Detection rates of Opportunistic Intestinal Parasites in Patients with Hematological and/or Solid Organ Malignancy in Ismailia City

Document Type : Original Article

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1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

2 Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a very significant cause of morbidity and mortality. One of the many potential side effects of cancer and its treatments is immunosuppression. Opportunistic parasitic infection which is defined as an asymptomatic or self-limited disease causing mild clinical manifestations in immunocompetent individuals or severe heavy disease in immunocompromised patients can cause severe morbidity in cancer patients. Objective: Is to determine the magnitude of opportunistic intestinal parasitic infections among patients with different types of malignancies. Patients and Methods: Ninety-six fecal and blood samples were collected from cancer patients in Oncology department, Suez Canal University hospital then they were examined by wet mount, stained with trichrome to detect Blastocystis species, cultured on agar palate to detect S. stercoralis, concentrated and stained by iodine, modified acid-fast stain to detect coccidia: Cryptosporidium species, C. cayetanensis and C. belli, and stained with modified trichrome stain to detect Microsporidia. Blood samples were collected to count CD4+ cells via fluorescence activated cell sorting count micro bead-based system. Results: The most commonly detected opportunistic intestinal parasite was Microsporidium spp.,followed by Cryptosporidium spp., C. cayetanensis and Blastocystis spp., C. belli and S. stercoralis were not detected in any sample. The relation between infection with Microsporidium spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and CD4+ counts <200 cells/dl was statistically significant. Conclusion: Considerable rate of opportunistic intestinal parasitic infection is found in cancer patients especially with Microsporidium and Cryptosporidium spp., Cancer patients with CD4+ cell counts <200 cells/μl are at higher risk of infection.

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