Internal transcribed spacer region 1 as a promising target for detection of intra-specific polymorphisms for Strongyloides stercoralis

Yasmin Sultana; Fanrong Kong; Mandira Mukutmoni; Laila Fahria; Aleya Begum; Rogan Lee

doi:10.4103/tp.tp_13_21

Internal transcribed spacer region 1 as a promising target for detection of intra-specific polymorphisms for Strongyloides stercoralis

Trop Parasitol. 2022 Jan-Jun;12(1):48-53. doi: 10.4103/tp.tp_13_21. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

Authors

Yasmin Sultana^{1

2}, Fanrong Kong¹, Mandira Mukutmoni³, Laila Fahria³, Aleya Begum³, Rogan Lee^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiological Services, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead NSW Australia, NSW, Australia.
² Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
³ Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis, the causative agent of strongyloidiasis, is a parasitic worm that has larvae capable of reinfecting the same host. This nematode infection is therefore difficult to treat and to achieve total cure. Information about genetic variation and differences in drug susceptibility between strains is needed to improve treatment outcomes.

Aim: To develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify the intra-species variation among 13 S. stercoralis isolates collected from Bangladesh, USA and Australia.

Material & methods: PCR assays were designed by using primers targeting S. stercoralis internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions 1 and 2. Sequence data generated by these PCR products were compared to the existing ITS1/2, 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences in GenBank for phylogenetic analysis.

Results: Intra-species single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in ITS1 and in the 5.8S rRNA gene. The generated phylogram grouped the 13 isolates into dog, Orangutan and human clusters.

Conclusion: This method could be used as an epidemiological tool to study strain differences in larger collections of S. stercoralis isolates. The study forms the basis for further development of an ITS-based assay for S. stercoralis molecular epidemiological studies.

Keywords: Bangladesh; Strongyloides stercoralis; different countries; internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 (ITS1/2); single-nucleotide polymorphism.