1. Physical Fitness, Growth and Appetite of Kenyan
School Boys with Hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris
lumbricoides Infections Are Improved Four Months After a Single
Dose of Albendazole
Hypothesis
To compare the treatment of Albendazole with Albendazole group and Placebos
group for 4 months in Kenyan school boys infected by geohelminths that differ significantly
about Physical Fitness, Growth and Appetite. It expected that Albendazole group will
increase about Physical Fitness, Growth, Appetite and lowering worm burden.
Characteristic of variables
Independent Variable: Kenyan school boys infection with Hookworm, Trichuris trichiura
and Ascaris lumbricoides, 600 mg single dose Albendazole
Dependent Variable: Physical Fitness, Growth, Appetite and Worm burden
Control variables: Albendazole group and Placebos group, Timing
Literature Review
This paper already had literature review, but it did not mention about life cycle of each
geohelminth and albendazole. Therefore we need to review by ourselves about background
information of these geohelminths and albendazole.
In 1990, we reported that Kenyan school boys with relatively high hookworm and
Trichuris trichiura egg counts and Ascaris lumbricoides infection exhibited low physical
fitness scores with the Harvard Step Test, but that fitness improved markedly, when
compared with a placebo group, 7 wk after receiving a standard 400 mg dose of albendazole
(Stephenson et al.1990). We also found smaller but significant improvements in fitness scores
3 mo after treatment of undernourished Indonesian primary school boys and girls infected
mainly with Ascaris and Trichuris, and with very light loads of hookworm (Totoprajogo
1989). Multivariate analyses showed that decrease in intensity of hookworm and Ascaris
infections in the Kenyan boys and decrease in intensity of Ascaris in the Indonesian children
explained much more of the improvements in fitness score than did Trichuris egg counts,
which did not change significantly in Kenyan boys and decreased in Indonesian children but
still left 80% of subjects infected.
Trichuris trichiura
Whipworms live in the large intestine and whipworm eggs are passed in the feces of infected
persons. If the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if
human feces as used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then mature into a

2. form that is infective. Whipworm infection is caused by ingesting eggs. This can happen
when hands or fingers that have contaminated dirt on them are put in the mouth or by
consuming vegetables or fruits that have not been carefully cooked, washed or peeled.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/whipworm/
Hookworm
Hookworms live in the small intestine. Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected
person. If the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) of if the
feces of an infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then
mature and hatch, releasing larvae (immature worms). The larvae mature into a form that can
penetrate the skin of humans. Hookworm infection is mainly acquired by walking barefoot on
contaminated soil. One kind of hookworm can also be transmitted through the ingestion of
larvae.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/
Ascaris lumbricoides
Ascaris lives in the intestine and Ascaris eggs are passed in the feces of infected persons. If
the infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the feces of an
infected person are used as fertilizer, eggs are deposited on soil. They can then mature into a
form that is infective. Ascariasis is caused by ingesting eggs. This can happen when hands or
fingers that have contaminated dirt on them are put in the mouth or by consuming vegetables
or fruits that have not been carefully cooked, washed or peeled.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/
Albendazole
Albendazole is found to inhibit the polymerization o the parasite tubulin into microtubules.
There is a higher affinity of albendazole to the parasite tubulin and so the activity is mediated
mainly against the parasite rather than on the host. The loss of the cytoplamic microtubules
leads to impaired uptake of glucose by the larval and adults stages of the parasites. The worm
is then unable to maintain energy production, which leads to immobilization and eventual
death (Dayan, 2003). A secondary action of albendazole may be the be the inhibition of the
enzyme fumarate reducatase, which is helminth-specific (PharmGKB).
http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2005/Albendazole/index.htm