title: Short-term in vitro culture and molecular analysis of the microsporidian, Enterocytozoon bieneusi.
abstract: The microsporidium, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, causes a severe, debilitating, chronic diarrhea in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Specific diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis, especially due to Enterocytozoon, is difficult and there is no known therapy that can completely eradicate this parasite. Preliminary studies indicate that a short term (about 6 months) in vitro culture of this parasite yielding low numbers of spores, may be established by inoculating human lung fibroblasts and/or monkey kidney cell cultures with duodenal aspirates and or biopsy from infected patients. The cultures may subsequently be used for the isolation and molecular analysis of parasite DNA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visvesvara
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Leitch
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Pieniazek
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Slemenda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gorelkin
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D008297:Male; D016816:Microsporida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal