title: Strongyloides stercoralis infection in kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: Strongyloides stercoralis is an uncommon infection in Saudi Arabia. It can establish latency and cause an autoinfection in humans that lasts for years. The infection can get reactivated during immunosuppression and can result in a life-threatening Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome. We present three cases of renal transplant recipients who developed Strongyloides infection following transplantation. A bronchoalveolar lavage specimen, a duodenal biopsy and/or a stool specimen from these patients revealed evidence of S. stercoralis larvae. The first two patients received kidneys from the same deceased donor, a native of Bangladesh, an area that is highly endemic for S. stercoralis. The data suggest that the first two cases might be donor derived. High-risk donors and recipients should be screened for Strongyloides infection to initiate treatment before transplantation thus reducing morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Multi-Organ Transplant Center, Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Baha A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Abdalhamid
authors.forename: Abdul Naser M
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Al Abadi
authors.forename: Mohammed I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Al Saghier
authors.forename: Amani A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Joudeh
authors.forename: Mahmoud A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shorman
authors.forename: Samir S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Amr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole