अमूर्त

Correlation between physical signs and clinical symptoms with Giardia lamblia genotyping

Noha Sammer Ahmed, Hanaa Ahmed El-Hady, Hisham Ibrahim Osman, Amal Mostafa Ahmed

Background: Giardia lamblia is an intestinal parasite found in a wide range of mammals, including humans. It is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal pathogens that may cause many clinical and other complications. Objective: To determine the relationship between every Giardia sub-assemblage with the clinical picture and physical measurements of the cases. Measurement of some physical features, like weight and height using growth charts for weight, height, weight for height and body mass index. Methodology: Case history, information about age, gender, and locality were collected and a questionnaire survey about diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal colic, abdominal distension and failure to thrive were done for 93 patients infected with G. lamblia molecularly after DNA extraction from stool samples by using (QiAmp® DNA stool Mini kit (Qiagen, UK). Amplification of glutamate dehydrogenase gene using specific primers by semi-nested PCR thermal cycler technique and Restriction of the DNA fragments using two restriction fragment enzymes (NIaIV and RsaI restriction fragment enzymes) was performed. This was followed by measurement of some physical features, like weight and height using growth charts for weight, height, weight for height and body mass index. The cases were taken randomly. Result: Both Giardia assemblage B and Giardia assemblage A were poly-symptomatic, especially Giardia assemblage B. Diarrhea, abdominal distension, abdominal colic, failure to thrive and the decrease in weight for age, weight for height and body mass index were associated with both the types but more with assemblage B as compared to assemblage A. The decrease in height for age was also associated with both types but more with assemblage A.