Diagnosis of a case of gastric anisakidosis by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis

A set of genetic markers, based on PCR-RFLPs of three diagnostic restriction enzymes (Hhal, Hinfl and Taql), which proved to be suitable for the identification of the species of the genus Anisakis, was used for the first molecular identification of a larva obtained by endoscopy in a case of gastric anisakidosis, in a 51 year old woman from Southern Italy. The analysis of the restriction profiles obtained allowed the larva to be identified as Anisakis pegreffii one of the three sibling species of the A. simplex complex. PCR-RFLP proved to be a cost-effective and reliable tool for the exact identification of Anisakis larvae recovered from infected humans.