PROBLEM IN AMOEBIASIS DIAGNOSIS IN CLINICAL SETTING: A REVIEW FROM CONVENTIONAL MICROSCOPY TO ADVANCE MOLECULAR BASED DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

Amebiasis is an infection of the large intestine, and sometimes the liver and other organs, caused by a single-celled parasite (protozoa) Entamoeba histolytica, or amoeba. Amoebiasis, an intestinal protozoan disease caused by the bacterium Entamoeba histolytica, is a public health problem. Amoebiasis tends to occur in areas where sanitation is inadequate. About 50 million people around the world are infected with amebiasis each year, and it causes approximately 100,000 deaths. Therefore, laboratory detection of pathogenic E. histolytica bacteria and distinguishing them from non-pathogenic bacteria plays a crucial role in treating patients. The most sensitive methods for laboratory diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis include a variety of ELISA tests. To diagnose amebiasis, your doctor will collect stool samples for analysis. The best way is to test the stool for a protein released by the amoeba (antigen tests), or to use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to detect the genetic material of the amoeba in the stool. This technique produces copies of Many of the amoeba's genetic material, thus making the amoeba easier to detect. Antigen tests or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are more useful than microscopic examination of stool samples, which are often inconclusive. Laboratory diagnosis of extraintestinal amebiasis is challenged by the lack of definitive detection of current infections and commercially available point-of-care tests. For both types of amebiasis, there is still a need for sensitive, highly specific, rapid and cost-effective tests for use in developing countries where the disease is common. In recent years, new molecules of diagnostic value have been discovered and new tests have been developed. Advances in “omics” technologies allow the discovery of new biomarkers that may help differentiate between different stages of infection.