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Blastocystis spp.: frequency and subtype distribution in iron deficiency anemic versus non-anemic subjects from Egypt

Hala K El Deeb1, Seham Khodeer

  • 1Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. kamal_hala@hotmail.com

The Journal of Parasitology
|February 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Blastocystis sp. infection is linked to iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This study confirmed a higher prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in IDA patients, but found no specific genotype association with the condition.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Parasitology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is often linked to helminthic and protozoal infections.
  • The association between Blastocystis sp. infection and IDA is not well-established.
  • Blastocystis sp. is a common intestinal protozoan parasite.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in patients with IDA.
  • To determine the association between Blastocystis sp. infection and IDA.
  • To analyze the correlation between Blastocystis sp. genotypes and IDA.

Main Methods:

  • Examined 206 stool samples from 96 IDA cases and 110 non-anemic controls.
  • Used PCR amplification with subtype-specific primers to identify Blastocystis sp. genotypes.
  • Compared parasite prevalence and genotype distribution between IDA and control groups.

Main Results:

  • Blastocystis sp. prevalence was significantly higher in the IDA group (54.2%) compared to controls (17.3%).
  • Overall prevalence of Blastocystis sp. was 34.5%.
  • Subtype 3 (83.3%) and subtype 1 (16.7%) were the most common genotypes, with similar prevalence in both groups, indicating no genotype-IDA correlation.

Conclusions:

  • A significant relationship exists between Blastocystis sp. infection and iron deficiency anemia.
  • The study did not find a correlation between specific Blastocystis sp. genotypes and the occurrence of IDA.

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