Oxidative and nitrative stress in
Opisthorchis viverrini-infected hamsters: an indirect effect after praziquantel treatment.
Among these trematodes is
Opisthorchis viverrini, a liver fluke that can cause cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile ducts, in humans (Sripa et al.
After being thrashed by the quackbusters that a human liver fluke endemic to Southeast Asia could be causal in cancer cases, scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research collaborating with George Washington University have found that another human liver fluke (
Opisthorchis viverrini) contributes to the development of liver cancer by secreting granulin, a growth hormone that is known to cause uncontrolled cell growth.
Finally, other variables known to be associated with HCC risk (e.g., socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, smoking, excess weight, infection with
Opisthorchis, and drug treatment) should be collected in the near future to delineate the degree of HCC risk in Laos more accurately.
Indeed, both species of liver flukes that most commonly infect humans (
Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis) have been declared Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer [14, 15].
These cancers are rare in the United States; on the contrary, in Asia, particularly Thailand, infection with liver flukes of the genera Clonorchis and
Opisthorchis is often associated with cholangiocarcinoma of the intrahepatic bile ducts [1-3].
Namwat et al., "
Opisthorchis viverrini infection activates the PI3K/AKT/PTEN and Wnt/ [beta]-catenin signaling pathways in a Cholangiocarcinogenesis model," Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, vol.
Potential risk factors of CCA are parasitic infections (
Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis), bile duct disorders (biliary tract cysts and hepatolithiasis), toxins, complications (diabetes, cirrhosis, and obesity), alcohol consumption, and smoking [1].
Opisthorchis felineus, an emerging infection in Italy and its implication for the European Union.
Sripa, "Rapid detection of
Opisthorchis viverrini copro-DNA using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)," Parasitology International, vol.
Parasites, such as Ascaris, liver fluke (including Clonorchis sinensis, and
Opisthorchis viverrini), and Schistosoma, account for intrahepatic stone as well.