Blastocystis: Biología, Subtipos genéticos, patología y Tratamiento

Abstract

Blastocystis is a chromista, unicellular, anaerobic eukaryote living in the intestinal tract of different hosts including humans. There are different morphologies of the organism, each with variations in morphology and size, featuring several subtypes (STs) of which at molecular and epidemiological studies that have revealed a significant difference in the distribution of subtypes by guests and geographic regions have been identified. In the treatment of Blastocystis infection, have been used a variety of drugs, however, it has been reported in the inefficacy of these parasite. Furthermore, it has been a change in the biological behavior Blastocystis when treated to a drug, which is suggested to be due to, the possible resistance of the parasite to the drugs, which makes Blastocystis an organism even more pathogenic as well as the secretion of cysteine proteases, which play an important role in its pathogenesis. In this work recent advances in biology, pathogenesis, genetic variants and treatment and biological behavior to a drug and its association to various diseases is shown.