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A possible link between subtype 2 and asymptomatic infections of Blastocystis hominis

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Abstract

Blastocystis hominis is one of the most common eukaryotic organisms in the intestinal tract of humans, while its pathogenic potential is still controversial. A total of 286 stool samples obtained from adult and pediatric patients with or without gastrointestinal symptoms in two hospitals in Manisa, Turkey, were cultured to detect B. hominis infection. Forty-one and 51 isolates were obtained from the adults and children, respectively, and these isolates were subjected to subtyping by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the known sequence-tagged site primers. The correlation between the genotype and the symptoms was evaluated. PCR subtyping indicated that subtype 3 was the most common genotype in both symptomatic and asymptomatic groups, and the second common genotype was subtypes 1 and 2 in symptomatic and asymptomatic groups, respectively. A significant correlation between subtype 2 and the asymptomatic groups was found among both in pediatric and adult patients (χ 2 cal = 4.38, df = 1, p = 0.044). However, there were no significant differences between the other genotypes and the symptomatic or asymptomatic groups, as well as both the age and sex of the patients. The present study suggests that subtype 2 is a non-pathogenic genotype of B. hominis.

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Acknowledgment

A part of this study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research to H. Y. (B-17406007) and also was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (281-2245/2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Funda Dogruman-Al

  2. Department of Parasitology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey

    Hande Dagci

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Nara Women’s University, Kitauoya-Nishimachi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan

    Hisao Yoshikawa

  4. Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Celal Bayar University, Muradiye Kampusu, 45140, Manisa, Turkey

    Özgur Kurt

  5. International Pediatric Hospital, Ministry of Health’s Manisa Moris Sinasi, Manisa, Turkey

    Mete Demirel

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  1. Funda Dogruman-Al
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  2. Hande Dagci
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  3. Hisao Yoshikawa
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  4. Özgur Kurt
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  5. Mete Demirel
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Correspondence to Hisao Yoshikawa.

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Dogruman-Al, F., Dagci, H., Yoshikawa, H. et al. A possible link between subtype 2 and asymptomatic infections of Blastocystis hominis . Parasitol Res 103, 685–689 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1031-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1031-3

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