Ito A
Department of Parasitology, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
Hokkaido Igaku Zasshi. 2001 Jan;76(1):3-8.
All researchers working at Department of Parasitology, Asahikawa Medical College (AMC) have been involved in either basic or applied research on echinococcosis (alveolar echinococcosis; AE, cystic echinococcosis; CE) and neurocysticercosis (NCC). As these parasitic diseases are 1) most serious helminthic infections threatening human life, 2) caused by the larval stage of very closely related taeniid cestodes and 3) recognized as global emerging parasitic diseases, we have to establish research reference center for differentiation of these diseases, since the recommendations for the treatment of these three diseases differ critically. We at AMC have already established highly reliable differential serodiagnosis for these all using native antigens and recombinant antigens for AE and NCC. Based on such scientific contribution, we have been involved in many international collaboration projects on AE, CE and NCC in Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Basic research from mitochondrial DNA analysis of Echinococcus multilocularis (causative agent of AE) and Taenia solium (NCC) has revealed and/or implied the origin of the polymorphism of these parasites in the world and diversity of pathogenicity. Epidemiological surveillance of AE in China has strongly suggested that the risk factor is dog carer but not dog feces, dog owned, wild herbs or fox hunting. As the ongoing serology in Hokkaido carried out by the Hokkaido Institute of Public Health is for the primary screening of AE, it is impossible to identify AE patients. It is, therefore, recommended that serology for identification of AE without surgical confirmation is the key to be introduced for differentiation of AE patients, either asymptomatic or symptomatic, in order to recognize the incidence of AE in Hokkaido. Without the true incidence of AE, it is impossible to establish any reliable systems for the surveillance, prevention and control of AE in Hokkaido, Japan.
旭川医科大学（AMC）寄生虫学系的所有研究人员都参与了棘球蚴病（泡型棘球蚴病；AE，囊型棘球蚴病；CE）和神经囊尾蚴病（NCC）的基础研究或应用研究。由于这些寄生虫病1）是威胁人类生命的最严重的蠕虫感染，2）由亲缘关系非常密切的带绦虫的幼虫阶段引起，3）被认为是全球新兴的寄生虫病，而且这三种疾病的治疗建议差异很大，因此我们必须建立这些疾病鉴别诊断的研究参考中心。我们旭川医科大学已经利用天然抗原以及针对AE和NCC的重组抗原，为所有这些疾病建立了高度可靠的鉴别血清学诊断方法。基于这些科学贡献，我们参与了亚洲、欧洲、非洲和美洲许多关于AE、CE和NCC的国际合作项目。对多房棘球绦虫（AE的病原体）和猪带绦虫（NCC）的线粒体DNA分析的基础研究揭示和/或暗示了这些寄生虫在世界范围内的多态性起源和致病性多样性。在中国对AE的流行病学监测强烈表明，危险因素是犬类饲养者而非犬粪、养犬情况、野生草药或猎狐。由于北海道公共卫生研究所正在北海道进行的血清学检测是用于AE的初步筛查，因此无法识别AE患者。因此，建议引入用于识别未经手术确诊的AE的血清学检测，这是鉴别无症状或有症状AE患者的关键，以便了解北海道AE的发病率。如果没有AE的真实发病率，就不可能在日本北海道建立任何可靠的AE监测、预防和控制体系。
