Mystery illnesses are disheartening for many doctors. This general term can be used to describe a group of undiagnosed medical conditions. When the causative agent of the disease is suspect, but not easily detected, it compounds an already complex scenario. One of these causative agents is Entamoeba histolytica, an intestinal parasite that may provoke allergic and autoimmune reactions, bringing about a wide range of symptoms.
Before the recent breakthrough of a biomarker tool, the link to symptoms caused by E. histolytica was complicated. First, the parasite bears a morphological resemblance to other Entamoebae that colonize the human intestinal tract. These are: E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, E. polecki, E. coli, and E. hartmanii. Second, with the inability to identify the amoeba, treatment for any cascading effects of a parasitic infection was difficult. The difficulty of identification further impeded studies into the organism’s behavior and reproductive cycle.
Are Unexplained Syndromes Linked to Parasites?
Inflammation caused by a parasitic infection can send the immune system into overdrive. More than two-thirds of the human immune system is located in the wall of the small intestine. When activated, regulatory proteins such as interleukins, other cytokines and dendritic cells are set in motion. They carry out the inflammatory response throughout the body, affecting the joints, eyes, lungs and giving rise to fatigue. The inflammation caused by an intestinal infection can cause an increase in the permeability of the small intestine, a phenomenon known colloquially as “leaky gut”. Complications with digestion and elimination are common signs.
Entamoeba Study: Luminex Multiplexing Technology Plus Microscopy—“the Gold Standard”
In a ground-breaking research study performed jointly by the United States Centers for Disease Control and the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz in Brazil, Luminex multiplexing technology successfully detected and differentiated multiple parasites present in fecal samples. With the Luminex method established as proof of concept, this tool is now being tested as a supplement to microscopy techniques. Microscopy remains a traditional method in the clinic. The implications for refined diagnoses and more appropriate therapies for intestinal parasitic infections are positive.
Luminex is the multiplexing expert and leader in the industry providing assays for both gene and protein expression. Luminex biological testing technologies enable large numbers of tests (bioassays) to be conducted and analyzed quickly, cost effectively and accurately.
A summary of pertinent parts to the study and the benefits achieved are summarized:
- Objective: to develop a rapid screening method for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of Entamoeba species, using Luminex technique.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was amplified using a fragment of biotinylated Entamoeba.
- Regions of the fragment were differentiated among: E. hystolytica, E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, E. Polecki, E. coli and E. hartmanii and selected for hybridization probes linked to Luminex beads.
- Cloned DNA samples of these species along with 24 DNA extracts from infected fecal samples enabled a standardized assay.
- All the species in the specimen were correctly identified and overall the multiplex Luminex array provided a robust discriminatory power, even in mixed infection samples.
To learn more about this study, visit: http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/6/1/69