Publications

chronic intermittent diarrhoea and fatigue.		2001	11676320
blastocystis hominis modulates immune responses and cytokine release in colonic epithelial cells.	an experimental in vitro model has been developed in order to determine whether blastocystis hominis is able to trigger inflammatory cytokine response in colonic epithelial cells. after 24 h incubation of b. hominis with the cell lines ht-29 and t-84, b. hominis cells were not able to cause cytopathic effects, but significant increases in the release of the cytokines il-8 and gm-csf could be observed. however, after the first 6 h of co-incubation, the production of il-8 was not increased in ht-2 ...	2001	11763434
blastocystis hominis.		2001	11788005
ordinary and opportunistic enteropathogens associated with diarrhea in senegalese adults in relation to human immunodeficiency virus serostatus.	a survey was conducted in dakar, senegal, to identify major types and prevalences of bacteria, parasites, fungi, and rotaviruses associated with diarrhea in relation to human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) serostatus with the goal to provide guidance to physicians for case management.	2001	11953215
[acute infectious lymphocytosis associated to giardia lamblia and blastocystis hominis coinfection].	acute infectious lymphocytosis is characterized by marked peripheral blood lymphocytosis, often associated with a mild, nonspecific febrile illness. we present a 4-year-old girl with acute infectious lymphocytosis associated with giardia lamblia and blastocystis hominis coinfection. analysis of peripheral lymphocyte markers showed overall proliferation of b and t cells with a reduction in the proportion of t cells, especially in the cd4t cell subpopulation. hematologic values returned to normal ...	2001	11333485
cryptosporidiosis in kuwaiti children: seasonality and endemicity.	to detect the incidence of cryptosporidial infection in children presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms at the local hospital in kuwait.	2001	11422253
blastocystis hominis: a common yet neglected human parasite.		2001	11440205
exposure of blastocystis species to a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody.	a recently described cytotoxic monoclonal antibody (mab 1d5) raised against blastocystis hominis isolate b, was tested for reactivity with 13 different isolates of blastocystis. the isolates used were previously isolated from humans, rats and reptiles and were maintained as axenised cultures throughout the course of this study. five b. hominis isolates (b, c, e, g and h) were found to react with mab 1d5 in immunoblotting studies and the indirect fluorescence antibody test. the pattern of fluores ...	2001	11484849
intestinal parasites in hiv-2 associated aids cases with chronic diarrhoea in guinea-bissau.	previous studies from african countries where hiv-1 infection is prevalent have shown that infections with cryptosporidium parvum, isospora belli and microsporidia are frequently associated with chronic diarrhoea in aids patients. the information about the occurrence of these parasites in hiv-2 associated aids cases with chronic diarrhoea is limited. we have performed a study of stool parasites in patients from guinea-bissau, the country with the highest prevalence of hiv-2 in the world. stool s ...	2001	11495643
blastocystis hominis: a new pathogen in day-care centres?		2001	11381629
morphology, histochemistry and infectivity of blastocystis hominis cyst.	different morphological forms of blastocystis hominis had been identified in human stool samples. these included both cystic and trophic stages. the latter was induced to encyst by keeping them in potassium dichromate solution for two weeks. suspected of being the infective stage, cysts were studied in more detail as regards their morphology using both light and electron microscopy. histochemistry and infectivity studies were also carried out. light microscopy revealed the cysts to be ovoid or r ...	2001	11478461
blastocystis hominis: evidence for caspase-3-like activity in cells undergoing programmed cell death.	we have shown previously that the human intestinal protozoan, blastocystis hominis, undergoes apoptosis-like programmed cell death (pcd) when exposed to a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody (mab), 1d5. in the present study, elisa and immunoblot assays employing chicken anti-cpp32 antibody suggest that caspase-3-like antigens exist in b. hominis. using colorimetric and flow cytometric assays for caspase-3 activity, we also observed an increase in activity between 1 h and 6 h after exposure to mab 1d5, ...	2001	11484854
multiyear prospective study of intestinal parasitism in a cohort of peace corps volunteers in guatemala.	we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in a cohort of 36 peace corps volunteers (pcvs) in guatemala to study the incidence and natural history of intestinal parasitic infections during the pcvs' >2-year overseas stay. pcvs collected stool specimens at least monthly and when ill with gastrointestinal symptoms. of the 1,168 specimens tested, 453 (38.8%) were positive for at least one parasite and 48 (4.1%) were positive for a pathogenic parasite. a median interval of 187 days (range, 14 to ...	2001	11136744
diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis using salivary iga antibody detection.	attempts were made to use soluble antigen extract of strain hk-9 of entamoeba histolytica to detect salivary iga antibodies in intestinal amebiasis patients by using elisa. total salivary samples of 109 individuals were divided into four groups. group i comprised 32 patients whose stools were positive only for e. histolytica cysts and/or trophozoites. group ii comprised 12 individuals whose stools were positive for e. histolytica and other intestinal parasites. group iii comprised 36 individuals ...	2001	12041582
ribodemes of blastocystis hominis isolated in japan.	to determine if genetic diversity of blastocystis hominis exists in japan, we monitored 64 b. hominis-infected people: 39 asymptomatic people whose infections were detected during routine medical check-ups (32 japanese and 7 non-japanese) and 25 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who visited the outpatient clinics of st. luke's international hospital (19 japanese and 6 non-japanese). we detected 6 known and 2 new riboprint patterns in isolates from the infected people. there were no differe ...	2001	11693890
