Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF ISTANBUL FACULTY OF MEDICINE-ISTANBUL TIP FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.88, sa.3, ss.198-206, 2025 (ESCI)
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between Dientamoeba fragilis and gastrointestinal symptoms, assess the effectiveness of various diagnostic methods, and determine the correlation between genotypes and clinical manifestations. Material and Methods: Stool samples were collected from 116 patients with gastrointestinal complaints. The presence of D. fragilis was investigated using culture methods (BD and LS media) and molecular techniques (real-time PCR and conventional PCR). Positive samples were subjected to sequencing analysis for genotyping. Results: D. fragilis was detected in 18 out of 116 patients (15.52%) using PCR, whereas culture methods identified only 9 positive cases (7.75%). A statistically significant difference was observed between the molecular and culture methods (p<0.001). All D. fragilis samples belonged to Genotype 1. The most common symptoms were diarrhoea (76.9%) and abdominal pain (61.5%); however, no significant correlation was found between genotype and clinical symptoms. Conclusion: Real-time PCR was the most sensitive and specific diagnostic method. Genotyping results indicated no association between D. fragilis genotypes and clinical manifestations. Further studies are needed to explore additional genomic targets to better understand the pathogenic potential of D. fragilis.