title: The high prevalence of Encephalitozoon intestinalis in patients receiving chemotherapy and children with growth retardation and the validity of real-time PCR in its diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Encephalitozoon intestinalis in different patient groups consisting of immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The stool samples of 100 patients consisting of 25 patients receiving chemotherapy and with acute gastrointestinal complaints, 25 with bone marrow transplant and acute gastrointestinal complaints, 25 with urticaria, and 25 with growth retardation were included in the study. As control groups, 25 subjects without any chronic disease but with acute gastrointestinal complaints and 25 healthy volunteers, making a total of 50 subjects, were included in the study. E. intestinalis was investigated by IFA-MAbs and molecular methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty percent of patients receiving chemotherapy and with acute gastrointestinal complaints, 24% of patients with bone marrow transplant and acute gastrointestinal complaints, 20% of patients with urticaria, 40% of children with growth retardation, and 28% of patients without any chronic disease but with acute gastrointestinal complaints were determined as positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to assess the relationship between E. intestinalis and growth retardation. We think that the reliability of the use of molecular methods, especially real-time PCR, should be improved for the diagnosis of E. intestinalis.
authors: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Ülfet
authors: Ü
authors: Çetinkaya
authors: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Süleyman
authors: S
authors: Yazar
authors: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Salih
authors: S
authors: Kuk
authors: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Eda
authors: E
authors: Sivcan
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Leylagül
authors: L
authors: Kaynar
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: Duran
authors: D
authors: Arslan
authors: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors: İzzet
authors: İ
authors: Şahin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D016819:Encephalitozoon; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Encephalitozoon intestinalis; IFA-MAbs; nested PCR; prevalence; probe-based real-time PCR