title: Direct amplification and genotyping of Dientamoeba fragilis from human stool specimens.
abstract: Dientamoeba fragilis is a globally occurring parasite that has been recognized as a causative agent of gastrointestinal symptoms. A single-round PCR was developed to detect D. fragilis DNA directly from human stool samples. The genetic diversity of D. fragilis from 93 patients and 6 asymptomatic carriers was examined by PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of part of the small-subunit rRNA gene. The data show that D. fragilis sequences can be studied directly from fecal specimens despite the absence of a cyst stage and without the need for prior culturing. In addition, the results suggest strongly that D. fragilis shows remarkably little variation in its small-subunit rRNA gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.peek@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: Freek R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Reedeker
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Gool
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004029:Dientamoeba / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004030:Dientamoebiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan