title: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis in healthy and immunocompromised patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the proportion of Demodex folliculorum and D. brevis in the eyelashes of healthy and immunocompromised patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eyelashes were taken from 95 patients at the Pomeranian Medical University, Clinic of Haematology, and from 1091 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Demodex folliculorum and D. brevis were found in 22.9% of controls and in 20% of immunocompromised patients. In neither the control group nor the immunocompromised patients did we observe a correlation between the proportion of symptoms of blepharitis and the presence of Demodex spp. - symptoms including burning sensations, loss of eyelashes, sensitivity to light, smoke and dust, dacryorrhea (excessive flow of tears), and foreign body eye sensation. A correlation between itching eyes and Demodex spp. infection was found only in the control group. A correlation between the proportion of cylindrical dandruff in eyelashes and the occurrence of Demodex spp was found in both the control group and immunocompromised patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proportions of D. folliculorum and D. brevis, and also symptoms of blepharitis were similar in the control group and immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppression did not seem to increase the rate of Demodex spp. infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. kodan@pum.edu.pl
authors.forename: Danuta I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Kosik-Bogacka
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Łanocha
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Łanocha
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czepita
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grobelny
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zdziarska
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalisińska
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000818:Animals; D001762:Blepharitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005140:Eyelashes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008925:Mites; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires