title: Microsporidial infections due to Encephalitozoon intestinalis in non-HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhoea.
abstract: We determined the prevalence of microsporidia Enterocytozoon (Ent.) bieneusi and Encephalitozoon (E.) intestinalis infection in patients with chronic diarrhoea and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 330 stool samples were examined from 171 (52%) patients with chronic diarrhoea, 18 (5%) with HCC while 141 (43%) were controls. Stool microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with species-specific primers for Ent. bieneusi and E. intestinalis and sequencing were carried out. Microsporidia were found by trichrome staining in 11/330 (3%) and E. intestinalis by PCR in 13/330 (4%) while Ent. bieneusi was not detected. PCR for E. intestinalis was positive in 8/171 (5%) stool samples from patients with chronic diarrhoea, 2/141 (1·4%) samples from healthy controls and in 3/18 (17%) samples from patients with HCC. In the chronic diarrhoea group, E. intestinalis was positive in 4/171 (2·3%) (P=0·69) stool samples compared to 2/18 (11%) (P=0·06) in the HCC group and 2/141 (1·4%) from healthy controls. E. intestinalis infection was significantly associated with chronic diarrhoea and HCC in these patients who were negative for HIV. Stool examination with trichrome or species-specific PCR for microsporidia may help establish the cause of chronic diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. yakoobjaved@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yakoob
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: M Asim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalid
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D021862:Enterocytozoon / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal