title: Molecular characterization of Cystoisospora belli and unizoite tissue cyst in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
abstract: Cystoisospora belli is a coccidian protozoan that can cause chronic diarrhoea, acalculous cholecystitis and cholangiopathy in AIDS patients. We applied molecular methods to identify Cystoisospora at species level in AIDS patients presenting with and without the presence of unizoites in lamina propria. Coprological and histological analyses were performed in stool and/or biopsy samples from 8 Cystoisospora-infected patients. DNA from the same samples was used to amplify 2 fragments of the SSU-rRNA gene and the ITS-1 region. Sequencing of the resulting amplicons identified C. belli infections in all cases, independent of the presence or absence of unizoite tissue cysts. Further work should be considered in order to find molecular targets related to strain variations in C. belli.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Municipal de Infecciosas Dr Francisco Javier Muñiz, Uspallata 2272, CP 1282 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge Néstor
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Velásquez
authors.forename: Germán Astudillo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Osvaldo
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Risio
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Etchart
authors.forename: Agustín Víctor
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Chertcoff
authors.forename: Gladys Elisabet
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Perissé
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carnevale
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan