Severe cryptosporidiosis in children with normal T-cell subsets.
Though Cryptosporidium spp. is considered to cause only a self-limiting illness in immunocompetent children, data from Guinea Bissau suggest that cryptosporidiosis may be a significant cause of deaths in developing countries. An impaired cellular immune function could explain the severe course of cryptosporidiosis in these children. We therefore investigated in a community study whether pre-infectious CD4/CD8 status had an impact on incidence and severity of cryptosporidiosis. Of 168 children below two years of age 21 experienced Cryptosporidium-infection within 156 days after blood sampling, but no tendencies of pre-infectious impaired cellular immune function was found in the cases compared with controls, nor did nine children who acquired persistent diarrhoea or three who died have impaired CD4/CD8 status.
Mølbak
K
K
Epidemiology Research Unit, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lisse
I M
IM
Højlyng
N
N
Aaby
P
P
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*