programmed cell death in a human intestinal parasite, blastocystis hominis.	although programmed cell death (pcd) has been associated with multicellular organisms, there have been more reports of its presence in some protozoans. our study shows the existence of pcd in an intestinal protozoan, blastocystis hominis. light and electron microscopy, biochemical and flow cytometry studies showed apoptosis-like death in b. hominis cells exposed to a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody (mab 1d5). b. hominis cells displayed key morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis, namel ...	2001	11578087
[morphological and ultrastructural observation of blastocystis hominis].	to observe the morphology and ultrastructure of blastocystis hominis.	2001	12571946
intestinal parasites and the environment: frequency of intestinal parasites in children of neuquén, patagonia, argentina.	the frequency of intestinal parasites (ip) in 69 children between 2 and 14 years of age was studied within the city of neuquén, patagonia, argentina in relation to socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions. soil type was determined and contamination with ip was investigated in 75 soil samples. frequency of ip in children was 50.7%. blastocystis hominis was the most frequent species (24.6%). simultaneous infection with 2 to 4 species was found in 47,5% of the infected children. statist ...	2001	17061494
serologic response to blastocystis hominis infection in asymptomatic individuals.	the pathogenic potential of blastocystis hominis in the human intestine is subject to controversy because the organism has been found in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. to help clarify this issue, we monitored the serologic response to the organism in b. hominis-infected individuals free of gastroenterologic disorders. 1) serum antibodies to b. hominis were detected in 70% of infected asymptomatic individuals by an indirect immunofluorescence (ifa) test. 2) ifa and immunoelectron ...	2000	11127507
comparison of antigen-capture elisa to stool-culture methods for the detection of asymptomatic entamoeba species infection in kafer daoud, egypt.	we performed a prospective field study in the village of kafer daoud in menofia, egypt to compare the fecal culture method with enzyme linked immuno assay (elisa) for detection of 170 kda lectin antigen in feces for diagnosis of asymptomatic entamoeba histolytica and entamoeba dispar infection. all subjects with e. histolytica or e. dispar infection detected by culture also had positive elisa for amebic antigen in their feces and an additional 57 entameoba infections missed by culture were detec ...	2000	11289667
clinical significance and frequency of blastocystis hominis in turkish patients with hematological malignancy.	the effect of blastocystis hominis (b. hominis) in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised subjects has been the subject of debate in recent years, mostly in response to its unknown pathogenicity and frequency of occurrence. we performed a non-randomised, open labelled, single institute study in our hospital in order to investigate the clinical significance and frequency of b. hominis in patients suffering from hematological malignancy (hm) who displayed symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases ...	2000	10925738
blastocystis hominis: neutral red supravital staining and its application to in vitro drug sensitivity testing.	a simple in vitro drug sensitivity testing system for blastocystis hominis clinical isolates was developed. application of supravital staining by neutral red allowed quantitative viability assessment. four xenic cultures, isolated from human sources, were grown in modified monophasic robinson's medium and tested for sensitivities to nine available drugs. assessment was done using the cell-count method from air-dried preparations after supravital staining with neutral red. also, the light absorbe ...	2000	10935909
identification of enteric pathogens in hiv-positive patients with diarrhoea in northern india.	enteric pathogens associated with chronic diarrhoea in hiv-positive patients were studied. the study was conducted during january 1995-december 1998. stool specimens from all diarrhoea patients (n = 26) were examined microscopically for ova and parasites using wet preparations and stained smears. stool samples from diarrhoea patients were also cultured on appropriate media to isolate enteric bacterial pathogens. of the 59 patients, 26 (44%) had prolonged diarrhoea for more than 4 weeks. enteric ...	2000	11014766
a survey on the intestinal parasites of the school children in kaohsiung county.	the present study on the prevalence of intestinal parasites infection, from september to december 1999, was conducted among school children in taoyuan hsiang, kaohsiung county. the investigated areas included three (jiannshan, shingjong and taoyuan) primary schools. the overall infection rate in 305 children determined by merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde concentration method of stools was 17%. four confirmed species of helminthes (ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, trichuris trichiura and hymenolepi ...	2000	11271730
transmission of intestinal blastocystosis related to the quality of drinking water.	a cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the risk factors of blastocystis hominis infection in the thai army population of the 11th infantry division, chachoengsao province, thailand. 201 army personnel and their family members were enrolled in this study. intestinal parasitic infections in this population were assessed by stool examination using simple smear, formalin/ether technique and kato-thick smear. approximately one third of the specimens were positive for one or more intestinal ...	2000	11023076
blastocystis hominis: a simplified, high-efficiency method for clonal growth on solid agar.	colony growth of protozoan parasites in agar can be useful for axenization, cloning, and viability studies. this is usually achieved with the pour plate method, for which the parasite colonies are situated within the agar. this technique has been described for giardia intestinalis, trichomonas vaginalis, and entamoeba and blastocystis species. extracting such colonies can be laborious. it would be especially useful if parasites could be grown on agar as colonies. these colonies, being exposed on ...	2000	11038315
