Species typing of Cuban Trichomonas vaginalis virus by RT-PCR, and association of TVV-2 with high parasite adhesion levels and high pathogenicity in patients.
The viral infection of the parasite with T. vaginalis virus (TVV) may have important implications for trichomonal virulence. In this study we identified the TVV species isolated from Cuban T. vaginalis, using specie specific Reverse Transcriptase-PCR. Of the 37 clinical isolates studied, 21 were infected with TVV, 6 contained TVV-1, 12, TVV- 2 and 3 were co-infected with TVV-1 and -2. The strains infected with TVV showing highest adhesion level in comparison to not infected strains, with high statistical significance. The strains infected only with TVV-2 showing highest adhesion level in comparison to strains infected with TVV-1, with high statistical significance. The parasites classified as mild symptomatic are infected only with TVV-1, however the severe only with TVV-2. According to our results, it seems that only two TVV species are infecting the Cuban isolates. Further studies using higher number of strains should be conducted in order to corroborate these results.
Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí", Autopista Novia del Mediodía km 61/2, Apartado Postal 601, Marianao 13, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. fraga@ipk.sld.cu
Jorge
J
Fraga
Lazara
L
Rojas
Idalia
I
Sariego
Aymé
A
Fernández-Calienes
Fidel Angel
FA
Nuñez
D000293:Adolescent; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003462:Cuba; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D058889:Molecular Typing; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D019196:Totiviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000469:parasitology; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence