Development of an optimal diagnostic system for parasitic diseases

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07090
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 49040:Parasitology-related
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki
• Principal Investigator: Maruyama Haruhiko 宮崎大学, 医学部, 教授 (90229625)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 寄生虫症 / 症候 / 鑑別診断 / 好酸球増多 / 抗体検査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We analyzed clinical information and test results at our laboratory of 3,085 patients, who had been suspected as having parasitic infections. The most frequent symptom was pulmonary complaints and/or chest abnormal imaging, followed by abdominal symptoms, neurological disorder, and visual disorders. Peripheral blood eosinophilia or local eosinophil infiltration were noted in 54.5% of patients. Based on our laboratory tests, including measuring anti-parasite antibodies, infection-positive ratio was most high in creeping eruption (70.2%), followed by subcutaneous tumor (65.4%), and abnormal hepatic imaging (65.4%). When eosinophilia was accompanied with these symptoms, positive ratios were higher by approx. 10%.

Free Research Field

寄生虫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

線虫や条虫、吸虫による寄生虫症は疾患としては単純であり、正しく診断がつけばほとんどの場合に治療は容易である。ところがごく稀にしか遭遇しないため、一般臨床医にとっては典型的な苦手感染症になっている。本研究は、現在の日本の日常診療の中で、どのような訴えや所見がある場合にどのような寄生虫症の確率が高いのかを明らかにした。また同時に、虫体由来抗原または組換え寄生虫抗原を用いた信頼性の高い系を確立した。これらを組み合わせることにより、誰がどの医療機関を受診しても、正しく寄生虫症の診断に到達するような診断プロトコルの策定が可能となった。