blastocystis elongation factor-1alpha: genomic organization, taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships.	the elongation factor-1 alpha (ef-1alpha) is a highly conserved ubiquitous protein that is involved in translation and is desirable for use in phylogenetic studies on blastocystis, an enigmatic intestinal parasite with a contentious taxonomic position. in the present study, a pcr product (bealpha) that codes for a major part of the coding region of the ef-lalpha protein was amplified. genome walking experiments together with cloning were implemented to elucidate the 5' and 3' ends of the ef-1alp ...	2000	11085233
prevalence of enteroparasites in a residence for children in the córdoba province, argentina.	a study of the prevalence of enteroparasites in a population belonging to a substitute home that gives shelter to orphaned and homeless children was done using conventional methods of analysis. this home is located in córdoba province, argentina, and has the following characteristics: it has nine houses located inside the main plot of ground, that shelter 139 individuals, and 25 houses outside this plot distributed randomly in unquillo city and that shelter 257 individuals. the overall parasitic ...	2000	10870946
[intestinal parasites in school children at a public institution in maracaibo municipality, venezuela].	to determine the prevalence and epidemiological parameters of intestinal parasites in schoolchildren, a faecal analysis was performed in 349 individuals of both sexes, between 5 and 16 years of age. the methodology used included, a fresh test, formol-ether technique and faecal egg counts by the kato-katz method. eighty three per cent of the children presented enteroparasites, with a high prevalence of polyparasitism (71.6%). there was not significative difference between parasitoses, sex and age ...	2000	10758698
blastocystis hominis: origin and significance of vacuolar and granular forms.	using supravital neutral red staining and light microscopy, individual blastocystis organisms, subcultured from clinical isolates in modified monophasic robinson's medium, were followed over various periods on glass slides. a rapid transition from uniformly stained to granular and vacuolated forms preceded the organism's death as evidenced by pale staining and brownian motion in the cell's interior. granular and vacuolar forms of blastocystis may indicate degenerative changes in individual cells ...	2000	10669129
restriction-fragment-length polymorphism analysis of small-subunit rrna genes of blastocystis hominis isolates from geographically diverse human hosts.	genomic diversity among 14 isolates of blastocystis hominis from 4 different geographic locations was examined by small-subunit rrna (ssu rrna) restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (rflp) using 5 different restriction endonucleases. on the basis of the observed rflp patterns among the isolates, a total of 12 genotypes were identified, with 7 isolates exhibiting mixed rflp genotypes. there was no correlation between b. hominis geographic origin and rflp banding pattern or genotype.	2000	10669137
genomic analysis of blastocystis hominis strains isolated from two long-term health care facilities.	the genotype blastocystis hominis is highly polymorphic. therefore, a genetic marker would be a powerful tool for the identification or classification of b. hominis subtypes and could be used as a means to resolve the transmission route or origin of the parasite. to this end, 32 b. hominis isolates were collected from patients and/or staff members of two long-term health care facilities (facilities a and b), and these organisms were subjected to genotype analysis based on diagnostic pcr primers ...	2000	10747102
comparison of polyvinyl alcohol fixative with three less hazardous fixatives for detection and identification of intestinal parasites.	polyvinyl alcohol (pva) containing the fixative mercuric chloride is considered the "gold standard" for the fixation of ova and parasites in the preparation of permanently stained smears of stool specimens. however, mercuric chloride is potentially hazardous to laboratory personnel and presents disposal problems. we compared three new alternative, nontoxic fixatives with pva, analyzing ease of sample preparation and quality of smears. sixty-eight fresh stool specimens were divided into aliquots ...	2000	10747149
prevalence of enteric pathogens among community based asymptomatic individuals.	the objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in asymptomatic individuals in a community study in melbourne, australia.	2000	10764030
performance of para-pak ultra ecofix compared with para-pak ultra formalin/mercuric chloride-based polyvinyl alcohol for concentration and permanent stained smears of stool parasites.	ecofix is a mercury and formalin-free fecal preservative that can be used for concentration of stool specimens and preparation of permanently-stained slides. in this study, the standard two-vial parapak ultra system was compared with ecofix ultra for the detection of intestinal parasites. a total of 261 specimens in 92 sets (77 with 3 specimens, 15 with 2 specimens) were collected in ecofix, formalin, and low viscosity polyvinyl alcohol (lv-pva). concentrations were performed from ecofix using h ...	2000	10794938
inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo.	oil of mediterranean oregano oreganum vulgare was orally administered to 14 adult patients whose stools tested positive for enteric parasites, blastocystis hominis, entamoeba hartmanni and endolimax nana. after 6 weeks of supplementation with 600 mg emulsified oil of oregano daily, there was complete disappearance of entamoeba hartmanni (four cases), endolimax nana (one case), and blastocystis hominis in eight cases. also, blastocystis hominis scores declined in three additional cases. gastroint ...	2000	10815019
enteropathogens in adult patients with diarrhea and healthy control subjects: a 1-year prospective study in a swedish clinic for infectious diseases.	a 1-year prospective study was conducted to identify enteropathogens in adults with diarrhea (n=851) and in healthy control subjects (n=203) by use of conventional laboratory methods. virulence factor genes for diarrheagenic escherichia coli were detected by polymerase chain reaction. enteropathogens were identified in 56% of patients and 16% of control subjects. the isolation rate was 65% for patients with symptoms for <1 week and for travelers; >1 pathogen was found in 11% of patients. the mos ...	2000	10816147
