The cysteine proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica: cloning of the gene and its role as a virulence factor

One of the major questions in the pathogenesis of amoebiasis has been what determines whether a specific strain or isolate of Entamoeba histolytica will produce a pathogenic or non-pathogenic infection. The biological basis of virulence appears to be multifactorial, and four parasite-derived factors have been proposed as virulence factors.