Journal article
Clinical pilot study: efficacy of triple antibiotic therapy in Blastocystis positive irritable bowel syndrome patients
Robyn Nagel, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Rebecca Traub
Gut Pathogens | BMC | Published : 2014
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Blastocystis species are common human enteric parasites. Carriage has been linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Treatment of Blastocystis spp. with antimicrobials is problematic and insensitive diagnostic methods and re-infection complicate assessment of eradication. We investigated whether triple antibiotic therapy comprising diloxanide furoate, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and secnidazole (TAB) given to diarrhoea-predominant IBS (D-IBS) patients positive for Blastocystis would achieve eradication. METHODS: In a longitudinal, prospective case study 10 D-IBS Blastocystis-positive patients took 14 days of diloxanide furoate 500 mg thrice daily, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole ..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We thank Dr CR Stensvold, Department of Microbiological Diagnostics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark for providing ST1 specific primers, and Dr Linda Dunn, Queensland Insititute of Medical Research for donation of axenic cultures of Blastocystis subtypes Netski and WR1. This study was funded by the Royal Australian College of Physicians Murray-Will Fellowship for Rural Physicians (awarded to R. Nagel 2012).