title: Blastocystis subtyping and its association with intestinal parasites in children from different geographical regions of Colombia.
abstract: Blastocystis is a common enteric protist colonizing probably more than 1 billion people with a large variety of non-human hosts. Remarkable genetic diversity has been observed, leading to the subdivision of the genus into multiple subtypes (ST), some of which are exclusively found in non-human hosts. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of Blastocystis STs/18S alleles in symptomatic (abdominal pain, anal pruritus, diarrhea, headache, nauseas and/or vomit) and asymptomatic children from nine geographical regions of Colombia. A total of 2026 fecal samples were collected as part of a national survey to estimate the frequency of intestinal parasites in children. A set of 256 samples that were Blastocystis positive was finally selected. The samples were submitted to DNA extraction, Real Time PCR and sequencing using Blastocystis-specific primers targeting the small subunit rRNA gene for ST identification. DNA of Ascaris lumbricoides (16.4%), Trichuris trichiura (8.2%), hookworms (Necator americanus/Ancylostoma duodenale) (7.3%), Giardia duodenalis (23.1%), Entamoeba complex (82%), Entamoeba coli (55%), Hymenolepis nana (0.8%), Endolimax nana (33.2%) and Neobalantidium coli (2.7%) was detected in the Blastocystis-positive samples. We detected ST1 (21.4%), ST2 (19.5%), ST3 (55.5%), ST4 (0.8%), ST6 (2%) and ST7 (0.8%); alleles 1, 2, 4, 81, 82 and 83 for ST1; alleles 9, 11, 12, 15, 67, 71 and 73 for ST2; alleles 34, 36, 38, 45, 49, 55, 134 and 128 for ST3; allele 42 for ST4; allele 122 for ST6, and allele 142 for ST7. Further studies implementing high-resolution molecular markers are necessary to understand the dynamics of Blastocystis transmission and the role of this Stramenopila in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas - UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá - Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan David
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1344-9312
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá - Colombia.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flórez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá - Colombia.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivera
authors.affiliation: Programa profesional de Biología, Grupo de Investigación en Parasitología y Microbiología tropical - GIPAMT, Universidad Incca de Colombia, Bogotá - Colombia.
authors.forename: María Consuelo
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.affiliation: Programa profesional de Biología, Grupo de Investigación en Parasitología y Microbiología tropical - GIPAMT, Universidad Incca de Colombia, Bogotá - Colombia.
authors.forename: Julio Cesar
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Giraldo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D016844:Blastocystis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D062306:Geography, Medical; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021521:Ribotyping; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S