Abstract
To investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis in diarrhea patients and healthy individuals in Corum, Türkiye, fecal samples from 92 diarrhea patients and 50 healthy individuals were collected and evaluated using direct microscopy and molecular methods to screen for bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The prevalence of Blastocystis was 24.6% in total and more frequent in the healthy group (30.0%). The commonly detected STs (subtypes) were ST3 (40.0%) and ST2 (34.2%). The distribution of Blastocystis STs in the healthy and diarrheal groups did not show any difference in sex and age, but ST3 was detected more frequently in patients aged from 40 to 59 years (p < 0.05). Alleles 4 (8/12) and 2 (4/12) were present in ST1; 9 (3/5) and 12 (2/5) in ST2; 34 (9/14), 36 (3/14), and 38 (2/14) in ST3; and only allele 42 (2/2) in ST4. D. fragilis was present in 8.4% of the population. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the healthy and diarrheic groups (12.0% and 6.5%, respectively), neither with respect to age nor sex. Co-infection was 58.3% and was more frequent in healthy individuals (33.3%) than in diarrhea patients (25.0%). Blastocystis ST3 was the most common subtype detected, with D. fragilis at 33.3%. Salmonella, Shigella, or helminth eggs were not observed in all groups, but Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium, Rotavirus, Adenovirus, and Clostridium difficile toxin were found only in diarrhea patients. These findings support the hypothesis that Blastocystis and D. fragilis may be part of the healthy human gut microbiome.
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Slides, samples, and DNAs are deposited in the Hitit University Research Laboratory. All data obtained from the study are given in the article. If it is needed, the data and materials of the study could be shared by the researchers after getting ethical approval.
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Funding
We thank Hitit University Scientific Research Projects Commission (Grant No: TIP19001.16.005), Gazi University Scientific Research Unit (Grant No: 01/2017-15), and TOBB University of Economics and Technology for their financial support.
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All authors reviewed the last version of the manuscript.
Ayşe Semra Gureser: secondary writer of the manuscript, text formatting, supervision to morphological study of parasites.
Djursun Karasartova: principal writer of the manuscript, supervision of molecular study of parasites.
Fakhiriddin Sarzhanov: molecular study of parasites.
Nezahat Kosar: specimen collection, morphological study of parasites.
Aysegul Taylan Ozkan: obtained funding, study supervision, manuscript review.
Funda Dogruman-Al: obtaining funding, study supervision, manuscript review.
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Gureser, A.S., Karasartova, D., Sarzhanov, F. et al. Prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis in diarrheal patients in Corum, Türkiye. Parasitol Res 122, 2977–2987 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07987-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07987-0