Blastocystis Research Foundation Announces Best Research Paper Awards for 2006

CORVALLIS, OR, September 1, 2007. The Blastocystis Research Foundation announced its awards for the best research studies on Blastocystis infection published in 2006.  The awards recognize outstanding contribution to understanding of this gastrointestinal infection.  Award recipients receive a handsome recognition plaque, and researchers in developing countries receive a research grant award as well.

BEST INTERNATIONAL STUDY: To Dr. Tan Tian Chye and Dr. Suresh Kumar, University of Malaya, for "Predominance of amoeboid forms of Blastocystis hominis in isolates from symptomatic hosts" and "PCR Fingerprinting of Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic human hosts."    The studies demonstrated that Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic patients behaved differently in culture, and also formed a genetically distinct group when compared to isolates from asymptomatic carriers [1,2].

BEST UNITED STATES STUDY: To Dr. Omar Amin of The Parasitology Research Center, Arizona for "The Epidemiology of Blastocystis hominis in the United States." [3]. This is the largest study of Blastocystis infection in US patients, covering 824 patients. The report corroborates prior reports of fatigue and cutaneous involvement in Blastocystis infection, and provides a state-by-state breakdown of the prevalence of the infection.

BEST ANIMAL STUDY: To Dr. Yao, et al of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China for "Experimental infection of mice with Blastocystis hominis"  which demonstrated intestinal inflammation and death in mice experimentally infected with Blastocystis [4].  And also to Dr. HW Zhang, et al, Zhengzhou University for "Impact of Blastocystis hominis infection on ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa in mice" for the first study demonstrating invasive infection in an animal model.  These studies confirmed prior study in mice [6], and extend the findings to identify invasiveness which may hold clues to the cutaneous symptoms present in some patients.

BEST DIAGNOSTIC STUDY: To Dr. Rune Stensvold, et al  of Statens Serum Institut, Denmark for "Detection of Blastocystis hominis in unpreserved stool specimens by using polymerase chain reaction" [7]. This study confirmed prior research showing that conventional microscopic examination fails to detect many symptomatic infections, and also identified specific genotypes present in symptomatic infections.

BEST IN-VITRO STUDY: To Dr. Manoj Puthia, et al of the National University of Singapore for "Blastocystis ratti induces contact-independent apoptosis, F-actin rearrangement, and barrier function disruption in IEC-6 cells" [8].  One of the first studies to define a pathogenesis for the infection, the research demonstrated isolates from Subtype 7 cause loss of barrier function in colonic epithelial cells, along with cell destruction.

Click here for a copy of the references hyperlinked to their abstracts and papers

[1] Tan TC, Suresh KG. Predominance of amoeboid forms of Blastocystis hominis in isolates from symptomatic patients. Parasitology Res. 2006 Feb;98(3):189-93. Dec 2. PMID: 16323025

[2] Tan TC, Suresh KG, Thong KL, Smith HV.  PCR fingerprinting of Blastocystis isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic human hosts. Parasitology Res. 2006 Sep;99(4):459-65. Epub 2006 Apr 21. PMID: 16628457

[3] Amin, Omar M. The Epidemiology of Blastocystis hominis in the United States. Research Journal of Parasitology 1 (1) 1-10, 2006

[4] Yao FR, Qiao JY, Zhao Y, Zhang X, Yang JH, Li XQ. Experimental infection of mice with Blastocystis hominis.  Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 2005 Dec 30;23(6):444-8. PMID: 16566218

[5] Zhang HW, Li W, Yan QY, He LJ, Su YP. Impact of blastocystis hominis infection on ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa in mice Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 2006 Jun;24(3):187-91. PMID: 17094618

[6] Moe KT, Singh M, Howe J, Ho LC, Tan SW, Chen XQ, Ng GC, Yap EH. Experimental Blastocystis hominis infection in laboratory mice. Parasitol Res. 1997;83(4):319-25. PMID: 9134552

[7] Stensvold R, Brillowska-Dabrowska A, Nielsen HV, Arendrup MC. Detection of Blastocystis hominis in unpreserved stool specimens by using polymerase chain reaction.J Parasitol. 2006 Oct;92(5):1081-7. PMID: 17152954

[8] Puthia MK, Sio SW, Lu J, Tan KS.  Blastocystis ratti induces contact-independent apoptosis, F-actin rearrangement, and barrier function disruption in IEC-6 cells.Infect Immun. 2006 Jul;74(7):4114-23. PMID: 16790785