Molecular Assessment of Blastocystis hominis in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Balad City, Saladin Province, Iraq

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Abstract Background: Blastocystis sp. is the most prevalent intestinal protozoa found worldwide in both humans and animals. Objectives: This study aims to identify the subtypes of Blastocystis sp. parasite isolated from diabetes mellitus patients using molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Materials and Methods: The current study was conducted on samples collected from a total of 300 patients (150 diabetic patients and 150 non-diabetic patients). The samples were taken between November 2022 and May 2023 at the laboratories of the General Balad Hospital in Balad City, Saladin, Iraq. Blood and stool samples were taken from each patient, and the investigation included microscopic examination and culturing of the samples on Modified Jones’ Medium for parasitic identification; active infection was confirmed genetically using PCR, and subtyping was done via sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene. Results: Microscopically, only 80 diabetic patients (50 males and 30 females) were infected with Blastocystis hominis, and only 50 people (13 males and 37 females) among the healthy participants had B. hominis infection. Thirty samples were further studied using PCR, and only 16 showed clear bands on the gel, whereas only eight samples were successfully sequenced. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that diabetic mellitus patients (DM group) had a higher prevalence of B. hominis infection compared to the non-DM group. Furthermore, there is a link between the presence of Blastocystis and other risk factors, such as place of residence, water source, and keeping animals, which suggests that exposure to animal stools may result in the development of Blastocystis ST1 among the studied participants.