Molecular methods for diagnosis of Entamoeba histolytica in a clinical setting: an overview.

The range of clinical outcomes following Entamoeba histolytica infection is likely to be influenced by the different strains of the parasite already existing in our population. There is a need for developing faster, reliable and reproducible methods for identifying the different strains of E. histolytica. This would have a major impact on the subsequent course of treatment given to patients. In the post-genomic era, different loci of the Entamoeba genome have been targeted for developing suitable probes and genetic markers. This review highlights the development made in this direction and the possibility of using these methods for routine testing of this parasite in clinical samples.