intestinal protozoa in hiv-infected patients in apulia, south italy.	protozoa are important enteric pathogens in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection. in this study the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in 154 hiv-infected patients, with or without diarrhoea, in our region (apulia, south italy) was evaluated between december 1993 and february 1998. in the majority of patients cd4+ t cell count was below 200/microl. the overall prevalence of intestinal protozoa was 43/154 (27.92%). twenty-eight (43.08%) out of 65 patients with diarrhoea and 1 ...	1999	10694157
infestations and chronic infections in foreign pediatric patients with burns: is there a role for specific protocols?	infestations by parasites such as mycobacterium tuberculosis and other viral infections are common in third world countries. consequently, the admission of a significant number of foreign patients to burn centers in the united states may pose new problems, not only for inpatients but also for health care workers. to document infestations in patients from third world countries and to determine the need for specific protocols, we studied 62 consecutive foreign patients admitted to our pediatric bu ...	1999	10613686
intestinal protozoa in hiv-infected patients: effect of rifaximin in cryptosporidium parvum and blastocystis hominis infections.	in hiv-1 infected patients severe enteritis and chronic diarrhea are often documented as a consequence of multiple opportunistic infections. we analyzed 48 hiv-1 positive patients for the presence of intestinal pathogenic protozoa. patients with cd4 > or = 200/mm3 showed a higher prevalence of a single pathogenic protozoa than patients with cd4 < or =200/mm3, who showed the presence of multiple protozoal infections. patients who proved positive for only a single protozoa, cryptosporidium or blas ...	1999	10632386
development of blastocystis hominis cysts into vacuolar forms in vitro.	the development of cysts of blastocystis hominis isolated from human feces by the ficoll-paque concentration method and cultured in jones' medium containing 10% horse serum is described. the morphological changes were studied by light and transmission electron microscopy at different intervals for up to 48 h. the cysts developed into a large number of vacuolar forms within 24 h, and binary fission was the only mode of reproduction observed.	1999	9934958
[hymenolepis nana. 45-year-old refugee from the kosovo region with epigastric pain and detection of hymenolepis nana and blastocystis hominis in the stool].		1999	10409887
postcystic development of blastocystis hominis.	a concentrated suspension of blastocystis hominis cysts was inoculated into jones' medium and removed after 24 h for study of their development at the ultrastructural level. the parasite divides in the cyst, and up to three daughter cells can be seen. during this process the cyst wall dissolves, leaving behind thin membranous remnants. excystation occurs mostly by the emergence of the daughter cells through an aperture in the outer fibrillar coat. before excystation the vacuolar and the granular ...	1999	10344535
intestinal parasites in malaysian children with cancer.	in this prospective study, we examined stool specimens from children with cancer receiving chemotherapy who were admitted for fever to the universiti sains malaysia hospital in kota baru, kelantan. stool specimens were examined for ova and cysts of parasites. over a period of 15 months, there were 129 febrile episodes in 50 children with cancer and, in all, 237 stool specimens were examined. sixty-six per cent of febrile episodes were associated with neutropenia and 9 per cent were associated wi ...	1999	10467838
intestinal amebae.	although the intestinal amebae that infect humans are not thought of as classic agents of food-borne disease, food plays an important role in the transmission of these protozoa. this is particularly true for areas of the world where the organisms are endemic. transmission of most intestinal protozoa occurs by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or water. among the four genera of amebae that infect man, only entamoeba histolytica and blastocystis hominis are causes of disease. this article ...	1999	10549428
effect of trimethoprim-sulfamethaxazole in blastocystis hominis infection.	blastocystis hominis (b. hominis) is a common intestinal parasite that has long been considered nonpathogenic. recently there have been many reports supporting a role for the organism as a potential pathogen. we performed a study to examine the pathogenicity of b. hominis and the effect of trimethoprim-sulfamethaxazole (tmp-smx) on this organism.	1999	10566723
prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in brazil.	to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and to investigate the possible associations of clinical status and laboratory findings with the different parasites found in stool samples.	1999	10575149
[dientamoeba fragilis: pathogenic flagellate?].	d. fragilis is an intestinal protozoa whose pathogenic characteristics are increasingly recognized. the aim of this study is to specify the epidemiologic, biological and clinical aspects of this protozoa. material used and methodology: survey conducted on 27,058 parasitological test of stools in parasitology-mycology laboratory of the sfax university hospital over a period of 5 years.	1999	10690462
blastocystis in animal handlers.	the present study investigated whether people working closely with animals were at higher risk of getting infected with blastocystis hominis. the prevalence of the parasite was determined in two population groups, i.e., animal handlers and normal healthy individuals who did not work with animals. in all, 105 stool samples were collected from animal handlers from 2 local research institutions, a local zoo, and a local abattoir and 163 stool samples were collected from normal healthy individuals r ...	1999	10599928
