Frequency of Emerging Parasites in HIV/AIDS and Oncological Patients Stool by Coprological and Molecular Analysis

Enedina Jiménez-Cardoso, Leticia Eligio-García, Apolinar Cano-Estrada, Adrian Cortés-Campos, Aurora Medina-Sansón, Diana Molina-Martínez

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Children Hospital of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/aid.2013.33024                

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of emerging parasites in two groups of immunosuppressed patients, including individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) (HIV) or having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with or without diarrhea. Stool samples were collected from 96 HIV and 77 ALL patients from March 2010 through December 2011. Screening for opportunistic parasites was carried out by the coproparasitoscopic Faust method, Ziehl Neelsen staining, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results showed that 22.9% of HIV fecal samples were positive for emerging parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (7.3%), Microsporidium spp. (5.2%), Isospora belli (1.0%), Giardia intestinalis (2.6%), and Cyclospora spp. (7.3%). On the other hand, 32.5% of ALL fecal samples were positive for emerging parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (9.1%), Microsporidium spp. (19.5%), Isospora belli (1.3%), and Giardia intestinalis (2.6%). Our results highlighted the need for specific, efficient, and reliable diagnostic methods to identify the presence of emerging parasites in immunocompromised patients susceptible to different infectious diseases or neoplastic processes and avoid the consequences for the host as an increased disease rate, alterations in the clinical manifestation of the infection or even exacerbation of its course.

Keywords

Leukemia; HIV; Emerging Parasites, Microsporidium; Cryptosporidium spp.; Giardia Intestinalis; Cyclospora; Isospora Belli

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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