PCR-based subtyping of Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in a major hospital in Ankara, Turkey.
The stool samples obtained from 94 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and 109 asymptomatic individuals, who checked in due to other reasons, admitted at a major hospital in Ankara, Turkey were examined with native Lugol's iodine, trichrome, and Kinyoun's acid-fast stainings for parasitology examinations and with in vitro culture method for detection of Blastocystis. In a total of 203 stool samples tested, native Lugol's iodine and trichrome stainings could detect 12 (5.9%) and 20 (9.9%) positive samples for Blastocystis, respectively. Conversely, culture method could detect 66 (32.5%) positive samples, and this method was more sensitive compared to the both microscopic examinations (p < 0.001). Among 66 positive samples for Blastocystis, 27 were from symptomatic patients and 39 were from asymptomatic group. Subtypes (STs) were determined by PCR using seven different sequence-tagged site primers. ST3 was the most dominant in both symptomatic and asymptomatic groups and followed by ST1 or ST2. There were mixed infections with STs 1 and 2 or STs 1 and 3 in nine isolates. There was no statistical significance of the distribution of Blastocystis sp. subtypes between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals (p > 0.05).
Department of Medical Microbiology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey.
Funda
F
Dogruman-Al
Hisao
H
Yoshikawa
Semra
S
Kustimur
Neriman
N
Balaban
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016844:Blastocystis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014421:Turkey
D017931:DNA Primers