Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Predominance of Blastocystis hominis Subtype I among Colorectal Cancer Patients in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

International Conference on Medical Parasitology and Zoology

October 17-19, 2016 Houston, USA

Mona Abd El-Fattah Ahmed, Amr M Mohamed, Sabah A Ahmed, Dina A Zaglool and Sherifahmed Elsamany

Ain-Shams University, Egypt
King Abdullah Medical City, KSA
Umm Al-Qura University, KSA
Assiut University, Egypt
Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, KSA
Mansoura University, Egypt

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Bacteriol Parasitol

Abstract:

The putative role of infectious agents in causing gastrointestinal disorders is undeniable. In this regard, Blastocystis hominis has increasingly been implicated for diarrheal illness in immunocompromised individuals including colorectal cancer (CRC). Blastocystis is a genetically diverse intestinal parasite with controversial pathogenic potential. At least 9 subtypes of Blastocystis have been found in humans. It has been shown recently that the antigen of certain Blastocystis subtypes could facilitate the proliferation of colon cancer cells. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of Blastocystis in CRC patients and to genetically identify Blastocystis subtypes commonly associating CRC in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. A total of 218 stool samples were collected from suspected patients including 74 CRC, 64 Cancer other than colon (COC) and 80 non-cancer (NC) patients. Collected stool samples were initially examined for detection of Blastocystis infection using culture technique. Blastocystis-positive isolates were further genetically subtyped using multiplex polymerase chain reaction with sequence-tagged site primers (PCR-STS). Out of the total examined stool specimens, Blastocystis were conventionally identified in 22.9% (50 out of 218). This included 29.7%, 25% and 15% among CRC, COC and NC patients, respectively. Using PCR-STS, obtained Blastocystis isolates were genetically categorized into 3 different subtypes; subtype I (22%), subtype II (44%) and subtype V (38%). While subtype II was predominantly detected in both COC and NC patients (43.7% and 58.3%, respectively), interestingly, subtype V was most predominant in CRC patients (54.5%). To the best of our knowledge, the study is the first to genetically determine the Blastocystis hominis subtypes associating CRC in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia.

Biography :

Mona Abd El-Fattah Ahmed has completed her MD from Ain Shams University, Egypt. She is an Associate Consultant and Head of Clinical Parasitology Section and Laboratory Training and Education Coordinator at the Laboratory Department, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, KSA, since June 2010 to till date. She is also a Professor of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University since 2015. She has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and serving as a Reviewer of reputed journals.

Email: mona.fattah@hotmail.com