Giardia's Epithelial Cell Interaction In Vitro: Mimicking Asymptomatic Infection?

ABSTRACT: The protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis is responsible for more than 280 million cases of gastrointestinal complaints ("giardiasis") every year, worldwide. Infections are acquired orally, mostly via uptake of cysts in contaminated drinking water. After transformation into the trophozoite stage, parasites start to colonize the duodenum and upper jejunum where they attach to the intestinal epithelium and replicate vegetatively. Outcome of Giardia infections vary between individuals, from self-limiting to chronic, and asymptomatic to severely symptomatic infection, with unspecific gastrointestinal complaints. One proposed mechanism for pathogenesis is the breakdown of intestinal barrier function. This has been studied by analyzing trans-epithelial electric resistances (TEER) o

SUBMITTER: Kraft MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5622925 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature