Identificación molecular de Trichomonas vaginalis en muestras cérvico-vaginales de mujeres sexualmente activas de la ciudad de Durango: Molecular identification of Trichomonas vaginalis in cervico-vaginal samples from sexually active women in the city of Durango

La tricomoniasis representa el 30% de las infecciones de transmision sexual no virales en el mundo; su agente etiologico es el protozoario parasito Trichomonas vaginalis. Frecuentemente la infeccion es asintomatica, lo que dificulta su tratamiento y deteccion y facilita su transmision. La implementacion de pruebas especificas, sensibles y economicamente accesibles que permitan mejorar la capacidad de deteccion de este patogeno, es importante ya que los metodos de diagnostico que se utilizan tradicionalmente (examen en fresco, cultivo vaginal, papanicolaou, etc.) no cumplen con estos requisitos. En este proyecto se incluyeron 197 mujeres sexualmente activas entre los 17 y los 67 anos; se tomaron muestras cervicovaginales para realizar examen en fresco, tincion Papanicolaou y para la identificacion molecular se amplifico una region conservada en el gen de adhesina AP65 de T. vaginalis. Se obtuvo una prevalencia del 35.5% de Trichomonas vaginalis identificada por de PCR de punto final, confirmando que esta ultima es la tecnica con mayor sensibilidad y especificidad con respecto al examen en fresco y Papanicolaou.   Trichomoniasis represents 30% of non-viral sexually transmitted infections worldwide; its etiological agent is the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. The infection is often asymptomatic, which makes it difficult to treat and detect and facilitates its transmission. The implementation of specific, sensitive and economically accessible tests to improve the detection capacity of this pathogen is important because the diagnostic methods traditionally used (fresh examination, vaginal culture, pap smears, etc.) do not meet these requirements. 197 sexually active women between 17 and 67 years of age were included in this project; cervicovaginal samples were taken for fresh test, Papanicolaou staining, and for molecular identification, a conserved region in the AP65 adhesin gene of T. vaginalis was amplified. A prevalence of 35.5% of Trichomonas vaginalis identified by end-point PCR was obtained, confirming that the latter is the technique with greater sensitivity and specificity with respect to the fresh test and Papanicolaou.