title: Discrimination of Entamoeba Spp. in children with dysentery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was performed in order to differentiate E. histolytica and E. dispar in children from Gorgan city, using a PCR method.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Differential detection of two morphologically indistinguishable protozoan parasites Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar has a great clinical and epidemiological importance because of potential invasive pathogenic E. histolytica and non-invasive parasite E. dispar.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and five dysentery samples were collected from children hospitalized in Taleghani hospital in Gorgan city. The fecal specimens were examined by light microscopy (10X then 40X) to distinguish Entamoeba complex. A single round PCR amplifying partial small-subunit rRNA gene was performed on positive microscopy samples to differentiate E. histolytica/ E. dispar and E. moshkovskii from each other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five specimens (23.8%) were positive for Enramoeba complex in direct microscopic examination. PCR using positive controls indicated E. histolytica and E. dispar in two (2/25, 8%) and three (3/25, 12%) samples, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a warrant to performing molecular diagnosis for stool examination at least in hospitalized children in order to prevent incorrect reports from laboratories and consequently mistreating by physicians.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran ; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharbatkhori
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Liver Disease Research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Diseases, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cheraghali
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh Soghra
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Maghsoodloorad
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Heshmatolla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taherkhani
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vakili
keywords: Entamoeba dispar; Entamoeba histolytica; Gorgan; Iran; PCR; children; dysentery