Background: Blastocystosis is a frequent bowel disease. We planned to to evaluate the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in patients who applied to the same internal medicine-gastroenterology clinic with or without gastrointestinal complaints to reveal the association of this parasite with diagnosed IBS and IBD.

Methods: A total of 2334 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms composed the study group, which included 335 patients with diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease and 877 with irritable bowel syndrome. Patients without any gastrointestinal symptoms or disease (n = 192) composed the control group. Parasite presence was investigated by applying native-Lugol and formol ethyl acetate concentration to stool specimens, and trichrome staining method in suspicious cases.

Results: Blastocystis spp. was detected in 134 patients (5.74%) in the study group and 6 (3.12%) in the control group (p = 0.128). In the study group, Blastocystis spp. was detected at frequencies of 8.7% in ulcerative colitis (24/276), 6.78% in Crohn's disease (4/59), 5.82% in irritable bowel syndrome (51/877), and 4.9% in the remaining patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (55/1122). Blastocystis spp. was detected at a statistically significant ratio in the inflammatory bowel disease (odds ratio [OR] = 2.824; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.149-6.944; p = 0.019) and ulcerative colitis (OR = 2.952; 95% CI: 1.183-7.367; p = 0.016) patients within this group compared to controls. There were no statistically significant differences between the control group and Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome patients in terms Blastocystis spp. frequency (p = 0.251, p = 0.133).

Conclusions: Blastocystosis was more frequent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially those with ulcerative colitis. Although symptomatic irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease patients had higher rates of Blastocystis spp. infection, the differences were not significant when compared to controls.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3444885PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-12-122DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

blastocystis spp
24
patients gastrointestinal
16
gastrointestinal symptoms
16
bowel disease
16
irritable bowel
16
bowel syndrome
16
study group
12
inflammatory bowel
12
control group
12
spp detected
12

Similar Publications

Microbiological Ecological Surveillance of Zoonotic Pathogens from Hamadryas Baboons in Southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Microorganisms

November 2024

Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, Al Bahah 65779, Albaha, Saudi Arabia.

This study investigates parasitic and bacterial pathogens present in Hamadryas baboons () and humans in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Fecal samples were collected from Hamadryas baboons ( = 999) from three city peripheries and humans from city centers ( = 1998) and peripheries ( = 1998) of southwestern and eastern Saudi cities. Parasitic examinations and bacterial cultures were conducted on these samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Over 95% of global parasitic infections are linked to poverty, poor hygiene, and contaminated water, with a significant impact on children, especially in Madagascar where many live below the poverty line.
  • A study conducted in October 2023 examined 241 school children in Madagascar’s Mampikony district, using various diagnostic methods to analyze stool samples for intestinal parasites.
  • The study found a high prevalence of 71.0% of intestinal parasites, with 27.0% of children infected by pathogenic types, particularly Giardia intestinalis and Blastocystis spp., highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention strategies in the local community.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Asymptomatic carriage of intestinal protists is common in children in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

December 2024

Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.

Background: PCR-based screenings on the presence of diarrhoea-causing intestinal protist species are limited in Zambia, resulting in inaccurate current prevalence and epidemiological data. Sensitive PCR-based methods are particularly well suited for detecting subclinical infections in apparently healthy carriers.

Methodology: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we investigated the occurrence of the most common intestinal protists in an apparently healthy paediatric population (5-18 years) in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The migration of Mongolian gazelles () poses a potential risk of outbreak for zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasite infections. This study aims to investigate the infection status of zoonotic intestinal protozoan parasites in these migratory Mongolian gazelles. We collected 120 fecal samples from Mongolian gazelles during their migration from Mongolia to China in December 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!