Oral parasitic protozoan Entamoeba gingivalis in periodontal disease patients, northeastern Thailand

@#Entamoeba gingivalis is present in the oral cavity of humans and is associated with periodontal disease. Consequently, this study aimed to comprehensively investigate the E. gingivalis infection and the associated risk factors among individuals suffering from periodontal conditions. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out within a cohort of periodontal patients. Dental plaque specimens were meticulously collected and subsequently subjected to thorough examination using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SrRNA) gene of the organism. The occurrence of risk factors for E. gingivalis infection was analyzed by the chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Out of the 230 participants, 60 were clinically diagnosed with periodontitis, while 170 were afflicted with gingivitis. Out of the 230 patients, 25 (10.9%) tested positive for E. gingivalis infections. An in-depth analysis unveiled that a significant majority of infections were recorded within subgroups characterized by a marital status (15.45%), manifestation of periodontitis (25.00%), and concomitant presence of underlying disease (20.83%). Furthermore, the high risk factor associated with E. gingivalis infection was the female (ORadj = 13.65, 95% CI = 1.08-173.21), followed by periodontitis (ORadj = 3.30, 95% CI = 1.21-9.00), respectively. The study employs a molecular diagnostic approach to screen for E. gingivalis enrichment within a subset of periodontal patients with advancing disease. The findings emphasize the necessity for further research to elucidate the pathogenesis of E. gingivalis and advocate for vigilant surveillance within a substantial population of periodontal patients.

Molecular identification of Opisthorchis viverrini among the northeastern Cambodian population by internal transcribed spacer 2 based polymerase chain reaction

@#The southeast Asian fluke Opisthorchis viverrini remains endemic, particularly in Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. However, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of liver fluke infection in Kratie Province in northeastern Cambodia. The present study aimed to detect O. viverrini DNA in fecal specimens by using the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalence and percentage of O. viverrini infection were described by data analysis. Bivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to look at the related prevalence of O. viverrini infection. A total of 6.89% from 377 fecal samples were found positive of O. viverrini DNA. The prevalence of O. viverrini infection was found to be higher in men (8.92%) than in women (5.45%), and to be associated more frequently with younger age groups (13.40%), illiteracy (8.74%), participation in other careers (non-specific occupations) (11.63%), and residence in the Trapaing Srae village (9.94%) of the Snuol district, Kratie Province. Age groups under 20 years old were significantly linked with O. viverrini infection, with ORadj=0.601, 95% CI=0.410-0.882, p=0.009 and significant value established at (P<0.05). This study demonstrates that O. viverrini infection is distributed in rural areas located near freshwater reservoirs. Therefore, active surveillance, clinical examination of association with hepatobiliary, cholangiocarcinoma, and health education are needed.

Molecular detection of oral Trichomonas tenax in periodontal disease patients by polymerase chain reaction -based 18S rRNA gene

@#Trichomonas tenax, an oral flagellated protozoon found in humans, potentially associated with the inflammation of periodontal tissues and decreased immunity that causes the tissue damage and tooth loss from chronic infection. Currently, there is a lack of data regarding the prevalence of T. tenax infection in Thailand. Therefore, this study aimed to measure prevalence of T. tenax in periodontal disease patients by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene and to determine the factors associated with the presence of this protozoan. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 230 patients with periodontal disease, who visited the oral health center of Suranaree University of Technology Hospital, Thailand from 2021 to 2022. Dental plaque specimens were collected and examined to identify the presence of T. tenax using the PCR-based 18S rRNA gene. The occurrence of factors associated with T. tenax infection was analyzed by the chi-square test and binary logistic regression. The prevalence of T. tenax infection was 13.48% (31/230), in patients, including 96.77% (30/31) and 3.23% (1/31) in periodontitis and gingivitis patients, respectively. The presence of T. tenax was associated with periodontal disease (p<0.001) and the Periodontal Screening and Record (PSR) index (p=0.001). The significant risk factors for T. tenax infection were periodontitis (ORadj=239.89, 95% CI=23.801-2417.746), no-underlying disease (ORadj=0.31, 95% CI=0.099–0.942), and male sex (ORadj=0.25, 95% CI=0.062-0.981). Dentists should be concerned about this oral protozoan in periodontitis patients. Furthermore, epidemiologic studies of T. tenax are still needed to investigate the mechanism of pathogenesis from T. tenax infection.

Intestinal parasitic infections and risk factors among the population in Cambodia

@#Many species of helminths and protozoa caused intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs). It belongs to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and remains a major public health problem in several Southeast Asian countries. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among the population in Kratie Province in northeastern Cambodia and Phnom Penh is the capital that locates in southern Cambodia. Fecal specimens (n=366) were collected in 10 villages in Kratie Province and Phnom Penh from 2019 to 2021. They were processed using the formalin ethyl-acetate concentration technique (FECT) to investigate parasites at egg and cyst stages and then examined under a light microscope. The results revealed that the prevalence of IPIs among the population in Kratie Province (n=317) and Phnom Penh (n=49) was 16.12% (n=59); of Kratie Province (n=50, 13.66%) and Phnom Penh (n=9, 2.46%), 12.02% (n=44) were helminths and 4.10% (n=15) were protozoa. The parasitic infection rate was higher in males (9.02%) than in females (7.10%) and more likely to be due to helminths (7.38%) than protozoa (1.64%). Prevalence of Opisthorchis viverrini was the highest (5.74%), followed by those of Entamoeba coli (4.10%), hookworm (3.83%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.10%), Hymenolepis nana (1.09%), Taenia spp. (0.54%), Trichuris trichiura (0.55%), and Enterobius vermicularis (0.27%), respectively. Moreover, O. viverrini infection was the most common infection in the >20-year age group in Kratie Province. In addition, the bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that the association between gender. Gender was a significant risk factor positively associated with O. viverrini and hookworm infections (ORadj=0.318, 95% CI=0.122-0.8270, P=0.019 and ORadj=0.085, 95% CI=0.017-0.436, P=0.003, respectively). In conclusion, the IPIs were highly prevalent, especially O. viverrini and hookworm infections, among the population in Cambodia. These IPIs impact the public health burden but can be prevented by education regarding good sanitary practices in this community.