intestinal protozoa in homosexual men in edinburgh.	our objective was to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in homosexual men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (std) clinic, to compare it with the prevalence in a previous study from the same clinic, and to examine the relationship, if any, between the presence of protozoa and sexual practices. men who consecutively attended the clinic and who gave a history of having had recent sexual contact with another male were invited to provide a stool sample for protozoological examina ...	1999	10639057
soluble-protein and antigenic heterogeneity in axenic blastocystis hominis isolates: pathogenic implications.	the protein profile and the antigenic cross-reactivity of 18 axenic isolates of blastocystis hominis obtained from symptomatic patients with chronic diarrhea (14 isolates) showing no evidence of parasitic etiology and from patients with acute diarrhea attributable in 2 cases to salmonella spp. were analyzed. sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins showed the existence of a common profile composed of 31 bands, with molecular weights ranging between 24 and >20 ...	1999	9934956
scanning electron microscopy of the surface coat of blastocystis hominis.	scanning electron microscopy of blastocystis hominis showed that its outer coat has a fibrillar structure and individual fibrils may extend up to 5 microm from the periphery of the parasite. the surface coat remains intact during cell division. bacteria are often seen adhering to it, but for the first time a trophozoite of chilomastix mesnili was also seen in this position. it is postulated that breakdown of attached organisms may provide nutrients for blastocystis.	1999	10599919
[seasonal variation of intestinal protozoa infections in outpatients of the north section of santiago, chile. 1995-1996].	formalin preserved fecal samples from 6,058 and 5,863 outpatients were examined for intestinal parasites during 1995 and 1996 respectively. prevalence rates of infections by intestinal protozoa in both years were similar. by age group (0-9, 10-19 and > 20 years old) blastocystis hominis was observed in 18.6-19.3, 37.0-31.1 and 25.3-25.4% in 1995-1996 respectively. prevalence of giardia intestinalis infections decreased from 16.6-17.4% in the 0-9 year-old children group to 4.1-4.5% in patients ov ...	1999	10488591
[blastocystis hominis: epidemiological and clinical remarks from more than 3,500 stool examinations].		1999	10518063
characterization of protein profiles and cross-reactivity of blastocystis antigens by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis.	the protein profiles of blastocystis hominis, b. lapemi, and b. ratti were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page) and species could be differentiated by this means as well as by western-blot analysis with polyclonal antibodies. no intraspecies difference could be distinguished between the two b. hominis isolates or the three b. ratti isolates. western-blot analysis showed extensive cross-reactivity of b. lapemi and b. hominis antigens with anti-b. ratti ...	1999	10099019
isolate resistance of blastocystis hominis to metronidazole.	isolates of blastocystis hominis from infected immigrant workers from indonesia, bangladesh and infected individuals from singapore and malaysia were assessed for growth pattern and degree of resistance to different concentrations of metronidazole. viability of the cells was assessed using eosin-brillian cresyl blue which stained viable cells green and nonviable cells red. the bangladeshi and singaporean isolates were nonviable even at the lowest concentration of 0.01 mg/ml, whereas 40% of the i ...	1999	10357863
irregular shedding of blastocystis hominis.	the shedding pattern of the protozoan parasite, blastocystis hominis, is investigated in man and in experimental animal infections. the shedding pattern of the vacuolar and cystic forms of blastocystis hominis in infected individuals have been shown in the present study to be irregular. the study shows that there is marked fluctuation in the shedding of the parasite from day to day, varying from as high as 17 to 0 per x40 microscopic field. the cystic stages when estimated in 8 blastocystis-infe ...	1999	9934969
prevalence and clinical relevance of blastocystis hominis in diverse patient cohorts.	the pathogenicity of blastocystis hominis is extensively debated in the medical literature. therefore, we did a prevalence study to investigate the association between the presence of several intestinal parasites and gastrointestinal symptoms in diverse patient cohorts. the study population consisted of 1216 adults, including immunocompromised patients, institutionalized psychiatric or elder subjects, immigrants from developing countries, travellers to developing tropical countries and controls. ...	1999	10414382
intestinal blockage by carcinoma and blastocystis hominis infection.	we detected heavy infections of blastocystis hominis in four individuals with intestinal obstruction due to cancerous growths. after surgery, the infections spontaneously resolved, without specific chemotherapy. it appears that the b. hominis infection was coincidental and not related to the neoplastic growth. we suggest that intestinal obstruction and concomitant stool retention, plus hemorrhage from cancerous lesions, may have permitted the more abundant growth of b. hominis. this is the first ...	1999	10466967
irritable bowel syndrome in patients with blastocystis hominis infection.	the prevalence of blastocystis hominis in stool specimens of individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms was evaluated to study a possible link between the protozoan and the irritable bowel syndrome. according to the rome diagnostic criteria, 388 patients were evaluated. altogether, 81 patients were classified as affected by irritable bowel syndrome. blastocystis hominis was recovered from the stools of 38 subjects, 15 of whom belonged to the group with irritable bowel syndrome (p = 0.006). in ad ...	1999	10442423
opportunistic intestinal protozoal infections in immunocompromised children.	hundred immunocompromised children and 100 house contact controls were chosen. patients included: 52 nephrotic syndrome children receiving corticosteroids for more than one month (age 5.28 +/- 2.32 years), 14 protein-calorie malnutrition (pcm) patients (8 cases of marasmus aged 6 +/- 2.27 months and 6 cases of marasmic kwashiorkor aged 1.39 +/- 0.88 years) and 34 lymphomas patients (22 cases of hodgkin's disease and 12 cases of non-hodgkin's lymphoma; age 4.5 +/- 3.54 years). examination of conc ...	1999	12561933
