Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Parasitology

The present study was carried out on 62 subjects positive for Blastocystis and presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms or asymptomatic. The symptomatic group (cases,GI) included 42 cases (67.7%) while the asymptomatic (control,GII) group included 20 subjects (32.2%). The study aimed to investigate the protease activity and protein profiles of Blastocystis isolates to determine if differences could be related to the patient symptomatic status. Using SDS-PAGE analysis, the protein profiles of Blastocystis isolates showed 22 protein bands, ranged from 12 to 200 kDa. The study showed non statistical significant differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups at different molecular weights. Using gelatin SDS-PAGE analysis, the protease profiles of Blastocystis isolates showed 14 protease bands of both high and low molecular weights with significant differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups at 35, 60 and 140 kDa MW bands. Using Azocasein assay, Blastocystis isolates from symptomatic cases show quantitatively higher protease activity than asymptomatic cases but without significant difference between the groups

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