title: [Parasitic diseases in patients with impaired immune response. Clinical picture and diagnosis].
abstract: Patients with impaired immune system are frequently infected with various parasitic diseases. The clinical picture is characterized by unusual manifestations and frequently severe recurrences of infections which are not normally serious. Some almost parasitic microorganisms produce symptoms exclusively in patients with impaired immune system. Parasitic infections have become increasingly common with the increasing number of patients who live for prolonged periods with impaired immune systems, often as a result of infection with HIV. Among the numerous parasitic infections which are observed in man, there are a few which occur particularly frequently in patients with impaired immune systems. This is a brief review of the clinical pictures and diagnostic options in parasitic disease in individuals with impaired immune system with particular emphasis on infections caused by: Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium ssp., Microspora, Entamoeba histolytica, Leishmania ssp., and Strongyloides stercoralis. In patients with impaired immunity, parasitic infections frequently cause nonspecific symptoms and, on account of the impaired immunity, antibodies to the parasite are not always produced. The diagnosis of these infections is, therefore, based on morphological demonstration of the microorganism concerned, culture, specific antigen or DNA defections.
authors.affiliation: Parasitologisk laboratorium, Statens Seruminstitut, København.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebech
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Højlyng
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holten-Andersen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølbak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Høgh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jepsen
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
vernacular_title: Parasitaere sygdomme hos patienter med nedsat immunforsvar. Klinisk billede og diagnose.