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Blastocystis Research Foundation
  To find us, just Google 'Blastocystis'........without the hominis

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Blastocystis 'hominis'  News

 March 25, 2011: Research publish complete genome sequence of Blastocystis

March 23, 2011: Culinary herbs common in Southeast Asian cooking inhibit growth of Blastocystis in-vitro

February 12, 2011: Diagnostic methods commonly used in laboratories fail to identify most Blastocystis infections

January 17, 2011: US FDA researchers report on new assay for Blastocystis
 
November 18, 2010: BRF co-authors study on detection of Blastocystis in samples from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and IBS

March 4, 2010:  Rats infected with Blastocystis exhibit high levels of oxidative stress in a new paper from Parasitology Research

February 10, 2010: Are any of the antiprotozoal drugs really eradicating Blastocystis 'hominis' infection in patients?  A recent review: "Eradication of Blastocystis carriage with antimicrobials: reality or delusion?" says they may not be working.

February 9, 2010: Patients with ulcerative colitis are more likely to experience a relapse in illness if they are infected with Blastocystis and other protozoa

January 15, 2010: BRF co-authors the world's first report on subtyping of Blastocystis 'hominis' isolates from Egypt

Older News

NOTE: The correct term is now Blastocystis not Blastocystis 'hominis' as there is no Blastocystis unique to humans.

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 'hominis' in patients with irritable bowel syndrome [1,5].

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

3. First study to identify Blastocystis 'hominis' 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 'hominis'.

9. First mass produced immuno-fluorescence stain for Blastocystis 'hominis'

10. First clinical study of Blastocystis 'hominis' in US citizens using advanced methods [1].  First clinical study of Blastocystis 'hominis' 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 'hominis' 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 'hominis', 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 'hominis' 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 'hominis' subtypes in irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in Ankara, Turkey.    Memorias Instituto Oswaldo Cruz  In Press