SjR2 mRNA (retrotransposons 2 of S.japonicum genome mRNA)), including four new markers (CalS; AOS; SDHG and SjR2 mRNA.), to determine the viability of S. japonicum eggs deposited in human and mouse colon tissues. Our ultimate aim is to obtain a new method that is more sensitive, practical and accurate to clinically diagnose schistosomiasis.
  
  
  
  Tissue samples were collected from mice at six different time points during S. japonicum infection with or without treatment with praziquantel (PZQ). Four new biochemical or molecular markers were used for the detection of egg viability from mouse liver and intestinal samples: CalS; AOS; SDHG and SjR2 mRNA. Subsequently, all markers were employed for the detection and analysis of eggs deposited in biopsy materials from patients with suspected schistosomiasis japonica for clinical evaluation. Microscopic examination of the egg morphology, worm burden in vivo and ALP (alkaline phosphatase) levels were used as a reference standard to evaluate the sensitivity and reliability of four new markers detecting egg viability.
  
  
  
  The results of the study showed that the morphology of S. japonicum eggs deposited in tissues of hosts with schistosomiasis, especially cases with chronic schistosomiasis, is complex and egg viability is difficult to judge morphologically, particularly eggs with a fuzzy structure or partially modified eggs. We found that the majority of the viable schistosome eggs determined by four new markers (CalS, AOS, SDHG and SjR2 mRNA) were morphologically difficult to identify.
  
  
  
  Among the markers, the most sensitive and specific method was the detection of SjR2 mRNA and the most simple, rapid and practical method was the detection of SDHG. Therefore, the detection of SDHG is the most practical for clinical application and its use could improve the accuracy in diagnosing active schistosome infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (CSU), 410013, Tongzipo Road 172#, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kongzhen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institution of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.|Xiangyue Hospital, Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention Institution of Hunan Province, Yueyang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuesheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institution of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Driguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (CSU), 410013, Tongzipo Road 172#, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. zengqingren@csu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qingren
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Xiangyue Hospital, Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention Institution of Hunan Province, Yueyang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xinlin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (CSU), 410013, Tongzipo Road 172#, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (CSU), 410013, Tongzipo Road 172#, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Xiangyue Hospital, Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention Institution of Hunan Province, Yueyang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongkang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (CSU), 410013, Tongzipo Road 172#, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wenyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institution of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D003106:Colon / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012007:Rectum / Q000469:parasitology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011223:Praziquantel
keywords: Alp; Aos; CalS; Morphological characteristics of eggs; Schistosoma Japonicum; Sdhg; SjR2mRNA; Vitality of eggs