Open AccessComparison of the Flotac-400 Dual Technique and the Formalin-Ether Concentration Technique for Diagnosis of Human Intestinal Protozoon Infection
Author(s) -
Sören L. Becker,
Laurent K. Lohourig,
Benjamin Speich,
Laura Rinaldi,
Stefanie Knopp,
Eliézer K. N’Goran,
Giuseppe Cringoli,
Jürg Utzinger
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.01035-10
Subject(s) - entamoeba coli , entamoeba histolytica , entamoeba , veterinary medicine , blastocystis , protozoa , parasite hosting , biology , intestinal parasite , giardia lamblia , parasitology , helminths , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , feces , immunology , zoology , ascaris lumbricoides , world wide web , computer science
There is a need for accurate diagnosis of intestinal parasite infections in humans, but currently available copromicroscopic techniques have shortcomings, such as low sensitivity. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of a further modified version of the recently developed Flotac technique with that of the widely used formalin-ether concentration technique (FECT) for the detection of intestinal protozoa in human stool samples. Formaldehyde-preserved stool samples from 108 individuals in Côte d'Ivoire were subjected to the Flotac-400 dual technique, using two different flotation solutions (FS), and to the FECT. Stool samples were examined according to computer-generated random lists by an experienced laboratory technician blinded for the results of each method. Both methods detected the same eight intestinal protozoon species. While the Flotac-400 dual technique (results from both FS combined) found higher prevalences ofEntamoeba coli (77.8% versus 71.3%,P < 0.001),Blastocystis hominis (20.4% versus 13.0%,P = 0.458), andGiardia intestinalis (8.3% versus 6.5%,P < 0.001), the FECT detected higher prevalences ofEntamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (27.8% versus 20.4%,P = 0.019) and four species of nonpathogenic intestinal protozoa. The diagnostic agreement between the two methods differed considerably depending on the intestinal protozoon investigated (Cohen's kappa measures; range, 0.01 to 0.46). Our study confirmed that the Flotac-400 dual technique can be utilized for the diagnosis of intestinal protozoon infections in humans. Since Flotac is a sensitive technique for the detection of soil-transmitted helminths andSchistosoma mansoni , it might become a viable copromicroscopic technique for the concurrent diagnosis of helminths and intestinal protozoon infections.