Resumen

BORNAY-LLINARES, FERNANDO J. et al. MANTAINED IN CULTURE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A MICROSPORIDIAN (Encephalitozoon hellem) ISOLATED FROM AIDS PATIENT WITH NEUMONIA. Parasitol. día [online]. 2000, vol.24, n.3-4, pp. 69-70. ISSN 0716-0720.  doi: 10.4067/S0716-07202000000300001.

We report the identification to the species level of a microsporidian isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage of an AIDS patient in Spain. Characterization of the isolate was performed by: 1) morphological methods using optical and electron microscopy; 2) immunological methods such as immunofluorescence assay (IIF) and immunoblot (WB) using specific antiserum and, 3) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers designed on the coding region of the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene. Ultrastructural features allowed the identification of the isolate as belonging to the Encephalitozoon genus. Species identification as Encephalitozoon hellem was achieved by IIF and WB using polyc lonal rabbit serum anti-E. hellem (CDC:0291:V213), as well as, by PCR using EHELF/EHELR species-specific primers. The isolate has been named EHVS-96 and has been maintained for 3 years in Vero-E6 monolayers. This is the first isolation in culture and characterization of E. hellem in Spain.

Palabras clave : Human microsporidiosis; AIDS; Encephalitozoon hellem; Culture.