Fig 1.
Basal brain MRI exam showing viable cysts (A); ex vivo CT scan showing calcified lesions with measurements of radiodensity (HU) and areas (cm2) (B); apparent calcified lesion identified on gross exam (C).
Table 1.
Findings from basal MRI (viable brain cysts) and ex vivo CT scan (calcified lesions), and risk ratios for the proportion of residual calcification in NCC pigs according to time points after APT (n = 5 pigs in each group).
Table 2.
Radiodensity levels (Hounsfield units) and areas (mm2) of calcified lesions measured on ex vivo CT scan in treated NCC pigs at 4, 8, and 12 months.
Table 3.
Proportion of calcified granulomas confirmed by Alizarin–Red stain among brain biopsies collected from treated NCC pigs at 4, 8, and 12 months.
Fig 2.
Microscopic visualization of calcium aggregates by Alizarin–Red (AR) stain in calcified granulomas from treated NCC pigs at 4, 8.
and 12 months (A, B, and C).
Fig 3.
Inflammatory and fibrotic responses in calcified granulomas from treated NCC pigs at 4 (A–C), 8 (D–F), and 12 (G-I) months.
H&E (A, D, G) and Masson’s Trichrome (B, E, H) stains. (C) Silhouette of a cysticercus with a central scolex is observed and partially effaced by dystrophic mineralization (blue arrow). Surrounding the degenerate metacestode is a semi dense and tortuous band of mature fibrous connective tissue (black arrow). (F) The cysticercus is completely effaced by large amounts of dystrophic mineralization and cellular necrotic debris surrounded by numerous lymphocytes (arrowhead), plasma cell and some histiocytes embedded in in a disperse and immature fibrous connective tissue (black arrow). The adjacent blood vessels are reactive and have lymphocytic perivascular cuffing (red arrow). (I) The metacestode is surrounded by some lymphocytes and plasma cells embedded in an immature fibrous connective tissue and externally sequestered by a dense, thick, and disorganized mature fibrous connective tissue (arrow). (A, B, D, E, G, H, 5X magnification) (C, F, I, 20X magnification).
Fig 4.
± standard error of element composition of calcified granulomas (expressed as weight percentages [Wt%]) by scanning–electron microscopy (SEM) in treated NCC pigs at 4, 8, and 12 months. Abbreviations: CK (carbon); OK (oxygen); NaK (sodium); MgK (magnesium); PK (phosphorus); CaK (calcium). Bars represent means and whiskers represent standard errors. * indicates P < 0.05 for comparisons by post-treatment time points.