Molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis

Abstract

Blastocystis  pathogenicity and classification was newly illuminated with molecular genetic studies and recently the parasite was found in the focus of many researchers. Several molecular methods such as; polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, real-time polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analyses can be used in genotyping of  Blastocystis .  Blastocystis  parasites may cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, irritability, anorexia, cramps, vomiting, dehydration, insomnia, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue symptoms and also could be asymptomatic cases. In this review, it was aimed to summarize the associations between  Blastocystis  subtypes and pathogenicity. Key words: Blastocystis , subtype, pathogenicity