Evaluation of Entamoeba histolytica In Stool Samples of Children in Baghdad City Using of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

• Published in: Tikrit Journal of Pure Science Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Author: Mohanad Maher, Haneen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tikrit University 25.04.2025
• Subjects: Entamoeba histolytica, Stool samples, ELISA, PCR
• ISSN: 1813-1662; 2415-1726
• DOI: 10.25130/tjps.v30i2.1667

Amoebic dysentery is a frequent infectious disease that is acquired by contaminated food and water carrying the infective stage of the parasite. Entamoeba histolytica is a parasite that has spread internationally as a generating growing illness and death in underdeveloped nations. The disease is considered more frequent in conditions were insufficient cleanliness and congested population is present. Although the first diagnostic methods of the parasite in infected patient is microscopy, it is not feasible to depend on this approach since it is not able to discriminate between amoebic forms that imitate this parasite. Thus, the requirement for a more advanced approach to offer accurate diagnosis of the parasite is important to represent the genuine frequency of the parasite. The present research includes the assessment of (220) fecal samples from children under (15 years) over the period of 1st December 2023 to 1st of February 2024. It involves microscopic inspection of fecal samples confirmation of diagnosis with two distinct Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay test (ELISA) that catch E. histolytica/disbar and E. histolytica alone. Also, microscopic positive samples were submitted to nucleic acid identification of E. histolytic by Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction  (RT-PCR) The findings indicated that the proportion of microscopic positive samples were 93(42.27 %), with males representing (68.82 %) and females by (32.18 %). The most afflicted age group was between (1-5 years) with an infectivity rate (47.31 %). Most of the patients with amoebic dysentery (66.67 %) were dwelling in urban areas, while (33.33 %) were from rural areas. Regarding E. Histolytica /dispar stool antigen ELISA, this test was positive in (63.44 %) of a total of (93) microscopy positive specimens with sensitivity and specificity of (73.17 %) and (96.42 %) correspondingly. On the other hand, E. Histolytica specific ELISA test was positive in (25.81 %) out of (93) microscopy positive fecal samples with a sensitivity and specificity of (69.28 %) and (97.91 %), respectively. As far as RT-PCR is involved, E. histolytica nucleic acid was positive in (20.44 %) out of (93) microscopy positive fecal samples. In conclusion, microscopy positive Entamoeba complex is a crude mean of detection of Entamoeba complex and diagnosis and should always be validated using better means like ELISA or PCR.