[Blastocystis spp. culturing as a method for diagnosing the parasite]

Area of Science:

• Medical Parasitology
• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology

Context:

• Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders are common, with protozoa like Blastocystis being potential causative agents.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis of protozoan infections is crucial for effective patient management.
• Existing diagnostic methods for Blastocystis have varying sensitivities and specificities.

Purpose:

• To assess the efficacy of different techniques for isolating and identifying Blastocystis parasites in clinical specimens.
• To compare the performance of native smear examination and Pavlova medium culture for Blastocystis detection.
• To investigate the in vitro growth characteristics and morphology of Blastocystis isolates.

Summary:

• The study examined 196 patients with GIT disorders and 56 with uncertain protozoological diagnoses.
• A combination of native smears, Pavlova medium inoculation, and permanent specimen microscopy was employed.
• Native smear tests achieved a 49.4% efficiency in Blastocystis isolation, compared to 34.8% for Pavlova medium culture.
• In vitro parasite development in culture did not exceed 52.9% among known infected individuals.
• Cultured Blastocystis exhibited amoeboid forms, often correlating with clinical symptoms, and displayed pleomorphism indicative of phenotypic variation.

Impact:

• Native smear examination is a more efficient routine diagnostic method for Blastocystis than culture.
• Further research into the morphofunctional and phylogenetic aspects of Blastocystis is warranted.
• Understanding Blastocystis pleomorphism is important for accurate parasite characterization and diagnosis.