Development and evaluation of PCR methods based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit one (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit one gene (nad1) to detect Opisthorchis viverrini in human fecal samples

Abstract

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Opisthorchis viverrini is highly prevalent throughout Southeast Asia. Chronic infection of this parasite leads to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a fatal bile duct cancer. The early and accurate detection of this parasite is very important; therefore, new PCR methods targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit one and NADH dehydrogenase subunit one gene to detect O. viverrini in fecal specimens have been developed. Ninety O. viverrini-positive human fecal samples were used in this study. The PCR sensitivity of both genes was compared with internal transcribe spacer 2 (ITS2)-PCR. The sensitivity of cox1-PCR and nad1-PCR was 66.7 and 50 %, respectively. The sensitivity of cox1-PCR and nad1-PCR achieved 89.1 and 71.7 % in specimens containing O. viverrini eggs of >100 eggs per gram (EPG). Additionally, these primers can be used to provide the information on genetic diversity from mitochondrial genes of O. viverrini.