title: Intestinal spore-forming protozoa among patients suffering from chronic renal failure.
abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum, Isospora belli, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Microsporidia are four intestinal spore-forming protozoa that cause diarrhoea in immuno-competent individuals and immuno-suppressed patients. Fresh stool samples were obtained from 120 patients suffering from CRF and attending the Dialysis Unit of Zagazig University Hospital. Also, stool samples were obtained from 40 immuno-competent individuals complaining of diarrhoea (control group). The stool samples were examined by direct smear and formol-ether concentration methods then stained by Giemsa, Modified Ziehl Neelsen (MZN) and Aniline carbol methyl violet stains. The four intestinal spore-forming protozoa were detected in 40/120 (33.3%) of patients with CRF and in 2/40 (5.0%) of the control group with a statistically highly significant difference (P < 0.001). C. parvum, Microsporidia, C. cayetanensis and I. belli were detected in 18/120 (15%), 10/120 (8.3%), 9/120 (7.5%) and 3/120 (2.5%), respectively. The four protozoa were found as mixed infections with other pathogens or as single infections confirming their role alone as a cause of diarrhoea. MZN stain was the most efficient simple, and not expensive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculties of Medicine, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ramadan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003044:Coccidia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications*; D007549:Isospora / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D016816:Microsporida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged