Author/Editor		Logar, Jernej; Šoba, Barbara
Title		Molecular diagnostics of medically important parasites
Translated title		Molekularna diagnostika medicinsko pomembnih parazitov
Type		članek
Source		In: Luzar B, Poljak M, Glavač D, et al, editors. Molekularna diagnostika v medicini. Zbornik 15. spominsko srečanje akademika Janeza Milčinskega, 36. memorialni sestanek profesorja Janeza Plečnika, 1. srečanje Slovenskega društva za humano genetiko z mednarodno udeležbo; 2005 30 nov - 2 dec; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Medicinska fakulteta,
Publication year		2005
Volume		str. 425-30
Language		eng
Abstract		Microscopy, serology and culturing are conventional methods for the detection of parasitic infections. Sometimes. various problems (morphological similarity of some parasites, reduced specificity and sensitivity of serological tests, long period of culturing) associated with these methods may arise. In order to overcome some of these difficulties, molecular diagnostic methods for the identification of many protozoa, helminthes and parasite-harboring vectors have been developed. For routine diagnosis of human parasitic infections, the molecular diagnosis is most unlikely to become the standard; with a few exceptions, such as the detection of Toxoplasma gondii in amniotic fluid of primarly infected pregnant women, detection of reactivated T. gondii in HIV/AIDS patients, detection of mixed P. falciparum and P. vivax infections, defections of variants including drug-resistant Plasmodium spp., and differentiation of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica and nonpathogenic E. dispar. However, molecular techniques will play and already have played an important role in the studies of the epidemiology, etiology; pathogenesis of parasitic infections, taxonomy of parasites, potential vaccine against malaria and in the identification of parasite-harboring vectors.
Descriptors		PARASITIC DISEASES PARASITES DNA POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION