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Resistance to lysis by human serum of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica

S L Reed, P G Sargeaunt, A I Braude

    Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
    |January 1, 1983
    PubMed

    Insights

    Pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica strains, unlike non-pathogenic ones, are resistant to human serum lysis. This resistance may be a key factor in the parasite

    Area of Science:

    • Medical Microbiology
    • Parasitology
    • Immunology

    Background:

    • Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite responsible for amoebiasis.
    • Pathogenic strains cause invasive disease, including amoebic liver abscess.
    • Understanding virulence factors is crucial for controlling amoebiasis.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To compare the susceptibility of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica strains to human serum lysis.
    • To investigate the potential role of serum resistance as a virulence factor.

    Main Methods:

    • Characterization of Entamoeba histolytica strains into zymodemes.
    • Testing susceptibility to lysis by human sera under identical conditions.

    Main Results:

    • Non-pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica strains were uniformly susceptible to serum lysis.
    • Nine of 11 pathogenic strains, including those from liver abscesses, were resistant to lysis.
    • Resistance to complement-mediated lysis was observed in most pathogenic strains.

    Conclusions:

    • Resistance to complement-mediated lysis appears to be an inherent property of most pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica strains.
    • Serum resistance may be a necessary virulence factor for parasite dissemination and invasive disease.

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