Entamoeba histolytica autochthonous isolates from mentally retarded Italian patients.
A total of 77 mentally retarded male inpatients residing in a psychiatric institution in northern Italy were screened for the presence of stool parasites, Entamoeba histolytica particularly. Parasitological stool examination showed Entamoeba spp. (E. histolytica and/or E. dispar) in 26 cases (33.7%). In vitro culture on Robinson's medium was positive in 16 cases (61.1%); in 11 cases we could stabilize and clone the isolates and proceed to electrophoretic assays. In all cases, patterns of pathogenic zymodemes were found (zymodeme II, 3 isolates; zymodeme XII, 4 isolates; zymodeme XIV, 4 isolates). All isolates were therefore identified as E. histolytica.
Gatti
S
S
Laboratory of Clinical Parasitology, University-IRCCS, S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Cevini
C
C
Marchi
L
L
Novati
S
S
Scaglia
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004404:Dysentery, Amebic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004747:Entamoeba / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000032:analysis; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007558:Italy; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D010733:Phosphoglucomutase / Q000032:analysis
D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase; D006593:Hexokinase; D010733:Phosphoglucomutase