Blastocystis sp.: frequency and typing among Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients

Blastocystis is an intestinal protozoan that has been evaluated for its possible pathogenicity role in IBS disease. In Syria, no previous studies have focused on the presence of Blastocystis among IBS patientstherefore, this study aims to specify the frequency of Blastocystis parasite and its subtypes (STs) among IBS patients. Fecal samples were obtained from 70 patients; 35 IBS and 35 non-IBS patients. Samples were subjected to direct microscopic examination, and then studied by conventional PCR. Genotyping using seven specific primers targeting the SSU rRNA gene was employed. No significant correlation between gender was found (ChiSquare; P= 0.212); however, significant difference was found in ages among both groups (Mann-Whitney Test; P= 0.011). Blastocystis was detected in 71.4% (25/35) of IBS patients and in 77.1% (27/35) of non-IBS patients; nonetheless, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.299).