Utility of PCR in Patients with Strongyloides stercoralis and HTLV-1 Coinfection in French Guiana

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Oct;101(4):848-850. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0082.

Abstract

Strongyloides stercoralis and human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) coinfections have been extensively reported in the literature, but the diagnosis and treatment of strongyloidiasis remains a challenge, particularly in HTLV-1 carriers. Our objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of a new PCR method for the detection of S. stercoralis in HTLV-1-positive patients. Stools were collected over a 1-year period across the endemic region of French Guiana, including remote forest areas. Two systems of real-time PCR were then used comparatively, with small subunit and specific repeat as respective targets, and compared with the results of microscopic examinations. One-hundred and twelve stool samples were included. Twenty-seven patients (24.1%) presented a positive HTLV-1 serology. The overall prevalence of strongyloidiasis among the 112 patients was 30% with small-subunit PCR and 11.6% with microscopic examinations. In the seropositive population, all tested stools were negative, whereas 51.2% were positive using small-subunit PCR. Thus, PCR allowed a much-improved sensitivity, particularly in HTLV-1 carriers. Among the two systems investigated, small subunit yielded better results than specific repeat PCR, with prevalence rates in HTLV-1 carriers of 51.2% and 22.2%, respectively. Therefore, PCR should be considered as a useful tool for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis, particularly in HTLV-1 carriers who often present a light parasitic load due to erratic administration of anthelmintic drugs.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Coinfection*
  • DNA Probes / genetics
  • Feces / parasitology
  • French Guiana / epidemiology
  • HTLV-I Infections / complications*
  • HTLV-I Infections / epidemiology
  • HTLV-I Infections / virology
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Prevalence
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Strongyloides stercoralis / genetics
  • Strongyloides stercoralis / isolation & purification*
  • Strongyloidiasis / complications
  • Strongyloidiasis / diagnosis*
  • Strongyloidiasis / epidemiology
  • Strongyloidiasis / parasitology

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • DNA Probes