Detection of Blastocystis Subtypes in Children with Functional Abdominal Pain and Celiac Disease in Çorum, Turkey

BACKGROUND

Blastocystis has been associated with various symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis in children with celiac disease (CeD) or functional abdominal pain (FAP) and to evaluate its subtypes (STs) with respect to demographic, socioeconomic and epidemiological factors.

METHODS

Overall, 161 fecal samples were collected from healthy children and patients with FAP or CeD in Hitit University Erol Olçok Research and Training Hospital, Corum, Turkey between 2016-2018. Samples were examined using both native-Lugol (NL) and trichrome-stained (TS) smears, and further analyses by PCR and Sanger sequencing were performed. A standard questionnaire was applied to obtain demographic, socioeconomic, epidemiological data.

RESULTS

Blastocystis was found in 10.6% of the total study population. Neither bacteria nor any other parasites were found, except for one Giardia (0.6%) in the CeD group. The presence/absence of the parasite was not found to be associated with demographic, socioeconomic and epidemiological factors. Blastocysis was detected in 11.5% (6/52) of the CeD, 7.7% (4/52) of the FAP, and 12.3% (7/57) of the healthy group. Diagnostic methods were similar in terms of Blastocystis detection (P= 0.671), and there was fair agreement between the NL, TS and PCR (Fleiss' Kappa=0.847, P=0.001). ST2 (42.8%) and ST3 (35.7%) were the predominant STs followed by ST1 (21.4%).

CONCLUSION

We observed no difference between study groups in terms of Blastocystis prevalence. ST1, ST2 and ST3 subtypes were detected. Blastocystis prevalence and STs were not related to any of the demographic, socioeconomic and epidemiological factors.

Evaluation of Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Tissue Samples Diagnosed by Histopathology as Echinococcus in Çorum

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to detect the presence of Echinococcus spp. in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPG) samples of hydatid cyst cases and to discuss the DNA isolation problems in FFPG samples.

METHODS

FFPG samples of 47 cases diagnosed with hydatid cyst were included in this study. Demographic characteristics of the cases were investigated. Microtome sections were taken from the samples and deparaffinization, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel agarose electrophoresis procedures were performed.

RESULTS

Of the cases, 55.3% were female, whereas 45.7% were male. Average age was 45.47 and 68.1% of the cases were located in the liver, 17.0% in the lung, 12.8% in the abdomen, and 2.1% in the brain. DNA was obtained in only 11 (23.4%) of the FFPG cyst samples and no proliferation was detected in the PCR products of any of the sample.

CONCLUSION

The scolex/germinal membrane' absence in the FFPG sections, intense inflammatory cell reaction, presence of fibrosis and stromal/parenchymal tissue, DNA damage due to formaldehyde action, long-term archiving, and insufficient amount of DNA obtained were considered as factors preventing DNA replication in PCR.

Thiol-disulfide homeostasis in children with celiac disease

BACKGROUND

Toxic gliadin peptide damages enterocytes in celiac disease by causing oxidative stress. Thiols are organic compounds that defend against oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the changes in thiol-disulfide homeostasis in children with celiac disease.

METHODS

The study included patients with celiac disease, children diagnosed with functional gastrointestinal disorders, and healthy children. Patients' serum native and total thiol-disulfide amounts, disulfide/total thiol percentage ratios, disulfide / native thiol percentage ratios, and native thiol/total thiol percentage ratios were measured.

RESULTS

The study involved 172 children, of whom 90 (52.3%) were girls. The mean participant age was 8.6 ± 4.2 years. A total of 59 (34.3%) children had celiac disease, 56 (32.6%) had functional gastrointestinal disorders, and 57 (33.1%) were healthy. The total thiol and disulfide levels of patients with celiac disease (305 ± 87 μmol/L and 25 ± 15 μmol/L, respectively) were significantly lower than those of healthy children (349 ± 82 μmol/L and 40 ± 15 μmol/L, respectively) (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). Native and total thiol levels (226 ± 85 μmol/L and 279 ± 99 μmol/L, respectively) in patients with celiac disease who consumed a gluten-containing diet were significantly lower than those of patients who consumed a gluten-free diet (278 ± 64 μmol/L and 327 ± 69 μmol/L, respectively) (P = 0.017 and P = 0.041, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Thiol-disulfide homeostasis, an important antioxidant defense component of the gastrointestinal system, is disrupted in children with celiac disease. A gluten-free diet helped partially ameliorate this decline.