{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T13:30:42Z","timestamp":1753882242514,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,1]],"date-time":"2017-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1483228800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Infect Dis (Auckl)"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p> Based on the observation that the parasite Onchocerca volvulus selectively absorbs vitamin A from the host, and the known toxicity of vitamin A in higher concentration, it was hypothesized that dying microfilariae (mf) release their stores of vitamin A (retinoids) into the host circulation in toxic concentrations, inducing the signs and symptoms of onchocerciasis. We conducted a pilot study to test the hypothesis in Songea communities in Southern Tanzania, where mass drug administration with ivermectin had not been implemented by the time of the survey. The specific aim was to evaluate the correlation between the diagnosis of onchocerciasis and increased levels of retinoic acid at infection sites. The analysis was performed by determining copy numbers of a genome of O volvulus present in skin snip samples of persons with onchocerciacis, and correlating these numbers with expression levels of retinoic acid receptor-\u03b1 (RAR-\u03b1), which is inducible by retinoic acid. Total DNA and RNA were extracted from each of 25 mf-positive and 25 mf-negative skin samples and evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction with appropriate negative controls. Analysis of the samples, adjusted with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene levels, revealed that most samples with detectable RAR-\u03b1 transcripts had higher levels of RAR-\u03b1 expression than the assay control. However, the quality and number of samples were insufficient for statistical analysis. Fold data on the expression levels of both O volvulus DNA and RAR RNA suggested a possible trend toward higher relative RAR-\u03b1 expression in samples with higher levels of O volvulus DNA ( r<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\u2009=\u20090.25, P\u2009=\u2009.079). Evidence of a contribution of vitamin A to the pathology of onchocerciasis thus remains elusive. Future studies on the role of retinoids in onchocerciasis will require larger groups of participants as well as careful monitoring of the cold chain and tissue storage procedures in view of the sensitivity of vitamin A to heat and light. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1178633617731741","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,20]],"date-time":"2017-09-20T06:08:59Z","timestamp":1505887739000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Retinoid Expression in Onchocercal Skin Disease: Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Anthony R","family":"Mawson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Williams H","family":"Makunde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tanga Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, Tanga, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alan D","family":"Penman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Biostatistics and Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Veronica de Los Angeles","family":"Hernandez Morales","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Akili K","family":"Kalinga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tukuyu Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, Tukuyu, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Filbert","family":"Francis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tanga Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, Tanga, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Semyon","family":"Rubinchik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ACGT, Inc., Wheeling, IL, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Addow","family":"Kibweja","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tukuyu Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, Tukuyu, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2149\/tmh.2015-S10"},{"key":"bibr2-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2012.04.005"},{"key":"bibr3-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(10)60586-7"},{"key":"bibr4-1178633617731741","unstructured":"African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). Final communiqu\u00e9 of the 11th session of the Joint Action Forum (JAF) of APOC, Paris, France; December 6-9, 2005. http:\/\/www.who.int\/apoc\/about\/structure\/jaf\/jaf10_final_communique.pdf."},{"key":"bibr5-1178633617731741","unstructured":"African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC). United Republic of Tanzania Onchocerciasis status. http:\/\/www.who.int\/apoc\/countries\/tza\/en\/. Published 2007."},{"key":"bibr6-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00034983.2000.11813604"},{"key":"bibr7-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.00057-10"},{"key":"bibr8-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1286-4579(00)01269-7"},{"key":"bibr9-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2017.02.004"},{"key":"bibr10-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0000076"},{"key":"bibr11-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)60923-4"},{"key":"bibr12-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0035-9203(81)90230-3"},{"key":"bibr13-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0035-9203(02)90434-7"},{"key":"bibr14-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"de Oliveira MR. The neurotoxic effects of vitamin A and retinoids. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ci\u00eancias. 2015;87:1361\u20131373 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences). http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1590\/0001-3765201520140677.","DOI":"10.1590\/0001-3765201520140677"},{"key":"bibr15-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu3010063"},{"key":"bibr16-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1194\/jlr.R037648"},{"key":"bibr17-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.272.47.29442"},{"key":"bibr18-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/BJ20150068"},{"key":"bibr19-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1471-4922(01)02036-0"},{"key":"bibr20-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0190-9622(87)70133-9"},{"key":"bibr21-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2015\/140267"},{"key":"bibr22-1178633617731741","first-page":"315","volume-title":"Retinoids: 10 Years On","author":"Safran AB","year":"1991"},{"key":"bibr23-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clindermatol.2015.11.012"},{"key":"bibr24-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/bj3000063"},{"key":"bibr25-1178633617731741","first-page":"11","volume":"3","author":"Evans BL","year":"1997","journal-title":"Mol Vis"},{"key":"bibr26-1178633617731741","first-page":"9","volume":"5","author":"Duncan T","year":"1999","journal-title":"Mol Vis"},{"key":"bibr27-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.0022-202x.2001.01614.x"},{"key":"bibr28-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/mc.10020"},{"key":"bibr29-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0625.2006.00441.x"},{"key":"bibr30-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s40249-016-0183-0"},{"key":"bibr31-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/bj2490929"},{"key":"bibr32-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182000084791"},{"key":"bibr33-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.pharmtox.39.1.399"},{"key":"bibr34-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-nutr-072610-145127"},{"key":"bibr35-1178633617731741","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0378-4347(95)00154-B"}],"container-title":["Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1178633617731741","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/1178633617731741","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1178633617731741","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]],"date-time":"2024-10-15T09:33:33Z","timestamp":1728984813000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1178633617731741"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,1]]},"references-count":35,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/1178633617731741"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1178633617731741","relation":{},"ISSN":["1178-6337","1178-6337"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1178-6337"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1178-6337"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,1]]},"article-number":"1178633617731741"}}