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Presented by: Chris Raske Cryptosporidium Parvum A protozoan parasite which belongs to the class Coccidia. Undergoes a complex life cycle with alternating asexual and sexual reproductive cycles. It is one of the most common non-viral causes of diarrhea in many animals as well as humans. The first reported human cases were in 1976, and continues to infect people worldwide. In 1993 there was an outbreak in Milwaukee which infected over 400,000 people. Life Cycle Cryptosporidium Parvum In immunocompetent individuals cryptosporidium causes transient diarrhea, however in immunosuppressed individuals, infection results in more persistent and severe diarrhea which can be fatal. (ex. AIDS) Cryptosporidium generally infects the apical layer of endothelial cells of the intestine, and normally does not invade deeper layers of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Upon infection, the epithelial cells release proinflamitory cytokines including neutrophil chemoattractants, which are at least partly responsible in attracting effector cells. Cryptosporidium Parvum Mice deficient in B cells are able to fully eliminate the parasite which suggests antibodies are not required for its elimination. However, SCID mice and mice unable to make MHC class II molecules are susceptible to infection by C. parvum. These results suggest that cell-mediated immunity is the most important factor in recovering from C. parvum infection. Infection Leads to Cell Lysis After excystation in the intestine, the parasite invades epithelial cells where it remains in a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) directly beneath the apical membrane of the cell. It has been shown that cell lysis occurs at these parasitophorous vacuoles at the apical membrane. However, the mechanism of cell death was previously unknown. Researcher’s Objective Are the cells undergoing cell death through apoptotic pathways or necrosis? DNA condensation? DNA fragmentation? If it is an apoptotic pathway, what are the molecular mediators? Co