title: Occurrence of intestinal microsporidia in immunodeficient patients in Poland.
abstract: Microsporidial infections may be asymptomatic in immunocompetent hosts, but can be severe and disseminated in HIV/AIDS patients, children, the elderly, or in immunocompromised individuals, including those with primary or medically-induced immunodeficiencies. 209 faecal samples were collected from 80 clinical patients, with or without abdominal symptoms, and tested for the presence of the parasites. Microsporidia were found in 10 of the 80 patients (12.5%) using trichrom staining of faecal smears and/or PCR. Encephalitozoon intestinalis and 1 unidentified species were identified in 2 of the 32 children with primary immunodeficiencies (6%), presenting with diarrhoea, including one co-infection with Cryptosporidium meleagridis. In the group of patients with medically-induced immunosuppression (transplant recipients), 8 of the 48 patients (17%) were tested positive for microsporidia. Thus, these pathogens should be taken into account when the other etiological agents cannot be found in diarrheic patients with PIDs or undergoing immunosuppressive treatment before or after transplantation. This article presents the results of the first epidemiological study on the occurrence and prevalence of microsporidia in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency in Poland.
authors: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Małgorzata
authors: M
authors: Bednarska
authors: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Bajer
authors: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Siński
authors: Immunology Clinic, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Wolska-Kuśnierz
authors: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Bolesław
authors: B
authors: Samoliński
authors: Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Yuma, AZ, USA.
authors: Thaddeus K
authors: TK
authors: Graczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D016814:Microsporidia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D055815:Young Adult