Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular epidemiology of human Blastocystis isolates in France

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Blastocystis sp. is the most common eukaryotic parasite in the intestinal tract of humans. Due to its strong impact in public health, in this study, we determined the frequency of different Blastocystis subtypes in patients in France. We hypothesized on the mode of transmission and tested a possible relationship between the subtype and symptomatic status. We obtained a total of 40 stool samples identified as positive for Blastocystis by microscopic examination of smears. Participants consisted of 25 symptomatic and 15 asymptomatic patients, for whom clinical and parasitological data were collected. For nested-polymerase chain reaction and genotyping, DNA was extracted directly from fecal samples or from fecal cultures. Morphological forms observed in fecal cultures were uncorrelated with symptomatic status. Genotyping using partial small subunit rRNA gene analysis identified a total of 43 Blastocystis isolates corresponding to 37 single infections and three mixed infections by two different subtypes. These 43 isolates belonged to five subtypes (1, 2, 3, 4, and 7) with predominance of subtype 3 (53.5%). Patient symptomatic status was uncorrelated with Blastocystis subtype.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abe N (2004) Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis isolates from various hosts. Vet Parasitol 120:235–242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Abe N, Nagoshi M, Takami K, Sawano Y, Yoshikawa H (2002) A survey of Blastocystis sp. in livestock, pets, and zoo animals in Japan. Vet Parasitol 106:203–212

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Abe N, Wu Z, Yoshikawa H (2003) Zoonotic genotypes of Blastocystis hominis detected in cattle and pigs by PCR with diagnostic primers and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Parasitol Res 90:124–128

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Altschul SF, Madden TL, Schäffer AA, Zhang J, Zhang Z, Miller W, Lipman DJ (1997) Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs. Nucleic Acids Res 25:3389–3402

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arisue N, Hashimoto T, Yoshikawa H (2003) Sequence heterogeneity of the small subunit ribosomal RNA genes among Blastocystis isolates. Parasitology 126:1–9

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Böhm-Gloning B, Knobloch J, Walderich B (1997) Five subgroups of Blastocystis hominis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients revealed by restriction site analysis of PCR-amplified 16 S-like rDNA. Trop Med Int Health 2:117–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boorom KF, Smith H, Nimri L, Viscogliosi E, Spanakos G, Parkar U, Li LH, Zhou XN, Ok UZ, Leelayoova S, Jones MS (2008) Oh my aching gut: irritable bowel syndrome, Blastocystis, and asymptomatic infection. BMC Parasit Vectors 1:40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark CG (1997) Extensive genetic diversity in Blastocystis hominis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 87:79–86

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dogruman-Al F, Dragci H, Yoshikawa H, Kurt Ö, Demirel M (2008) A possible link between subtype 2 and asymptomatic infections of Blastocystis hominis. Parasitol Res 103:685–689

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Giacometti A, Cirioni O, Fiorentini A, Fortuna M, Scalise G (1999) Irritable bowel syndrome in patients with Blastocystis hominis infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 18:436–439

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoevers J, Holman P, Logan K, Hommel M, Ashford R, Snowden K (2000) Restriction-fragment-length polymorphism analysis of small subunit rRNA genes of Blastocystis hominis isolates from geographically diverse human hosts. Parasitol Res 86:57–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter PR, Hughes S, Woodhouse S, Syed Q, Verlander NQ, Chalmers RM, Morgan K, Nichols G, Beeching N, Osborn K (2004) Sporadic cryptosporidiosis case-control study with genotyping. Emerg Inf Dis 10:1241–1249

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussein EM, Hussein AM, Eida MM, Atwa MM (2008) Pathophysiological variability of different genotypes of human Blastocystis hominis Egyptian isolates in experimentally infected rats. Parasitol Res 102:853–860

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Init I, Mak JW, Lokman HS, Yong HS (1999) Strain differences in Blastocystis isolates as detected by a single set of polymerase chain reaction primers. Parasitol Res 85:131–134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones WR (1946) The experimental infection of rats with Entamoeba hystolitica with a method for evaluating the anti-amoeboic properties of new compounds. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 40:130–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones MS, Whipps CM, Ganac RD, Hudson NR, Boroom K (2009) Association of Blastocystis subtype 3 and 1 with patients from an Oregon community presenting with chronic gastrointestinal illness. Parasitol Res 104:341–345

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaneda Y, Horiki N, Cheng XJ, Fujita Y, Maruyama M, Tachibana H (2001) Ribodemes of Blastocystis hominis isolated in Japan. Am J Trop Med Hyg 65:393–396

