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Blastocystis in the human gastrointestinal tract – commensal or “silent” pathogen?

Czech version

Authors: S. Kühnelová 1;  L. Rožnovský 2;  J. Doležílková 3;  R. Maďar 1
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav epidemiologie a ochrany veřejného zdraví LF OU 1;  Klinika infekčního lékařství FNO a Katedra interních oborů LF OU 2;  Oddělení parazitologie a lékařské zoologie Zdravotního ústavu se sídlem v Ostravě 3
Published in: Epidemiol. Mikrobiol. Imunol. 74, 2025, č. 2, s. 118-125
Category:
doi: https://doi.org/10.61568/emi/11-6492/20250428/140419

Overview

Blastocystis is a unicellular anaerobic microorganism inhabiting the human and animal gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It is the most abundant representative of eukaryotes reported in human feces and found in approx. a billion people worldwide. Despite the common occurrence, its direct pathogenicity and status among other, more significant, GIT parasites remain unclear. Blastocystis colonization is associated with various non-specific clusters of symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, or nausea and is often diagnosed in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, or urticaria. Controversy persists mainly because of the detection of Blastocystis even in asymptomatic patients and the unclear mechanism of its potential pathogenicity. Also, for the reasons mentioned above, no treatment guidelines are available.

Keywords:

infection – pathogen – Blastocystis – commensal

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Poděkování

Tento článek vznikl s podporou Studentské grantové soutěže Lékařské fakulty Ostravské univerzity v rámci projektu SGS12/LF/2025 „Prevalence Blastocystis sp. u vybraných skupin osob v České republice“.

Do redakce došlo dne 4. 1. 2025.

Adresa pro korespondenci:
Mgr. Sabina Kühnelová
Ústav epidemiologie a ochrany veřejného zdraví LF OU
Syllabova 1264/19 703 00 Ostrava – Vítkovice
e-mail: kuhnsa99@osu.cz

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