Isolation and axenization of Giardia lamblia isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in Mexico

Infection of the small intestine of humans with the parasitic protozoan Giardia lamblia may have an asymptomatic course, or else, may produce acute or chronic diarrhea. In order to establish if the different clinical outcome of giardiasis in children could be due, at least partially, to strain differences, isolates from asymptomatic and symptomatic cases studied in Mexico City during 1986 and 1987 were cultured under axenic conditions. With modifications of available methods for the isolation of G. lamblia from cysts in stools, we obtained 19 axenic isolates: 5 from symptomatic patients and 14 from asymptomatic cyst carriers. The isolation procedure involved: (1) concentration and cleaning of cysts through centrifugation in sucrose gradients; (2) excystment induction in acid solution; (3) culture in modified TYI-S-33 medium, and (4) axenization of isolates using ceftriaxone and Amphotericin B. Results indicate that isolates from carriers and from symptomatic cases of giardiasis are equally amenable to isolation and axenization. The Giardia isolates obtained are being studied to analyze differences in isoenzyme pattern, antigenicity, and molecular markers.