Abstract

Differential diagnosis of Entamoeba spp. has great clinical and epidemiological importance. Entamoeba moshkovskii cysts and trophozoites are morphologically indistinguishable fromEntamoeba dispar and Entamoeba histolytica. This study was carried out for the first time to detect Entamoeba spp. in stool samples by using molecular method from April 2010 to December 2010 in Khorramabad, Iran. A total of 862 fecal specimens were collected from patients having abnormal gastrointestinal symptoms and who were referred to the health care centers of Khorramabad. Out of 862 stool samples, 16 (1.86 %) showed the presence of E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii cysts by microscopic examination. Consequently, single-round PCR was carried out to differentiate the Entamoeba spp. OF the sixteen samples that were microscopically positive, 1 (6.25%) was E. moshkovskii, and 15 (93.75%) were E. dispar. Our results, along with those of other similar study conducted in different parts of Iran, reveal that E. dispar is more prevalent.

Key words: Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba moshkovskii, single-round PCR, Iran.