Risk of Gallstone Disease in Advanced Chronic Phase of Fascioliasis: An Experimental Study in a Rat Model

Abstract

In Wistar rats experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica, the association between time of infection, number of flukes, rat weight, and serum lipid levels and the risk of developing pigment stones in the main bile duct was examined using data obtained at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 days postinfection. Gallstone presence increased with infection time. The relative risk of gallstone disease increased when the number of flukes per rat and rat weight increased. The presence of gallstones was associated with serum high-density lipoproteins and triglyceride levels. In a multivariate analysis, the association between gallstones and rat weight disappeared after adjustment for serum lipids. The absence of an effect of rat weight independent from serum lipids suggests that serum lipids are more closely linked to gallstone pathogenesis than is overweight. The presence of gallstones was strongly associated with the number of flukes located in the bile duct. A high risk of developing gallstones may be expected in human subjects inhabiting areas where F. hepatica is highly endemic and where high egg outputs detected in humans suggest that liver fluke burdens may also be very high.

CIAS detection of Fasciola hepatica/F. gigantica intermediate forms in bovines from Bangladesh

“…Human cases have been increasing in the five continents, including estimates of human infection of up to 17 million people, or even higher depending from the hitherto unknown situations in Asia and Africa (Mas-Coma et al 2009a). This disease has recently proven to have a great morbidity impact throughout the biliary or chronic period of the disease (Valero et al 2003(Valero et al , 2006aGirones et al 2007), and not only due to the pathogenicity of the acute phase as hitherto believed (Chen and Mott, 1990). Clinical studies have shown this disease to be pronouncedly complex, giving rise to progressive general deterioration of the patients, with sequelae sometimes *Corresponding author: Madela.Valero@uv.es Syed Ali Ahasan et al 268 leaving them handicapped and frail, even including fatal cases (Mas-Coma et al 2014a).…”

Fasciola hepatica infection at a University Clinic in Turkey

“…This process often lasts between 1 and 3 months [4]. Fasciola hepatica can live up to 13.5 years in untreated patients [5]. The symptoms of this disease are similar to those of liver abscesses.…”

Evaluation of cases with Fasciola hepatica infection: experience in 6 children

“…SPSS 16 software was used for all analyses. Values are expressed as the mean±SD unless otherwise stated.…”