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Blastocystis Research Foundation

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Blastocystis News

April 27, 2009 - Denmark's Staatens Serum Institute published study on Blastocystis infection in Denmark, identifying association with IBS, and noting presence of inflammatory bowel disease in patients.

March 27, 2009 - Pasteur Institute publishes study on Blastocystis infection in France (BRF co-authored study)

February 26, 2009 - Read BRF's letter in Lancet Infectious Diseases, "Emerging infectious diseases are not always obvious." 

February 18, 2009 - Dr. Charles H. Zierdt, 30+ year veteran of the NIH, joins BRF Board of Directors
January 15, 2009 - Notes from Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness meeting, April, 2008.  BRF's testimony is noted on page 19 (search for Blastocystis).

 November 17, 2008 - Corvallis Gazette Times publishes article on impact of long-term Blastocystis infection on local family.

More Items (coming soon)

BRF Firsts


Most of the research on this page was supported by donations from patients and concerned citizens.  You would not be reading this now if it weren't for their generosity.  Please consider donating to BRF.

1. First study to genotype Blastocystis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome [1,5].

2. First study to genotype Blastocystis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [5].

3. First study to identify Blastocystis as an emerging infectious disease in the United States and this was correlated with a substantial rise in inflammatory bowel disease in the same period [2].

4. First study to note the combination of diagnostic failure and treatment failure in blastocystosis has produced the phenomenon of irritable bowel syndrome and 'Gulf War Illness' [3].

5. First study to identify protease-activated-2 receptor activation as the mechanism causing widespread pain in blastocystosis [2] and psychiatric symptoms [2].

6. First study to suggest the range of symptoms seen in blastocystosis is similar to that in ameobiasis and this has produced a spectrum disease currently diagnosed either as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome [2].

7. First study to identify host polymorphisms in TNF-alpha and IL-10 as contributing to severity of symptoms in both ameobiasis and blastocystosis [2,5].

8. First commercially available PCR test for Blastocystis.

9. First mass produced immuno-fluorescence stain for Blastocystis

10. First clinical study of Blastocystis in US citizens using advanced methods [1].  First clinical study of Blastocystis in US citizens in 21 century [1].

11. First study co-authored by a researcher studying undiagnosed illness in Gulf War Vets and a researcher studying similar illness in Middle East [1,2].

REFERENCES

  1. Jones M, Whipps C, Ganac R, Hudson N, Boorom K.  Association of Blastocystis subtype 3 and 1 with patients from an Oregon community presenting with chronic gastrointestinal illness. Parasitol Res. Epub 2008 Oct 16.n>
  2. Boorom KF, Smith H, Nimri L, Viscogliosi E, Spanakos G, Parkar U, Li LH, Zhou XN, Ok UZ, Leelayoova S, Jones MS.  Oh my aching gut: irritable bowel syndrome, Blastocystis, and asymptomatic infection. BMC Parasites and Vectors. 2008 Oct 21;1(1):40.
  3. Souppart L, Sanciu G, Cian A, Wawrzyniak I, Delbac F, Capron M, Dei-Cas E, Boorom K, Delhaes L, Viscogliosi E.  Molecular epidemiology of human Blastocystis isolates in France. Parasitol Res. 2009 Mar 17. 
  4. Boorom K. Emerging infectious diseases are not always obvious. Lancet Infect Dis. 2009 Mar;9(3):142.
  5. Dogruman-Al F, Kustimur1 S, Yoshikawa H, Tuncer C, Simsek Z, Tanyuksel M, Araz E, Boorom K.  Blastocystis subtypes in irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in Ankara, Turkey.    Memorias Instituto Oswaldo Cruz  In Press