title: Human intestinal spirochaetosis in Parma: a focus on a selected population during 2002-2005.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human intestinal spirochaetosis (HIS) is a large bowel infection characterised by the colonization of the intestinal mucosa by spirochaetes belonging to the genus Brachyspira. The causative agents of HIS are Brachyspira aalborgi and Brachyspirapilosicoli. Symptoms of the infection, even if not specific, are long standing diarrhoea, abdominal pain, meteorism and rectal bleeding and sometimes they can suggest the clinical suspect of inflammatory bowel diseases or rectal carcinoma. Since poor data were available on the prevalence of this infection, the aim of our study was to describe the occurrence of this infection in our area in the period 2002-2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a period of 4 years we analysed 297 faecal samples from 99 patients selected by potential risk factors and symptomatology suspected for HIS. The diagnosis of HIS was performed by isolation and a molecular assay based on 16S rDNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2002 to 2005 we detected 12 cases of intestinal spirochaetosis, 7 caused by Brachyspira aalborgi, 4 by Brachyspirapilosicoli and one by both spirochaetes, which represented the first case of a mixed infection by 2 intestinal spirochaetes in our area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the fact that HIS seems to be a low prevalence infection in our area, in a strongly selected population we found 12 cases of this infection (12.12%). These results stimulate us to extend the research of intestinal spirochaetosis in the general population, when long standing gastrointestinal disorders and potential risk factors are present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peruzzi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorrini
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccolo
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calderaro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dettori
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chezzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013144:Spirochaetales / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013145:Spirochaetales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial