A research team from Turkey has reported on an improved method of DNA extraction for Blastocystis detection in human stool samples, known as the “sand method”, comparing results to the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen) .  The study notes that, “results indicated that, the mean DNA concentrations obtained by the sand method and the commercial kit were 48 and 55 ng/μl, respectively. Also, no DNA inhibitors were detected in two methods. The sand method was capable of detecting 16 parasites per 50 mg feces. DNA samples extracted by both methods were subjected to PCR. Blastocystis spp. were detected in 11 (31.4%) of 35 samples, and perfect agreement (κ: 1.000) was found between the PCR-sand method and PCR-commercial kit method. The samples that were detected positive by PCR-sand method were successfully sequenced, and Blastocystis subtypes (STs) were identified as ST3, ST2 and ST1.

The study was published in Experimental Parasitology.

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