Microsporidia IFAT Kit

Intended Use:
The IFAT Bordier Microsporidia kit is intended for the direct qualitative detection of both species spores in human stool. This test thus allows a species diagnosis.

Background:
Microsporidiosis is a worldwide opportunistic infection caused by Microsporidia, a group of obligate intracellular parasitic fungi. Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis are the two species responsible for gastrointestinal disease in humans. Infections caused by E. intestinalis are treated with albendazole, while fumagillin has been shown to be effective for eradicating E. bieneusi. Thus, species identification is important for defining the appropriate treatment. Humans can be infected by ingesting Microsporidia spores. Infective sporoplasm invades host cells, multiplicates and matures into spores. The host cell membrane is disrupted and releases the spores to the surroundings. These free mature spores can infect new cells, thus continuing the cycle. Infection occurs on severely immunocompromised persons. The most important symptom is diarrhea. Diagnosis is based on microscopic examination of spores in fecal samples, an immunofluorenscent assay or detection of DNA by PCR.

Principle and Presentation:
The kit contains monoclonal antibodies and the fluorescent conjugate allowing 2 x 50 immufluorescence assays on microscope slides. Monoclonal antibodies will bind specifically to samples spores attached to the slide wells. Unfixed antibodies will be washed away. The presence of spore-specific antibodies is detected with a fluorescent anti-mouse IgG conjugate. A second washing step will remove the unbound conjugate. After mounting between slide and coverslip, reading is performed with a fluorescence microscope.