Irritable bowel syndrome: A review on the role of intestinal protozoa and the importance of their detection and diagnosis

Stark, D; van Hal, S; Marriott, D; Ellis, J; Harkness, J

Irritable bowel syndrome: A review on the role of intestinal protozoa and the importance of their detection and diagnosis

Stark, D van Hal, S Marriott, D Ellis, J

Harkness, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal for Parasitology, 2007, 37 (1), pp. 11 - 20
Issue Date:: 2007-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Stark, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	van Hal, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Marriott, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ellis, J https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7328-4831	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Harkness, J	en_US
dc.date.available	2006-09-19	en_US
dc.date.issued	2007-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal for Parasitology, 2007, 37 (1), pp. 11 - 20	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0020-7519	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3912
dc.description.abstract	Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder in which abdominal pain is associated with a defect or a change in bowel habits. Gut inflammation is one of the proposed mechanisms of pathogenesis. Recent studies have described a possible role for protozoan parasites, such as Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis, in the etiology of IBS. Dientamoeba fragilis is known to cause IBS-like symptoms and has a propensity to cause chronic infections but its diagnosis relies on microscopy of stained smears, which many laboratories do not perform, thereby leading to the misdiagnosis of dientamoebiasis as IBS. The role of B. hominis as an etiological agent of IBS is inconclusive, due to contradictory reports and the controversial nature of B. hominis as a human pathogen. Although Entamoeba histolytica infections occur predominately in developing regions of the world, clinical diagnosis of amebiasis is often difficult because symptoms of patients with IBS may closely mimic those patients with non-dysenteric amoebic colitis. Clinical manifestations of Giardia intestinalis infection also vary from asymptomatic carriage to acute and chronic diarrhoea with abdominal pain. These IBS-like symptoms can be continuous, intermittent, sporadic or recurrent, sometimes lasting years without correct diagnosis. It is essential that all patients with IBS undergo routine parasitological investigations in order to rule out the presence of protozoan parasites as the causative agents of the clinical signs. © 2006 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal for Parasitology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.09.009	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Mycology & Parasitology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Giardia lamblia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Dientamoeba	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Blastocystis hominis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Entamoeba histolytica	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Blastocystis Infections	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Dientamoebiasis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Dysentery, Amebic	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Giardiasis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Protozoan Infections	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Irritable Bowel Syndrome	en_US
dc.title	Irritable bowel syndrome: A review on the role of intestinal protozoa and the importance of their detection and diagnosis	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	37	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	en_US
utslib.for	0608 Zoology	en_US
utslib.for	0707 Veterinary Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	37	en_US

Abstract:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder in which abdominal pain is associated with a defect or a change in bowel habits. Gut inflammation is one of the proposed mechanisms of pathogenesis. Recent studies have described a possible role for protozoan parasites, such as Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis, in the etiology of IBS. Dientamoeba fragilis is known to cause IBS-like symptoms and has a propensity to cause chronic infections but its diagnosis relies on microscopy of stained smears, which many laboratories do not perform, thereby leading to the misdiagnosis of dientamoebiasis as IBS. The role of B. hominis as an etiological agent of IBS is inconclusive, due to contradictory reports and the controversial nature of B. hominis as a human pathogen. Although Entamoeba histolytica infections occur predominately in developing regions of the world, clinical diagnosis of amebiasis is often difficult because symptoms of patients with IBS may closely mimic those patients with non-dysenteric amoebic colitis. Clinical manifestations of Giardia intestinalis infection also vary from asymptomatic carriage to acute and chronic diarrhoea with abdominal pain. These IBS-like symptoms can be continuous, intermittent, sporadic or recurrent, sometimes lasting years without correct diagnosis. It is essential that all patients with IBS undergo routine parasitological investigations in order to rule out the presence of protozoan parasites as the causative agents of the clinical signs. © 2006 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/3912