Abstract
Amebiasis infection is caused by Entamoeba histolytica. The nonpathogenic Entamoeba species, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar, are distinct but morphologically indifferentiable from E. histolytica, which led us to use of multiplex PCR to detect and molecularly differentiate Entamoeba species in fecal samples of a cohort of 504 diarrheic/dysenteric Egyptians attending outpatient clinics of the Beni-Suef University Hospital. E. moshkovskii was detected for the first time in Egypt, added to already reported E. histolytica and E. dispar. Molecular prevalence of all Entamoeba species was 10%. E. histolytica (1.4%) was the least prevalent Entamoeba, 6 times less than nonpathogenic amoebae (7.9%), E. dispar (4.6%), and E. moshkovskii (3.3%). Entamoeba coinfection was found in 0.8% of cases. Coproscopy had a limited diagnostic performance for the diagnosis of E. histolytica, giving false-positive and false-negative results. Use of molecular assays, a laboratory non-coproscopic method, is preferable as it differentiates amoeba infections and monitors the E. histolytica true prevalence for better treatment and effective control.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ali IK (2015) Intestinal amebae. Clin Lab Med 35(2):393–422
Britten D, Wilson SM, McNerney R, Moody AH, Chiodini PL, Ackers JP (1997) An improved colorimetric PCR-based method for detection and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in feces. J Clin Microbiol 35:1108–1111
DiMiceli L (2004) Distinguishing between pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Entamoeba. Lab Med 35(10):613–615
Fotedar R, Stark D, Beebe N, Marriott D, Ellis J, Harkness J (2007) PCR detection of Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, and Entamoeba moshkovskii in stool samples from Sydney, Australia. J Clin Microbiol 45(3):1035–1037
Gonin P, Trudel L (2003) Detection and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar isolates in clinical samples by PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J Clin Microbiol 41:237–241
Gonzalez-Ruiz A, Haque R, Aguirre A, Castanon G, Hall A, Guhl F et al (1994) Value of microscopy in the diagnosis of dysentery associated with invasive Entamoeba histolytica. J Clin Pathol 47:236–239
Hamzah Z, Petmitr S, Mungthin M, Leelayoova S, Chavalitshewinkoon-Petmitr P (2006) Differential detection of Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, and Entamoeba moshkovskii by a single-round PCR assay. J Clin Microbiol 44(9):3196–3200
Ibrahim SS, El-Matarawy OM, Ghieth MA, Abu Sarea EY, El-Badry AA (2015) Copro prevalence and estimated risk of Entamoeba histolytica in a cohort of diarrheic patients at Beni-Suef, Egypt. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 31(2):385–390
Jackson TFHG, Suparsad S (1997) Zymodeme stability of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar. Arch Med Res 28(Suppl):S304–S305
Kebede A, Verweij JJ, Petros B, Polderman AM (2004) Misleading microscopy in amoebiasis. Tropical Med Int Health 9(5):651–652
Khairnar K, Parija SC (2007) A novel nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for differential detection of Entamoeba histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar DNA in stool samples. BMC Microbiol 7:47
Leive B, Lebbad M, Winiecka-Krusnell J, Altamirano I, Tellez A, Linder E (2006) Overdiagnosis of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in Nicaragua: a microscopic, triage parasite panel and PCR study. Arch Med Res 37:529–534
Mirelman D, Nuchamowitz Y, Stolarsky T (1997) Comparison of use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based kits and PCR amplification of rRNA genes for simultaneous detection of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar. J Clin Microbiol 35:2405–2407
Nazeer JT, Khalifa KE, von Thien H, El-Sibaei MM, Abdel-Hamid MY, Tawfik RAS et al (2013) Use of multiplex real-time PCR for detection of common diarrhea causing protozoan parasites in Egypt. Parasitol Res 112:595–601
Parija SC, Khairnar KJ (2005) Entamoeba moshkovskii and Entamoeba dispar-associated infections in Pondicherry, India. J Health Popul Nutr 3(3):292–295
Petri WA Jr, Haque R, Lyerly D, Vines RR (2000) Estimating the impact of amebiasis on health. Parasitol Today 16:320–321
Qvarnstrom Y, James C, Xayavong M, Holloway BP, Visvesvara GS, Sriram R, da Silva AJ (2005) Comparison of real-time PCR protocols for differential laboratory diagnosis of amebiasis. J Clin Microbiol 43:5491–5497
Santos HLC, Bandea R, Martins LAF, de Macedo HW, Peralta RHS, Peralta JM, Ndubuisi MI, da Silva AJ (2010) Differential identification of Entamoeba spp. based on the analysis of 18S rRNA. Parasitol Res 106:883–888
Sargeaunt PG (1987) The reliability of Entamoeba histolytica zymodemes in clinical diagnosis. Parasitol Today 3:40–43
Sargeaunt PG (1992) A survey of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar (Brumpt) infection on Mahe, the Seychelles. Arch Med Res 23:265–267
Sehgal R, Abd-Alla M, Moody AH, Chiodini PL, Ackers JP (1995) Comparison of two media for the isolation and short-term culture of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar. Trans Soc Trop Med Hyg 89:394
World Health Organization (WHO) Amebiasis (1997) Wkly Epidemiol Rec 72:97–100
Zaki M, Clark CG (2001) Isolation and characterization of polymorphic DNA from Entamoeba histolytica. J Clin Microbiol 39:897–905
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Graham Clark and David Warhurst (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) for providing the DNA of E. histolytica, E. dispar, and E. moshkovskii. We also thank the Scientific Research Develo** Unit, Beni-Suef University for funding this research, which was given to the second author (Abu-Sarea E.Y).
Funding
This study was funded by the Scientific Research Develo** Unit, Beni-Suef University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
The study was ethically approved by The Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
El-Badry, A.A., Abu-Sarea, E.Y., Mahmoud, A.H. et al. The first Entamoeba moshkovskii molecular detection in Egypt. Comp Clin Pathol 28, 501–504 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-018-2878-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-018-2878-z