title: Epidemiological survey of Blastocystis hominis in Huainan City, Anhui Province, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide scientific evidence for prevention and controlling of blastocystosis, the infection of Blastocystis homonis and to study its clinical significance in Huainan City, Anhui Province, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blastocystis homonis in fresh stools taken from 100 infants, 100 pupils, 100 middle school students and 403 patients with diarrhea was smeared and detected with method of iodine staining and hematoxylin staining. After preliminary direct microscopy, the shape and size of Blastocystis homonis were observed with high power lens. The cellular immune function of the patients with blastocystosis was detected with biotin-streptavidin (BSA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of Blastocystis homonis in fresh stools taken from the infants, pupils, middle school students and the patients with diarrhea, were 1.0 % (1/100), 1.0 % (1/100), 0 % (0/100) and 5.96 % (24/403) respectively. Furthermore, the positive rates of Blastocystis homonis in the stool samples taken from the patients with mild diarrhea, intermediate diarrhea, severe diarrhea and obstinate diarrhea were 6.03 % (14/232), 2.25 % (2/89), 0 % (0/17) and 12.31 % (8/65) respectively. The positive rates of Blastocystis homonis in fresh stools of male and female patients with diarrhea were 7.52 % (17/226) and 3.95 % (7/177) respectively, and those of patients in urban and rural areas were 4.56 % (11/241) and 8.02 % (13/162) respectively. There was no significant difference between them (P>0.05). The positive rates of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) in serum of Blastocystis homonis-positive and-negative individuals were 0.64+/-0.06, 0.44+/-0.06, 0.28+/-0.04 and 0.60+/-0.05, 0.40+/-0.05 and 0.30+/-0.05 respectively, and the ratio of CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) of the two groups were 1.53+/-0.34 and 1.27+/-0.22. There was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of Blastocystis hominis as an enteric pathogen in human seems not to be associated with gender and living environment, and that Blastocystis hominis is more common in stool samples of the patients with diarrhea, especially with chronic diarrhea or obstinate diarrhea. When patients with diarrhea infected by Blastocystis hominis, their cellular immune function decreases, which make it more difficult to be cured.
authors.affiliation: Department of Etiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Ke-Xia
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Bao
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016845:Blastocystis hominis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data