Gut pathogens
Association of Blastocystis subtype 3 with elevated IL-8-mediated inflammation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
By Morsy SM, Abdeltawab MSA, Mahfoz AM and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
The role of Blastocystis in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains controversial, with emerging evidence suggesting subtype-specific differences in pathogenicity. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a key pro-inflammatory chemokine, has been implicated in mucosal immune activation in both IBS and parasitic infections.
Objective
This study aimed to investigate the association between Blastocystis subtypes and clinical manifestations of IBS, with a particular focus IL-8 as part of the systemic pro-inflammatory immune response associated with functional GIT disorders and intestinal infections.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 298 symptomatic patients attending a tertiary gastroenterology clinic were evaluated using Rome IV criteria for IBS diagnosis. Identification of Blastocystis in stool samples was done by direct microscopic examination. Subtype identification using PCR and subtype-specific sequence-tagged site primers were also performed. A balanced random selection was used to compare serum IL-8 levels between Blastocystis-positive IBS patients and an equal number of randomly selected Blastocystis-negative IBS patients. Clinical, biochemical, and demographic variables were analyzed in relation to infection status and subtype distribution.