title: Intestinal opportunistic parasites among different groups of immunocompromised hosts.
abstract: The present study was designed to find out the prevalence of different intestinal opportunistic parasites in different groups of immunocompromised hosts; patients suffering from malignancy with or without immuno-suppressive drugs, or with chronic renal failure, or diabetes mellitus, or subjects under cortisone therapy. Examination of stool samples collected from 427 immunocompromised hosts revealed the detection of intestinal opportunistic parasites in 98 samples, with a prevalence of 23%. Infection with opportunistic parasites was higher in males than in females (32.6% versus 12.9%). There was statistically significant association of infection with G. lamblia and Cryptosoporidium in the mixed infection detected. The highest group affected with the opportunistic parasites was the group of patients under corticosteroid therapy (31.7%), followed by patients suffering from renal failure (28.8%) and malignancy (25.7%), while the least group affected were the diabetic patients (8%). The highest prevalence rate was 10.3% for G. lamblia, being followed by E. histolytica (7%), C. parvum (6.3%), Microsporidia (2.3%) and the least one was for Strongyloides (0.7%). No cases of Isospora belli infection was detected. Relation between presence of opportunistic parasites and risk factors was discussed and evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Makhlouf
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: el-Shewy
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: el-Moamly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D003348:Cortisone / Q000009:adverse effects; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000276:immunology; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D007549:Isospora; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003348:Cortisone