Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26373392›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2015

Blastocystis specific serum immunoglobulin in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) versus healthy controls.

Robyn Nagel, Rebecca J Traub, Marcella M S Kwan, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  5. Review
  6. The hidden impact of differentJournal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2019
    Article
  7. Distribution and phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis sp. subtypes isolated from IBD patients and healthy individuals in Iran.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2017
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Robyn NagelSchool of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia. robynnagel@tgclinic.com.au.
Rebecca J TraubSchool of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia. rtraub@unimelb.edu.au.
Marcella M S KwanRural Clinical School, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia. m.kwan@uq.edu.au.
Helle Bielefeldt-OhmannSchool of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia. h.bielefeldtohmann1@uq.edu.au.
Toowoomba Hospital · AUUniversity of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBlastocystis species are common enteric human parasites and carriage has been linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), particularly diarrhoea-predominant IBS. The spectrum of immune reactivity to Blastocystis proteins has been reported previously in symptomatic patients. We investigated differences in serum immunoglobulin profiles between patients with IBS, both positive and negative for Blastocystis carriage, and healthy controls (HC).

methodsForty diarrhoea-predominant IBS patients (26 patients positive for Blastocystis sp., 14 negative patients) and forty HC (24 positive, 16 Blastocystis-negative) were enrolled. Age, gender, ethnicity and serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were recorded and faecal specimens were analysed using smear, culture and polymerase chain reaction amplification of ribosomal DNA. Sera were tested in Western blots and the reactivities compared to known targets using monoclonal antibodies Blastofluor® (Blastocystis specific antibody), MAb1D5 (cytopathicto Blastocystis cells), anti-promatrix metalloprotease-9 (anti-MMP-9) and SDS-PAGE zymograms.

resultsLevels of serum IgA were significantly lower in Blastocystis carriers (p < 0.001) but had no relationship to symptoms. Western blots demonstrated serum IgG antibodies specific for Blastocystis proteins of 17,27,37,50,60-65, 75-90, 95-105 and 150 kDa MW. Reactivity to the 27, 50 and 75-95 kDa proteins were found more frequently in the IBS group compared to the HC's (p < 0.001) and correlation was greater for Blastocystis-positive IBS patients (p < 0.001) than for negative IBS patients (p < 0.05). MAb1D5 reacted with proteins of 27 and 100 kDa, and anti-MMP-9 with 27, 50 and 75-100 kDa proteins. Bands were seen in zymograms around 100 kDa.

conclusionsLow serum IgA levels are associated with Blastocystis carriage. All IBS patients were more likely to demonstrate reactivity with Blastocystis proteins of 27 kDa (likely a cysteine protease), 50 and 75-95 kDa MW compared to HC. The presence of antibodies to these Blastocystis proteins in some Blastocystis-negative subjects suggests either prior exposure to Blastocystis organisms or antibody cross reactivities. The anti-proMMP-9 reaction at 50 and 75-100 kDa and the zymogram result suggest that metalloproteases may be important Blastocystis antigens.

trial registrationAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials registry ACTRN: 12611000918921.

Indexed as

Antibodies, ProtozoanBlastocystisBlastocystis InfectionsBlotting, WesternCarrier StateDNA, ProtozoanElectrophoresis, Polyacrylamide GelFecesHumansImmunoglobulin AIrritable Bowel SyndromeNew ZealandPolymerase Chain ReactionPrevalenceSerumAntibodies, ProtozoanDNA, ProtozoanImmunoglobulin A

Identifiers

PMID26373392
PMCPMC4572630
OpenAlexW1869565422

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.