title: Multidrug resistance in amoebiasis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amoebiasis, caused by Entamoeba sp. a protozoan parasite, is a major public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries. The symptomatic patients are treated by specific chemotherapy. However, there are reports of treatment failure in some cases suggesting the possibility of drug resistance. The present study was therefore planned to assess the presence and expression of mRNA of multidrug resistance (MDR) gene in clinical isolates of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty five clinical isolates of Entamoeba sp. [E. histolytica (15) and E. dispar (30)] were maintained in polyxenic followed by monoxenic medium. DNA and total RNA were extracted from clinical isolates of Entamoeba sp. and from sensitive strain of E. histolytica (HM1: IMSS) and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 344 bp segment of E. histolytica DNA was seen by PCR using primers specific to EhPgp1 in all clinical isolates and sensitive strain of E. histolytica. Over expression of EhPgp1 was observed only in resistant mutant of E. histolytica; however, transcription of EhPgp1 was not seen in any clinical isolates and sensitive strain of E. histolytica.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study indicate that, so far, drug resistance in clinical isolates of E. histolytica does not seem to be a major problem in this country. However, susceptibility of clinical isolates of E. histolytica against various antiamoebic drugs needs to be investigated for better management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Devendra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sehgal
authors.forename: Yogesh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malla
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Mahajan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019450:Genes, MDR; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction