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Subtype analysis of Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic patients in Egypt

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Abstract

Blastocystis sp. has been described as the most common intestinal parasite in humans and has an increased impact in public health. To improve our understanding of the molecular epidemiology of this human-emerging parasite, we determined the Blastocystis subtypes (STs) and their relative frequency in Egyptian patients living in or in the vicinity of Cairo and presenting gastrointestinal symptoms. We obtained a total of 20 stool samples identified as positive for Blastocystis by microscopic examination of smears. Genotyping using partial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene analysis identified a total of 21 Blastocystis isolates corresponding to 19 single infections and one mixed infection (ST1 and ST3). Three STs were identified: ST3 was the most common ST in the present Egyptian population (61.90%) followed by ST1 (19.05%) and ST2 (19.05%). Together with previous studies carried out in different areas in Egypt, a total of five STs (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, and ST6) have been found in symptomatic patients. These data were compared to those available in the literature, and we underlined variations observed in the number and relative proportions of STs between and within countries. On the whole, it seemed that Blastocystis infection is likely not associated with specific STs even if some STs are predominant in the epidemiologic studies, but rather with a conjunction of factors in the course of infection including environmental risk and parasite and host factors.

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Acknowledgments

This work was developed in the framework of EA3609 scientific program (French Ministry of Research) and supported by the Institut Pasteur de Lille, the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the Université Lille Nord de France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inserm, U547, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Université Lille Nord de France, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP 245, 59019, Lille cedex, France

    Laetitia Souppart, Amandine Cian, Giovanna Sanciu & Eric Viscogliosi

  2. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, El-Manial, Cairo, Egypt

    Hanaa Moussa

  3. UMR CNRS 6023, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, BP 10448, 63177, Aubière cedex, France

    Philippe Poirier, Hicham El Alaoui & Frederic Delbac

  4. Blastocystis Research Foundation, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA

    Kenneth Boorom

  5. Laboratoire d’Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609), and Faculté de Médecine, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire and Institut Pasteur de Lille, Université Lille Nord de France, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP 245, 59019, Lille cedex, France

    Laurence Delhaes & Eduardo Dei-Cas

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  1. Laetitia Souppart
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  2. Hanaa Moussa
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  3. Amandine Cian
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  4. Giovanna Sanciu
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  7. Frederic Delbac
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  8. Kenneth Boorom
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  9. Laurence Delhaes
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  11. Eric Viscogliosi
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Correspondence to Eric Viscogliosi.

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Souppart, L., Moussa, H., Cian, A. et al. Subtype analysis of Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic patients in Egypt. Parasitol Res 106, 505–511 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1693-5

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