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katsarou-Katsari A, Vassalos CM, Tzanetou K, Spanakos G, Papadopoulou C, Vakalis N (2008) Acute urticaria associated with amoeboid forms of Blastocystis sp. subtype 3. Acta Derm Venereol 88:80–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leelayoova S, Siripattanapipong S, Thathaisong U, Naaglor T, Taamasri P, Piyaraj P, Mungthin M (2008) Drinking water: a possible source of Blastocystis spp. subtype 1 infection in schoolchildren of a rural community in central Thailand. Am J Trop Med Hyg 79:401–406

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li LH, Zhang XP, Shan L, Yoshikawa H, Zhiliang W, Steinmann P, Utzinger J, Tong XM, Chen SH, Zhou XN (2007a) Cross-sectional surveys and subtype classification of human Blastocystis isolates from four epidemiological settings in China. Parasitol Res 102:83–90

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li LH, Zhou XN, Du ZW, Wang XZ, Wang LB, Jiang JY, Yoshikawa H, Steinmann P, Utzinger J, Wu Z, Chen JX, Chen SH, Zhang L (2007b) Molecular epidemiology of human Blastocystis in a village in Yunnan province, China. Parasitol Int 56:281–286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Menounos PG, Spanako G, Tegos N, Vassalos CM, Papadopoulou C, Vakalis C (2007) Direct detection of Blastocystis sp. in human faecal samples and subtype assignment using single strand conformational polymorphism and sequencing. Mol Cell Probes 22:24–29

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moe KT, Singh M, Howe J, Ho LC, Tan SW, Ng GC, Chen XQ, Yap EH (1996) Observations on the ultrastructure and viability of the cystic stage of Blastocystis hominis from human feces. Parasitol Res 82:439–444

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noël C, Peyronnet C, Gerbod D, Edgcomb VP, Delgado-Viscogliosi P, Sogin ML, Capron M, Viscogliosi E, Zenner L (2003) Phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis isolates from different hosts based on the comparison of small-subunit rRNA gene sequences. Mol Biochem Parasitol 126:119–123

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noël C, Dufernez F, Gerbod D, Edgcomb VP, Delgado-Viscogliosi P, Ho LC, Singh M, Wintjens R, Sogin ML, Capron M, Pierce R, Zenner L, Viscogliosi E (2005) Molecular phylogenies of Blastocystis isolates from different hosts: implications for genetic diversity, identification of species, and zoonosis. J Clin Microbiol 43:348–355

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Özyurt M, Kurt O, Molbak K, Nielsen HV, Haznedaroglu T, Stensvold CR (2008) Molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis infections in Turkey. Parasitol Int 57:300–306

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parkar U, Traub RJ, Kumar S, Mungthin M, Vitali S, Leelayoova S, Morris K, Thompson RCA (2007) Direct characterization of Blastocystis from faeces by PCR and evidence of zoonotic potential. Parasitology 134:359–367

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rivera WL (2008) Phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis isolates from animal and human hosts in the Philippines. Vet Parasitol 156:178–182

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rivera WL, Tan MAV (2005) Molecular characterization of Blastocystis isolates in the Philippines by riboprinting. Parasitol Res 96:253–257

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salim HR, Kumar GS, Vellayan S, Mak JW, Anuar AK, Init I, Vennila GD, Saminathan R, Ramakrishnan K (1999) Blastocystis in animal handlers. Parasitol Res 85:1032–1033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scicluna SM, Tawari B, Clark CG (2006) DNA barcoding of Blastocystis. Protist 157:77–85

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stark D, van Hal S, Marriott D, Elis J, Harkness J (2007) Irritable bowel syndrome: a review on the role of intestinal protozoa and the importance of their detection and diagnosis. Int J Parasitol 37:11–20

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stensvold CR, Brillowska-Dabrowska A, Nielsen HV, Arendrup MC (2006) Detection of Blastocystis hominis in unpreserved stool specimens by using polymerase chain reaction. J Parasitol 92:1081–1087

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stensvold CR, Arendrup MC, Jespersgaard C, Molbak K, Nielsen HV (2007a) Detecting Blastocystis using parasitologic and DNA-based methods: a comparative study. Diag Microbiol Infect Dis 59:303–307

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stensvold CR, Suresh GK, Tan KSW, Thompson RCA, Traub RJ, Viscogliosi E, Yoshikawa H, Clark CG (2007b) Terminology for Blastocystis subtypes-a consensus. Trends Parasitol 23:93–96

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stensvold CR, Nielsen HV, Mølbak K, Smith HV (2009a) Pursuing the clinical significance of Blastocystis—diagnostic limitations. Trends Parasitol 25:23–29