diagnosis of blastocystis hominis by different staining techniques.	one hundred and fifty stool samples were collected from diarrheic patients of different ages, and examined for blastocystis hominis by direct smears and concentrated by sheather's sugar flotation. staining was done by: giemsa, two modifications of trichrome stain, modified ziehl-neelsen, safranin-methylene blue and two-auramine stains. out of the 150 cases nine were positive for blastocystosis. the best stains were safranin-methylene blue and modified ziehl-neelsen stains. they had the advantage ...	1999	12561895
[morphological observation on blastocystis hominis].	to observe the morphology of blastocystis hominis.	1998	12078221
[blastocystis hominis in patients at the ruiz y paez university hospital from bolivar city, venezuela].	blastocystis hominis is a polymorphic protozoan of discussed taxonomic position, which is currently associated with human intestinal disease. in order to determine the prevalence of the microorganism in a sample of hospitalized patients, a study was carried out from november 1996 to april 1997 on 100 adult patients of both sexes aged 20 to 79 years at the "ruíz y páez" university hospital of bolivar city, venezuela. a coproparasitological study was carried out using direct examination and faust ...	1998	10413881
scanning electron microscopy of blastocystis hominis cysts.	scanning electron microscopy of blastocystis hominis cysts reveals that some cysts have an outer coat, whereas others are naked. if intact, the outer coat forms a fan-like structure around the cyst and its surface is granular. the fragmented outer coat adheres to other cysts and bacteria, forming irregular clumps.	1998	9660137
acute gvhd involving the gastrointestinal tract and infestation with blastocystis hominis in a patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.	a 21-year-old female underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (abmt) from her hla matched brother for chronic myeloid leukaemia in the chronic phase. four weeks post transplant she developed tenesmus, mucoid stool mixed with blood and lower abdominal pain. this rapidly progressed to greenish watery diarrhoea with flakes of mucous membrane floating in it, conforming to the classical clinical description of acute gvhd of the bowel. stool microscopy showed profuse numbers of blastocystis ho ...	1998	9877276
in vitro encystation of blastocystis hominis: a kinetics and cytochemistry study.	the kinetics of in vitro encystation of blastocystis hominis was studied over 9 days. the differentiation between trophic (tf) and cyst forms (cf) was determined by differential counts before and after treatment with distilled water. a cytochemistry study using acridine orange and calcofluor white wet-mount preparations of cf was carried out. the growth curves of tf and cf were related because the decrease in tf was followed by an increase in cf, and vice versa. the maximum of cf counts was obta ...	1998	9491427
glycerol with fetal calf serum--a better cryoprotectant for blastocystis hominis.		1998	9569099
[an educational intervention to improve the quality of coproparasitological diagnosis in laboratories of havana city, cuba]	the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program carried out in 1993. the intervention took place after the first external quality assessment in coproparasitology, conducted in 77 laboratories of havana city. centers receiving training were compared with those that did not, and better results were obtained in the municipalities of 10 de octubre, plaza, and cerro, as well as in all laboratories that sent people to training. better diagnosis was found for the helmi ...	1998	9592219
cytopathic effects of blastocystis hominis on chinese hamster ovary (cho) and adeno carcinoma ht29 cell cultures.	blastocystis hominis isolates from asymptomatic carriers and symptomatic patients were cultured in vitro, purified from the co-cultivated bacterial flora and tested for cytopathic effects on monolayers of chinese hamster ovary (cho) cells and adeno carcinoma ht29 cells. in the case of the cho cells, living b. hominis cells and b. hominis cell lysates were able to cause significant cytopathic effects, which were dependent on the concentration of cells employed. destruction of the cell monolayers ...	1998	9623944
intestinal parasite infections after extended use of chloroquine or primaquine for malaria prevention.	comparative results of baseline and endpoint screening for intestinal parasites are reported from javanese men enrolled in a year-long, placebo-controlled malaria prophylaxis trial in irian jaya. the objective was to detect nontarget qualitative changes that may have resulted from prolonged chloroquine (300 mg base weekly) or primaquine (0.5 mg base/kg daily) prophylaxis. fresh fecal specimens were examined (blinded trial) for parasites and ova using a modified kato-katz thick smear method. more ...	1998	9645872
evaluation of intestinal protozoan morphology in human fecal specimens preserved in ecofix: comparison of wheatley's trichrome stain and ecostain.	as a result of disposal problems related to the use of mercury compounds, many laboratories have switched from mercuric chloride-based schaudinn's and polyvinyl alcohol (pva) stool preservatives to other, non-mercury-based preservatives. a comparison of organism recoveries and morphologies of the intestinal protozoa was undertaken with pva containing the ecofix zinc-based schaudinn's preservative (meridian diagnostics, inc.); both wheatley's modification of gomori's trichrome stain (wt) and ecos ...	1998	9650947
detection of blastocystis sp. in domestic dogs and cats.	blastocystis sp. was detected in faecal samples from domestic dogs and cats in brisbane, australia. the prevalence rates were high, with 70.8% of the dogs and 67.3% of the cats infected with this organism. blastocystis sp. from faecal material from two dogs was successfully cultured on inspissated egg slant medium for several months, but could not be maintained for longer periods. blastocystis sp. from feline faecal samples failed to grow in culture. the parasites found in dogs and cats were gen ...	1998	9653986
