Impact of ivermectin on onchocerciasis transmission: assessing the empirical evidence that repeated ivermectin mass treatments may lead to elimination/eradication in West-Africa

BACKGROUND: The Onchocerciasis Control Program (OCP) in West Africa has been closed down at the end of 2002. All subsequent control will be transferred to the participating countries and will almost entirely be based on periodic mass treatment with ivermectin. This makes the question whether elimination of infection or eradication of onchocerciasis can be achieved using this strategy of critical importance. This study was undertaken to explore this issue. METHODS: An empirical approach was adopted in which a comprehensive analysis was undertaken of available data on the impact of more than a decade of ivermectin treatment on onchocerciasis infection and transmission. Relevant entomological and epidemiological data from 14 river basins in the OCP and one basin in Cameroon were reviewed. Areas were distinguished by frequency of treatment (6-monthly or annually), endemicity level and additional control measures such as vector control. Assessment of results were in terms of epidemiological and entomological parameters, and as a measure of inputs, therapeutic and geographical coverage rates were used. RESULTS: In all of the river basins studied, ivermectin treatment sharply reduced prevalence and intensity of infection. Significant transmission, however, is still ongoing in some basins after 10-12 years of ivermectin treatment. In other basins, transmission may have been interrupted, but this needs to be confirmed by in-depth evaluations. In one mesoendemic basin, where 20 rounds of four-monthly treatment reduced prevalence of infection to levels as low as 2-3%, there was significant recrudescence of infection within a few years after interruption of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Ivermectin treatment has been very successful in eliminating onchocerciasis as a public health problem. However, the results presented in this paper make it almost certain that repeated ivermectin mass treatment will not lead to the elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis from West Africa. Data on 6-monthly treatments are not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions.     

Stereoconvergent approach for synthesizing enantiopure 5, 6-dialkylpipecolic acids

Investigating a general route for synthesizing pipecolic acid ) piperidine-2-carboxylic acid ( derivatives with substituents at the 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-position, we discovered a stereoconvergent process that provides an effective means for making 5, 6-dialkyl-epsilonpipecolate (Scheme 1, PhF = 9-phenylfluoren-9-yl). Hydrogenation of diastereomeric mixtures of gamma-oxo gamma-hydroxy and gamma-acetoxy alpha-N-(PhF)amino tert-butyl esters causes the eventual loss of the gamma-substituent to furnish an azadiene intermediate that can reduce diastereoselectively to 5, 6-dialkylpipecolate having the all cis relative stereoconfiguration. Five enantiopure (>94% ee) 5,6-dialkylpipecolic acids were synthesized, employing aspartic acid as an inexpensive chiral educt in this process.     

Blue Light Overrides Repression of Asexual Sporulation by Mating Type Genes in the Basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus

Monokaryotic mycelia of the homobasidiomycete Coprinus cinereus form asexual spores (oidia) constitutively in abundant numbers. Mycelia with mutations in both mating type loci (Amut Bmut homokaryons) also produce copious oidia but only when exposed to blue light. We used such an Amut Bmut homokaryon to define environmental and inherent factors that influence the light-induced oidiation process. We show that the Amut function causes repression of oidiation in the dark and that light overrides this effect. Similarly, compatible genes from different haplotypes of the A mating type locus repress sporulation in the dark and not in the light. Compatible products of the B mating type locus reduce the outcome of light on A-mediated repression but the mutated B function present in the Amut Bmut homokaryons is not effective. In dikaryons, the coordinated regulation of asexual sporulation by compatible A and B mating type genes results in moderate oidia production in light. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody able to discriminate galectin-1 from galectin-2 and galectin-3

Antisera raised against galectin-1 exhibit crossreactivities with other galectins or related molecules. In order to overcome this problem, a monoclonal antibody to human brain galectin-1 was obtained by selecting clones without reactivity toward galectin-3. This mAb specifically bound galectin-1 of various animal origins but neither galectin-2 nor galectin-3. Western-blotting analysis of soluble human brain extracts after 2D gel electrophoresis revealed only the two most acidic isoforms of galectin-1. The ability of this mAb to bind galectin-1/asialofetuin complexes indicates that its epitope is not localized in the carbohydrate recognition domain of galectin-1. This particularity induces with efficiency its monospecificity.      

An anchored restriction-mapping approach applied to the genetic analysis of the Anopheles gambiae malaria vector complex 1

We introduce here a simple approach for rapidly determining restriction maps for a number of regions of a genome; this involves "anchoring" a map with a rare restriction site (in this case the seldom-cutting EagI) followed by partial digestion of a frequent-cutting enzyme (e.g., Sau 3A). We applied this technology to five species of the Anopheles gambiae complex. In a single Southern blot we obtained about a 15-kb restriction map each for the mtDNA, rRNA gene, and a scnDNA region for each of five species. Phylogenetic analyses of these regions yield trees at odds with the more traditional chromosome inversion-based trees. The value of the approach for systematic purposes is the ease with which several large, independent regions of the genome can be quickly assayed for molecular variation.      

MAF45, a highly polymorphic marker for the pseudoautosomal region of the sheep genome, is not linked to the FecXI (Inverdale) gene.

A highly polymorphic dinucleotide repeat, or microsatellite, that shows partial sex-linked inheritance in sheep has been isolated from the sheep genome. Our data indicate that the locus is in the pseudoautosomal region approximately 13 cm from the boundary with the sex-linked regions. The locus, designated MAF45, has 12 alleles with a PIC of 0.84. The same primers amplify a single polymorphic locus in cattle and goats. This locus was not linked to the Inverdale gene, an X-linked gene that increases the ovulation rate in sheep.     

The impact of backbone N‐methylation on the structure‐activity relationship of Leu10‐teixobactin

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to global human health; therefore, new anti‐infective therapeutics are required. The cyclic depsi‐peptide teixobactin exhibits potent antimicrobial activity against several Gram‐positive pathogens. To study the natural product's mechanism of action and improve its pharmacological properties, efficient chemical methods for preparing teixobactin analogues are required to expedite structure‐activity relationship studies. Described herein is a synthetic route that enables rapid access to analogues. Furthermore, our new N‐methylated analogues highlight that hydrogen bonding along the N‐terminal tail is likely to be important for antimicrobial activity.