Clinical And Therapeutic Studies Of Human Filariasis and Related Diseases

为了更好地了解丝虫病感染（盘尾丝虫病、寄生虫病、淋巴丝虫病）的发病机制，对这些感染和其他相关非丝虫病（类圆线虫、疟疾）感染患者的临床评估进行了详细研究。此外，治疗后的炎症反应及其诱导的潜在机制也已详细介绍。特别是，对嗜酸性粒细胞诱导和细胞运输到治疗后炎症部位的控制已经进行了研究。沃尔巴克氏体内共生体作为治疗靶点和炎症诱导剂的重要性也已详细介绍。

To understand better the pathogenesis of filarial infections (onchocerciasis, loiaisis, lymphatic filarasis) clinical assessments of patients with these and other related non-filarial (strongyloides, malaria) infections have been studied in detail. Moreover, the post-treatment inflammatory responses and the underlying mechanisms in their induction have been detailed. In particular, the control of eosinophil induction and cell trafficking to sites of post-treatment inflammation has been studied. The importance of the Wolbachia endosymbiont both as a therapeutic target and as a inducer of inflammation has been detailed as well. The pathogenesis of lymphedema in lymphatic filariasis has been shown to result (in part) from interdigital lesions that predispose to acute lymphangioadenitis. Understanding of the pathogenesis of eosinophil-related disorders has been a major focus of our clinically related studies. Multiple groups of hypereosinophilic patients (parasite-infected, familial hypereosinophilia, idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, benign hypereosinophilia, episodic angioedema with eosinophilia) have been assessed clinically; moreover, lymphocytes (and their subsets) and eosinophils have been examined functionally and at the molecular level (human microarrays and RT-PCR) to identify the molecules and pathways involved in conditions associated with increased blood and tissue eosinophilia. New diagnostic approaches have been developed and utilized for the rapid and specific diagnosis of Strongyloidiasis, loiasis, and onchocerciasis.