blastocystosis in preschool children from bolivar city, venezuela	to evaluate the prevalence of blastocystis hominis and its clinical relevance, 169 preschool children from the 'los coquitos' nursery school living in bolivar city, venezuela, were studied. stool samples were obtained and examined by direct microscopic examination, and the faust and willis concentration techniques. some 72 of the children had intestinal parasites, of whom 32 (29.09%) had b. hominis. prevalence for the latter was 18.93 % +/- 5.93 %. no differences were observed by sex or age (x(2 ...	1998	9658225
hep-2 cell-adherent escherichia coli and intestinal secretory immune response to human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) in outpatients with hiv-associated diarrhea.	hep-2 cell-adherent escherichia coli and the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) itself have recently been incriminated as causes of chronic hiv-associated diarrhea. this study sought to determine the prevalence of these two agents among hiv-infected patients with diarrhea in an outpatient setting in the united states and to compare their prevalence to that of other commonly recognized enteropathogens known to be present in this population. hep-2 cell-adherent e. coli was found in 20 of 83 (24.1% ...	1998	9455887
[the clinical manifestations produced by blastocystis hominis in childhood].		1998	9611725
the differential identification of blastocystis hominis cysts.		1998	9625921
genomic polymorphism among blastocystis hominis strains and development of subtype-specific diagnostic primers.	genomic polymorphisms among nine strains of blastocystis hominis were examined by random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) using four different arbitrary polymerase chain reaction (pcr) primers. based on the rapd patterns, nine strains were classified into three groups. the specific primers designed from the unique bands yielded a single band from within each same group, but did not amplify between all the groups examined. specificity of these diagnostic primers was tested against several common ...	1998	9664577
[health examination of children from the democratic sahara republic (north west africa) on vacation in spain].	we present results of a global health evaluation of groups of children from the democratic sahara republic who came to spain for vacation.	1998	9718764
[blastocystis hominis: the enigma continues].		1998	9789449
cytopathic effect of blastocystis hominis after intramuscular inoculation into laboratory mice.	the present study investigated the pathogenesis of blastocystis hominis by intramuscular injection of the organism into experimental mice. a total of 27 naïve balb/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were injected in the leg muscle with axenic culture isolate b of b. hominis. histological examination at different times revealed that b. hominis could produce a severe inflammatory reaction and myonecrosis. most changes were observed at 6 h after injection and for up to 2-3 days. by 2 weeks the muscle had regain ...	1998	9660133
etiologies of acute, persistent, and dysenteric diarrheas in adults in bangui, central african republic, in relation to human immunodeficiency virus serostatus.	a study of the etiologies of diarrhea in adults in relation to their human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) serostatus and number of cd4+ cells was carried out in the central african republic. in cases and controls, multi-parasitism was observed. salmonella spp. were identified mainly during acute diarrhea, with 50% of the s. enteritidis isolated during the study being responsible for septicemia and/or urinary tract infection in immunodeficient patients. enteroaggregative escherichia coli (eaggec) w ...	1998	9886215
[routine cases in intestinal parasitology].	the majority of intestinal parasites isolated in switzerland is imported by refugees and travellers. nematodes are more frequently isolated in the first group, whereas giardia duodenalis and strongyloides stercoralis predominate in the second. symptoms are usually mild, but occasionally diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss may be encountered. hypereosinophilia occurs frequently with some parasites. four cases chosen from the outpatient department of a swiss medical polyclinic are presented a ...	1997	9190665
epidemiologic survey of blastocystis hominis infection in japan.	the incidence of blastocystis hominis in a healthy population was determined by fecal examination of 6,422 japanese and 54 resident non-japanese who visited the st. luke's international hospital health screening center for a routine medical check-up during a one-year period. of the enrolled subjects, 30 japanese (0.5%) and four non-japanese (7.4%) had b. hominis in their stools. these individuals were asymptomatic except for one who reported flatus and one who reported mild abdominal discomfort. ...	1997	9158042
cryptosporidiosis and blastocystosis in renal transplant recipients.	some intestinal parasitic infections are frequently seen in renal transplant recipients. parasites such as cryptosporidium spp. and blastocystis hominis are often asymptomatic or responsible for limited infections in normals, but may cause prolonged and heavy infections with gastrointestinal complaints, mainly diarrhea, in immunocompromised patients. such infections can often not be detected by routine diagnostic procedures, but special concentration and staining methods are needed. we investiga ...	1997	9041537
variation in the cyst morphology of blastocystis hominis.	two types of blastocystis hominis cyst are passed in human feces, one with an outer fibrillar coat and the other without it. the outer fibrillar coat is shed as the cyst matures, but another fibrillar coat forms that is closely attached to the cyst wall and is clearly visible at high magnification in the electron microscope. the internal structure of the two cyst form is similar.	1997	9089732
[blastocystis hominis, intestinal pathogen].		1997	9453768
description of an improved method for blastocystis hominis culture and axenization.	an improved method for blastocystis hominis culture and axenization was developed in the present study. stool samples were cultured in prereduced boeck-drbohlav nhi modified medium (with several modifications) supplemented with antibiotics (0.4% ampicillin, 0.1% streptomycin, 0.0006% amphotericin b). axenization was performed by the combination of partial purification of b. hominis by ficoll-metrizoic acid gradient and inoculation in fresh medium containing active antibiotics against remaining b ...	1997	9000236
