[Pathogenesis of intestinal amebiasis]

ABSTRACT

Amebiasis is the infection of the human gastrointestinal tract by Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite that is capable of invading the intestinal mucosa and spread to other organs mainly the liver. Identification of proteins associated with virulence, including a lectin that mediates adherence to epithelial cells, a pore-forming peptide that lyses host cells and secreted proteases that degrade host tissues, is one of major recent accomplishment in the field of amebiasis research. This review focuses mainly on the parasitic mechanisms that may be related to invasive intestinal amebiasis