Identification of Encephalitozoon intestinalis in Travelers with Chronic Diarrhea by Specific PCR Amplification

Abstract

With the use of Weber’s modified trichrome and Uvitex 2B techniques, spores of microsporidia were detected in the stools of four travelers presenting clinically with chronic diarrhea. The general health of these patients was not impaired, and human immunodeficiency virus screening was negative. Immune evaluation, including the study of lymphocytic subpopulations, assay of serum immunoglobulins, and an intradermal multitest, showed normal results. Molecular identification of microsporidian species was based on the PCR amplification of a small-subunit rRNA sequence followed by HinfI endonuclease restriction. Encephalitozoon intestinalis microsporidiosis was thus shown in two of the four patients examined. In two patients, therapy based on albendazole made stools devoid of microsporidian spores without influence on the intestinal disorders. The pathogenic role of E. intestinalis in immunocompetent individuals remains to be demonstrated.

Traveler's Diarrhea Due to Intestinal Protozoa

“…Only a few of the 11000 species known to belong in this phylum have been identified as pathogenic organisms for humans. Microsporidia have been sporadically reported as a cause of chronic diarrhea that occurs after travel in both otherwise healthy adults and HIV-infected patients [25,26]. Infection with microsporidia should be considered in cases of chronic diarrhea.…”

Molecular Characterization of Encephalitozoon intestinalis (Microspora) Replication Kinetics in a Murine Intestinal Cell Line

“…Primer sequences used for cloning are shown in Table 1. Amplicons for each gene of interest were generated by PCR using previously published conditions (Raynaud et al 1998). Products were ligated into a plasmid vector and transfected into E. coli as per manufacturer's instructions (TA Cloning@ Kit, Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA).…”

Dissemination of Encephalitozoon intestinalis, a causative agent of human microsporidiosis, in IFN‐γ receptor knockout mice

“…The modi®ed PCR method described by several groups (Coyle et al 1996, David et al 1996, Ombrouck et al 1997, Raynaud et al 1998) was employed. The DNA samples from duodenum, liver, lung, kidney, brain, and heart of the four groups of mice were isolated using the easy-DNA Kit (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer's instructions.…”