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stensvold CR, Alfellani MA, Nørskov-Lauritsen S, Prip K, Victory EL, Maddox C, Nielsen HV, Clark CG (2009b) Subtype distribution of Blastocystis isolates from synanthropic and zoo animals and identification of a new subtype. Int J Parasitol 39:473–479

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stenzel DJ, Boreham PFL (1996) Blastocystis hominis revisited. Clin Microbiol Rev 9:563–584

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suresh K, Smith HV, Tan TC (2005) Viable Blastocystis cysts in Scottish and Malaysian sewage samples. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:5619–5620

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan KSW (2004) Blastocystis in humans and animals: new insights using modern methodologies. Vet Parasitol 126:121–144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan KSW (2008) New insights on classification, identification, and clinical relevance of Blastocystis spp. Clin Microbiol Rev 21:639–665

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan TC, Suresh KG (2006) Predominance of amoeboid forms of Blastocystis hominis in isolates from symptomatic patients. Parasitol Res 98:189–193

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan KSW, Singh M, Yap EH (2002) Recent advances in Blastocystis hominis research: hot spots in terra incognita. Int J Parasitol 32:789–804

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan TC, Suresh KG, Smith HV (2008) Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Blastocystis hominis isolates implicates subtype 3 as a subtype with pathogenic potential. Parasitol Res 104:85–93

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong KHS, Ng GC, Lin RTP, Yoshikawa H, Taylor MB, Tan KSW (2008) Predominance of subtype 3 among Blastocystis isolates from a major hospital in Singapore. Parasitol Res 102:663–670

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao L, Fayer R, Ryan U, Upton SJ (2004) Cryptosporidium taxonomy: recent advances and implications for public health. Clin Microbiol Rev 17:72–97

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yakoob J, Jafri W, Jafir N, Khan R, Islam M, AsimBeg M, Zaman V (2004) Irritable bowel syndrome: in search of an etiology: role of Blastocystis hominis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 70:383–385

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yan Y, Su S, Lai R, Liao H, Ye J, Li X, Luo X, Chen G (2006) Genetic variability of Blastocystis isolates in China. Parasitol Res 99:597–601

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yan Y, Su S, Ye J, Lai X, Lai R, Liao H, Chen G, Zhang R, Hou Z, Luo X (2007) Blastocystis sp. subtype 5: a possibly zoonotic genotype. Parasitol Res 101:1527–1532

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshikawa H, Nagono I, Yap EP, Singh M, Takahashi Y (1996) DNA polymorphism revealed by arbitrary primers polymerase chain reaction among Blastocystis strains isolated from humans, a chicken and a reptile. J Eukaryot Microbiol 43:127–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshikawa H, Nagano I, Wu Z, Yap EH, Singh M, Takahashi Y (1998) Genomic polymorphism among Blastocystis hominis strains and development of subtype-specific diagnostic primers. Mol Cell Probes 12:153–159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshikawa H, Wu Z, Nagano I, Takahashi Y (2003) Molecular comparative studies among Blastocystis isolates obtained from humans and animals. J Parasitol 89:585–594

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshikawa H, Wu Z, Kimata I, Iseki M, Ali IKMD, Hossain MB, Zaman V, Haque R, Takahashi Y (2004) Polymerase chain reaction-based genotype classification among human Blastocystis hominis populations isolated from different countries. Parasitol Res 92:22–29

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshikawa H, Wu Z, Pandey K, Pandey BD, Sherchand JB, Yanagi T, Kanbara H (2009) Molecular characterization of Blastocystis isolates from children and rhesus monkeys in Kathmandu, Nepal. Vet Parasitol 16:295–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Qiao JY, Zhou XJ, Yao FR, Wei ZC (2007) Morphology and reproductive mode of Blastocystis hominis in diarrhea and in vitro. Parasitol Res 101:43–51

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

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. The authors thank Jean-Michel Dewitte, Agnès Perus, and Emmanuel Dutoit from the Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille for their help in collecting stool samples and microscopic identification of Blastocystis.

Author information

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, Giovanna Sanciu, Amandine Cian, Monique Capron & Eric Viscogliosi

  2. Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal, Avenue des Landais, 63177, Aubière Cedex, France

    Ivan Wawrzyniak & Frederic Delbac

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

    Eduardo Dei-Cas & Laurence Delhaes

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

    Kenneth Boorom

Authors
  1. Laetitia Souppart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanna Sanciu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amandine Cian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ivan Wawrzyniak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frederic Delbac
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Monique Capron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Eduardo Dei-Cas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kenneth Boorom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Laurence Delhaes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Eric Viscogliosi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric Viscogliosi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Souppart, L., Sanciu, G., Cian, A. et al. Molecular epidemiology of human Blastocystis isolates in France. Parasitol Res 105, 413–421 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1398-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1398-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation