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Parasites in Patients with Malabsorption Syndrome: A Clinical Study in Children and Adults

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Abstract

Background: Intestinal parasites not only cause diarrheal diseases but also significant malabsorption. Literature on the role of parasites, such as intestinal coccidia and microsporidia in malabsorption syndrome is limited. Methods: Three consecutive stool samples from 50 adult and 50 children patients with malabsorption syndrome and an equal number of healthy controls without diarrhea were examined for intestinal coccidia, microsporidia and other intestinal parasites by wet mount, Kinyoun’s modified acid-fast staining and chromotrope 2R staining. Results: Celiac disease was the commonest cause of malabsorption syndrome in both adults (52%) and children (74%). Forty (80%) and 41 (82%) adults and children, respectively, with malabsorption syndrome were infected with parasites. These results were significantly higher in comparison to those from the healthy adults and children controls (22% and 16%), respectively (P < 0.001). Of them, 48% and 46% of the adults and children, respectively, with malabsorption had pathogenic parasitic infections. The pathogenic parasites detected in adults were Giardia lamblia 12 (24%), E. histolytica / dispar 5 (10%), Ancylostoma duodenale 4 (8%), H. nana 2 (4%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis 1 (2%). The pathogenic parasites detected in children with malabsorption syndrome were Giardia lamblia 8 (16%), Cryptosporidium 7 (14%), E. histolytica / dispar 3 (6%), Ancylostoma duodenale 3 (6%), Isospora belli 1 (2%), and H. nana 1 (2%). None of the stool samples from healthy controls were positive for Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora and Isospora belli. All the patients infected with intestinal coccidia were HIV sero-negative. Conclusion: Celiac disease is the most common cause of malabsorption syndrome in both adults and children. These people harbor significantly more pathogenic parasites and are more frequently colonized with harmless commensals as compared to healthy controls. Intestinal coccidia are associated with malabsorption syndrome, particularly in malnourished children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Bijayini Behera, B. R. Mirdha & J. C. Samantaray

  2. Department of Gastroenterology and Human nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Govind K. Makharia

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Centre for Diarrheal Diseases and Nutrition Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029 , India

    Shinjini Bhatnagar

  4. Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Siddhartha Dattagupta

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  1. Bijayini Behera
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  2. B. R. Mirdha
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  3. Govind K. Makharia
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  4. Shinjini Bhatnagar
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  5. Siddhartha Dattagupta
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  6. J. C. Samantaray
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Correspondence to B. R. Mirdha.

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Behera, B., Mirdha, B.R., Makharia, G.K. et al. Parasites in Patients with Malabsorption Syndrome: A Clinical Study in Children and Adults. Dig Dis Sci 53, 672–679 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9927-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-007-9927-9

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