       Document 0544
 DOCN  M9630544
 TI    Detection of microsporidia (Enterocytozoon bieneusi) in intestinal
       biopsy specimens from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients by
       PCR.
 DT    9603
 AU    Franzen C; Muller A; Hegener P; Salzberger B; Hartmann P; Fatkenheuer G;
       Diehl V; Schrappe M; Department of Internal Medicine I, University of
       Cologne,; Germany.
 SO    J Clin Microbiol. 1995 Sep;33(9):2294-6. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96025140
 AB    Intestinal microsporidiosis has been implicated as a major cause of
       chronic diarrhea in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected
       patients. So far diagnosis depends on direct visualization of the
       parasites by light and transmission electron microscopy. We evaluated
       the diagnostic value of microsporidian DNA amplification by PCR on
       duodenal biopsy specimens obtained from patients with and without
       intestinal microsporidiosis caused by Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Thirteen
       HIV-infected patients (all CDC stage C3) were studied. Eight patients
       had intestinal microsporidiosis caused by E. bieneusi (n = 6), Septata
       intestinalis (n = 1), and Encephalitozoon cuniculi (n = 1);
       microsporidioses were diagnosed by light microscopy of stool samples and
       confirmed by light and electron microscopy of intestinal biopsy
       specimens. Five patients had no microsporidia in their stool samples or
       in their intestinal biopsy specimens, as examined by light and electron
       microscopy. Additionally, DNA prepared from Toxoplasma gondii derived
       from mouse ascites was used as a further control. A 353-bp DNA fragment
       of the small-subunit rRNA gene could be amplified from all six biopsy
       specimens infected with E. bieneusi, and the nature of the PCR products
       was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. No amplification of DNA
       fragments was seen by using DNA extracted from biopsy specimens with S.
       intestinalis or E. cuniculi infection or without microsporidian
       infection and with template DNA extracted from T. gondii. The results
       suggest that PCR testing of intestinal biopsy specimens may be a useful
       approach to diagnosing microsporidiosis in HIV-infected patients.
 DE    Animal  Base Sequence  Human  HIV Infections/COMPLICATIONS/*PARASITOLOGY
       Intestines/*PARASITOLOGY  Mice  Microsporida/*ISOLATION & PURIF
       Molecular Sequence Data  Polymerase Chain Reaction  Protozoan
       Infections/COMPLICATIONS/*PARASITOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

