Open AccessFirst Evidence of Genetic Intraspecific Variability and Occurrence of Entamoeba gingivalis in HIV(+)/AIDS
Author(s) -
Sibeli B. S. Cembranelli,
Fernanda O. Souto,
Kennio FerreiraPaim,
Túlio T. Richinho,
Poliana L. Nunes,
Gabriel Antônio Nogueira Nascentes,
Thatiana Bragine Ferreira,
Dalmo Correia,
Eliane LagesSilva
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0082864
Subject(s) - human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , biology , intraspecific competition , virology , genetics , zoology
Entamoeba gingivalis is considered an oral commensal but demonstrates a pathogenic potential associated with periodontal disease in immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, this study evaluated the occurrence, opportunistic conditions, and intraspecific genetic variability of E. gingivalis in HIV(+)/AIDS patients. Entamoeba gingivalis was studied using fresh examination (FE), culture, and PCR from bacterial plaque samples collected from 82 HIV(+)/AIDS patients. Genetic characterization of the lower ribosomal subunit of region 18S (18S-SSU rRNA) was conducted in 9 positive samples using low-stringency single specific primer PCR (LSSP-PCR) and sequencing analysis. Entamoeba gingivalis was detected in 63.4% (52/82) of the samples. No association was detected between the presence of E. gingivalis and the CD4 + lymphocyte count (≤200 cells/mm 3 ( p = 0.912) or viral load ( p = 0.429). The LSSP-PCR results helped group E. gingivalis populations into 2 polymorphic groups (68.3% similarity): group I, associated with 63.6% (7/11) of the samples, and group II, associated with 36.4% (4/11) of the samples, which shared 74% and 83.7% similarity and association with C and E isolates from HIV(−) individuals, respectively. Sequencing of 4 samples demonstrated 99% identity with the reference strain ATCC 30927 and also showed 2 divergent clusters, similar to those detected by LSSP-PCR. Opportunistic behavior of E. gingivalis was not detected, which may be related to the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy by all HIV(+)/AIDS patients. The high occurrence of E. gingivalis in these patients can be influenced by multifactorial components not directly related to the CD4 + lymphocyte counts, such as cholesterol and the oral microbiota host, which could mask the potential opportunistic ability of E. gingivalis . The identification of the 18S SSU-rRNA polymorphism by LSSP-PCR and sequencing analysis provides the first evidence of genetic variability in E. gingivalis isolated from HIV patients.