title: Human giardiasis. A morphometric study of duodenal biopsy specimens in relation to the trophozoite count in the duodenal aspirate.
abstract: We present a morphometric analysis of findings from a histopathologic study of duodenal giardiasis in relation to the trophozoite count in the duodenal aspirate. Of 30 patients with giardiasis whose conditions were studied, a mean trophozoite count of 10(3)/mL or greater was found in 21, and a mean trophozoite count of less than 10(3)/mL was found in nine--these two types of trophozoite counts in these 30 patients represented the acute phase (group 1) and the clearance phase (group 2) of giardiasis, respectively. Group 1 patients had a low mean villus height that was significantly less than that found in the control subjects. Group 2 patients had a high mean crypt depth that was significantly greater than that found in the control subjects. Partial villus atrophy was seen in only seven of the group 1 patients, including five with villus epithelial cell lesions. Groups 1 and 2 showed minor differences of an inflammatory response that was significantly greater than that shown in the control subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vij
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged