Subtype Distribution of Blastocystis Sp. Isolated From Humans in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher



Maleki B¹ ; Olfatifar M² ; Dodangeh S³ ; Ahmadi N⁴ ; Gorgipour M¹ ; Javanmard E⁵
Source: Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Bed to Bench Published:2022

Abstract

Aim: This systematic review and meta-Analysis evaluated the subtyped Blastocystis sp. isolated from humans in Iran. Background: Blastocystis sp. is an anaerobic intestinal protozoan that infects humans as well as domestic and wild animals, i.e. mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods. Methods: A comprehensive search for papers published before April 2022 was undertaken utilizing English and Persian databases. The following MeSH keywords were used in the electronic search: (Blastocystis sp.) AND (molecular OR subtype) AND (prevalence OR epidemiology) AND Iran. The quality of the included studies was evaluated. Thereafter, a random-effects meta-Analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence and odds ratios regarding the included studies. Results: A total of 32 studies comprised of five case-control studies and 27 cross-sectional studies met the eligibility criteria. The overall pooled prevalence of subtyped Blastocystis sp. in Iran was estimated to be 10% (95% confidence interval: 6 to 15%). Eight subtypes of Blastocystis sp. (ST1-ST7 and ST9) were identified in our study, of which ST3 was the most common subtype (0.04); 0.02-0.07). The difference in subtypes between two case and control groups in reported studies was not significant, but the odds ratio of infection by ST3 (0.98; 95% CI, 0.30 to 3.20) was higher in cases. Conclusion: The current systematic review showed that with the exception of ST8 and ST12, all human Blastocystis sp. Subtypes reported in the world are found in different parts of Iran. © 2022 Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases. All rights reserved.