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Septata intestinalis frequently isolated from stool of AIDS patients with a new cultivation method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

T. Van Gool ,
E. U. Canning ,
H. Gilis ,
M. A. Van Den Bergh Weerman ,
J. K. M. Eeftinck Schattenkerk  and
J. Dankert
T. Van Gool
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
E. U. Canning
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Imperial College London, London 5W7 2AZ, UK
H. Gilis
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
M. A. Van Den Bergh Weerman
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
J. K. M. Eeftinck Schattenkerk
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine (AIDS- Unit), University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
J. Dankert
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Summary

Two species of microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Septata intestinalis have been reported as intestinal parasites of AIDS patients. In attempts to establish E. bieneusi in vitro, spores were concentrated from stool samples from 4 AIDS patients with biopsy-proven E. bieneusi infections. After sterilization of the concentrate in antibiotic solution, the spores were added to monolayers of RK13 cells grown on the membranes of Transwells. Cultures were established from 7 stool samples from the 4 patients but in every case the species established was S. intestinalis not E. bieneusi. On retrospective examination of the stools, a very small number of spores of a size comparable to that of S. intestinalis was found but this species was not detected in biopsies. Typical septate vacuoles containing Type I tubules were observed in vitro but in contrast to the original description, meronts were intravacuolar and sporogony was mainly disporoblastic. The cultivation system, used for the first time for microsporidia, revealed the presence of unsuspected S. intestinalis infections and indicates that this species may be much more common than hitherto suspected. S. intestinalis has not previously been cultured.

Keywords

microsporidiaEnterocytozoon bieneusiSeptata intestinalis
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 109 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 281 - 289
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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