Cryptosporidiosis in HIV-infected Venezuelan adults is strongly associated with acute or chronic diarrhea.
A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and its clinical and laboratory pattern in Venezuelan HIV-infected patients (N = 397). At enrollment, they underwent thorough clinical history and physical examination and provided stool specimens for the identification of Cryptosporidium sp. and other parasites. Cryptosporidium sp. was identified in 59 subjects (15%). This infection was strongly associated with acute and chronic diarrhea, weight loss, CD4(+) counts below 100 cells/mm(3), older age in patients with leukopenia, and more than 5 stools per day when CD4(+) counts were below 100 cells/mm(3). In addition, patients with Cryptosporidium infection were less likely to be coinfected with Isospora belli (OR = 0.05, P = 0.001). In fact, results of the current study confirm the worldwide importance of cryptosporidiosis as a clinically significant opportunistic infection associated with an advanced stage of immunosuppression.
Certad
Gabriela
G
Cátedra de Parasitología, Escuela de Medicina José María Vargas, Universidad Central de Venezuela, San José Caracas, Venezuela. gfombo@cantv.net
Arenas-Pinto
Alejandro
A
Pocaterra
Leonor
L
Ferrara
Giuseppe
G
Castro
Julio
J
Bello
Andreina
A
Núñez
Luz
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007549:Isospora / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology