Blastocystis spp.: frequency and subtype distribution in iron deficiency anemic versus non-anemic subjects from Egypt.

Many helminthic and protozoal infections have been implicated in iron deficiency anemia (IDA) but few reports have suggested a link between Blastocystis sp. infection and IDA. Herein, we investigated the frequency and the association of the Blastocystis sp.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in antenatal population in Menoufia governorate, Egypt.

Knowledge of the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women would be a valuable approach for planning appropriate preventive strategies. However, no enough data currently exist as to the magnitude of T. gondii infection among pregnant women in Egypt.

Inhibitory effect of Ferula asafoetida L. (Umbelliferae) on Blastocystis sp. subtype 3 growth in vitro.

Asafoetida is an oleo-gum-resin obtained from many Ferula species and frequently used in traditional medicine. The current study aimed to evaluate the activity of asafoetida against the in vitro growth of Blastocystis sp. Asafoetida as powder-form (Ap) and oil-form (Ao) extracts at concentrations of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 20 mg/ml and 5, 10, 25, 40, and 50 mg/ml, respectively were incubated with isolates of Blastocystis sp.

Blastocystis hominis as a contributing risk factor for development of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women.

Intestinal parasitic infection increases the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia (IDA) during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess Blastocystis hominis as a contributing risk factor for development of IDA in pregnant women. A total of 200 fecal specimens from 120 pregnant women with IDA (mean Hb = 9.

The potential use of 29 kDa protein as a marker of pathogenicity and diagnosis of symptomatic infections with Blastocystis hominis.

The present study was performed to characterize the protein profiles of Blastocystis hominis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting using sera from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The presence of immunogenic bands associated with pathogenicity or of diagnostic potentials was also evaluated. The study comprised 80 individuals classified into four groups, 20 each: symptomatic blastocystosis (G1), asymptomatic blastocystosis (G2), other parasitic infections (G3), and healthy control subjects (G4).

Effect of Ferula assafoetida on experimental murine Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Ferula assafoetida is a hard, resinous, oily herbaceous gum belonging to plant family Umbelliferae. It is used as a traditional medicine in many parts of the world and its wide use in medicine was listed by many authors. In the current study, the effect of F.