Introduction

Entamoeba histolytica-caused amoebiasis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. E. histolytica is morphologically indistinguishable from nonpathogenic species like E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, and E. hartmanni. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the approved method by World Health Organization for diagnosis and differentiation of amoebiasis. This study aims to molecularly differentiate the four Entamoeba spp. using conventional PCR and correlate their prevalence with the patients’ sociodemographic data.

Methods

We collected fecal samples of 175 patients with gastrointestinal diseases at Damanhour General Hospital (El-Behira, Egypt). All microscopically positive samples were subjected to conventional PCR.

Results

The overall prevalence of Entamoeba infection was 65.7% (115/175). The differentiation by PCR was successfully attained in 102 samples. The species distribution was as follows: E. histolytica (14.7%), E. dispar (61.8%), E. moshkovskii (11.8%); besides, 11.8% of samples revealed mixed infection. Of note, the infection rate was higher in men, patients from rural areas and patients who did not have sanitation facilities for sewage disposal.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a high prevalence of infections caused by the nonpathogenic Entamoeba spp. E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, and E. hartmanni along with the pathogenic E. histolytica. Hence, we recommend PCR assay as an accurate, rapid, and effective diagnostic method for the detection and differentiation of the four morphologically indistinguishable Entamoeba spp. in both routine diagnosis of amoebiasis and epidemiological surveys.

中文翻译：

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Entamoeba histolytica、Entamoeba dispar、Entamoeba moshkovskii 和 Entamoeba hartmanni 在埃及的流行和分子分化。

简介

由溶组织内阿米巴引起的阿米巴病是全世界死亡的主要原因。E. histolytica在形态学上与E. dispar、E. moshkovskii和E. hartmanni等非致病物种无法区分。聚合酶链反应 (PCR) 是世界卫生组织批准的诊断和鉴别阿米巴病的方法。本研究旨在从分子上区分四种内阿米巴属。使用常规 PCR 并将其患病率与患者的社会人口学数据相关联。

方法

我们在 Damanhour General Hospital（El-Behira，埃及）收集了 175 名胃肠道疾病患者的粪便样本。所有显微镜下阳性样品均进行常规 PCR。

结果

内阿米巴感染的总体流行率为 65.7% (115/175)。在 102 个样品中成功地通过 PCR 进行了区分。物种分布如下：E. histolytica (14.7%), E. dispar (61.8%), E. moshkovskii (11.8%); 此外，11.8%的样本显示混合感染。值得注意的是，男性、农村地区患者和没有污水处理卫生设施的患者的感染率较高。

结论

该研究表明由非致病性内阿米巴属引起的感染率很高。E.毒蛾，E. moshkovskii和E. hartmanni与致病一起溶组织内阿米巴，因此，我们推荐 PCR 检测作为一种准确、快速和有效的诊断方法，用于检测和区分四种形态上无法区分的内阿米巴菌。在阿米巴病的常规诊断和流行病学调查中。