Molecular differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar from stool and culture samples obtained from Polish citizens infected in tropics and in Poland

The examinations were carried out on stool and serum samples obtained from 38 Polish citizens infected with E. histolytica sensu late. Prevalence of i nfection (according microscopic examinations) was 0.63% in the Polish who c ome back from abroad and about 0,19% in persons who did not leave our count ry. The investigations were performed with isoenzyme analysis and polymeras e chain reaction with the use of specific (Psp, NPsp) and (p11+p12, p13+p14 ) primers. Serodiagnostic examinations were done with antigen produced from E. histolytica HK-9 axenic strain. The examinations revealed that in 31 ca ses the amoebae belonged to nonpathogenic E. dispar, in 4 to pathogenic E. histolytica, among this one indigenous case; and in two cases were mixed in fections. In one case we neither got DNA amplification products nor culture d amoebae. However, from 25 persons we obtained amoebae cultures helping in identification the amoebae zymodemes. The prevailing zymodeme was nonpatho genic zymodeme I. The PCR results were in agreement with isoenzymatic and s erodiagnostic examinations.