[human infection by intestinal protozoa and helminths in calbuco county, x region, chile, 1997].	by the performance of parasitological examination of one fecal sample per individual, a total of 256 persons from a rural county in the x region (41 degrees 50 minutes south lat., 73 degrees 05 minutes west long.) were studied. the general rates of infection by intestinal parasite and/or commensal protozoa and helminths found were: giardia intestinalis 14.1%, entamoeba histolytica 11.7%, blastocystis hominis 36.0%, entamoeba coli 9.8%, endolimax nana 16.4%, iodamoeba buetschlii 1.2%, chilomastix ...	1997	9497539
[a morphological study of blastocysts in lower monkeys using light microscopy].	the paper shows a high infection of some species of nonhuman primates with blastocysts. lower rates of infection with this pathogen were observed in younger animals. the blastocysts isolated from macaca mulatta were microscopically analyzed. the findings indicate a great morphological similarity between the blastocysts of primates and those of man (blastocystis hominis).	1997	9304026
phase-contrast microscopy of cell division in blastocystis hominis.		1997	9307666
[parasitosis in an adult population with chronic gastrointestinal disorders].	we worked with 185 middle-class patients above 18 years of age, both sexes, who presented diarrhea and/or chronic gastrointestinal disorders. the faeces were collected serially in formol 10% and processed in the following way: direct microscopy, with and without wet staining, concentration by ritchie's method, 1% safranine technique for a specific investigation of cryptosporidium sp., and faecal sieving macroparasites. twenty eight point six of the studied patients showed at least one enteropara ...	1997	9412130
five subgroups of blastocystis hominis from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients revealed by restriction site analysis of pcr-amplified 16s-like rdna.	dna polymorphism of blastocystis hominis isolates was examined by the amplification of a gene fragment coding for the 16s-like rdna. using identical primers, fragments of approximately 850 bp were amplified from 110 b. hominis isolates and fragments of 1.1 kbp were amplified from 48 isolates. digestion of the amplification products with the restriction enzymes hinfi, rsai, and alui revealed different profiles for each fragment length. subgroup i and ii, resulting from digestion of the smaller 85 ...	1997	9294547
blastocystis hominis infection in cuban aids patients.		1997	9332594
parasites elicited cross-reacting antibodies to opisthorchis viverrini.	two batches of crude antigens extracted from adult opisthorchis viverrini worms were compared. one was derived from adult worms harvested from the livers of laboratory infected hamsters and another was obtained from worms sedimented from the faeces of opisthorchiasis patients following treatment with praziquantel. sds-page and coomassie brilliant blue staining revealed that the two preparations had similar protein components of which the predominant ones were the 17-18 kda doublet. the antigens ...	1997	9346276
[prevalence of blastocystis hominis infection in schoolchildren from bolivar city, venezuela].	blastocystis hominis is found in about 25% of feces in normal asymptomatic people. its pathogenic role is still discussed. a prospective study was performed to determine the prevalence of b. hominis infection in schoolchildren from bolivar city. we evaluated 446 children, between five and fourteen years old, both sexes, using direct examination of feces and willis method. they were also evaluated clinically. results showed that b. hominis had a prevalence of 16.8%. we did not find a statisticall ...	1997	9640685
nitazoxanide for the treatment of intestinal protozoan and helminthic infections in mexico.	a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nitazoxanide as a single agent for the treatment of a broad spectrum of mixed parasitic infections, both protozoa and helminths, was conducted at a primary school in san pedro tolimán, querétaro, mexico. three faecal samples from 1824 adults and children were screened for the presence of oocysts, cysts, trophozoites, eggs or larvae of intestinal protozoa or helminths. two hundred and forty-six adults and children infected with at least one protozoan ...	1997	9580117
blastocystis hominis among apparently healthy food handlers in jeddah, saudi arabia.	a prospective study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of blastocystis hominis among random sample of apparently healthy food handlers. a total of 250 non saudi males over 21 years of age were examined. ninety (36%) had pathogenic and non pathogenic intestinal parasites. a total of 143 parasites were detected in their stool specimens. twenty were b. hominis (13.99%) while other parasites were 123 (86.01%). b. hominis was found in 20 positive cases (22.22%) with an overall rate of 8%. ...	1997	9425825
isoenzyme patterns of blastocystis hominis patient isolates derived from symptomatic and healthy carriers.	isolates of blastocystis hominis derived from patients with intestinal symptoms and from healthy carriers were cultured in vitro and isoenzyme patterns of hexokinase (e.c. 2.7.1.1), phosphoglucomutase (e.c. 2.7.5.1) and glucose phosphate isomerase (e.c. 5.3.1.9) were investigated to find evidence for pathogenic and non-pathogenic subspecies of b. hominis. for this purpose we examined 2000 patients of the out-patient department of the institute for tropical medicine in tübingen. from these, we ob ...	1997	9491103
usefulness of new dna extraction procedure for pcr technique in species identification of entamoeba isolates.	in this study we have developed a modified clark and diamond (1992, 1993) method using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify amoebic ribosomal rna genes that allow either specific detection of entamoeba histolytica s. str. or amoeba species identification. dna was isolated from cultured protozoa or from stool samples (cysts and/or trophozoites). cultures of xenic or axenic material (also stool samples) were treated with easy genomic dna prep or genomic dna prep plus (a&a biotechnology, poland ...	1997	9374591