Occurrence of intestinal microsporidia in immunodeficient patients in Poland

• Published in: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2014-01, Vol.21 (2), p.244-248
• Main Authors: Bednarska, Małgorzata, Bajer, Anna, Siński, Edward, Wolska-Kuśnierz, Beata, Samoliński, Bolesław, Graczyk, Thaddeus K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Child; Children; Cryptosporidium; Cryptosporidium meleagridis; Diarrhea; Encephalitozoon intestinalis; Epidemiology; Feces - parasitology; Female; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immunodeficiency; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - complications; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - etiology; Immunosuppression; Intestines - parasitology; Male; Microsporidia; Microsporidia - isolation & purification; Microsporidiosis - epidemiology; Microsporidiosis - parasitology; Middle Aged; Parasites; Patients; Poland - epidemiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Primary immunodeficiencies; Transplant Recipients; Transplantation; Transplants & implants; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1232-1966; 1898-2263
• DOI: 10.5604/1232-1966.1108584

Microsporidial infections may be asymptomatic in immunocompetent hosts, but can be severe and disseminated in HIV/AIDS patients, children, the elderly, or in immunocompromised individuals, including those with primary or medically-induced immunodeficiencies. 209 faecal samples were collected from 80 clinical patients, with or without abdominal symptoms, and tested for the presence of the parasites. Microsporidia were found in 10 of the 80 patients (12.5%) using trichrom staining of faecal smears and/or PCR. Encephalitozoon intestinalis and 1 unidentified species were identified in 2 of the 32 children with primary immunodeficiencies (6%), presenting with diarrhoea, including one co-infection with Cryptosporidium meleagridis. In the group of patients with medically-induced immunosuppression (transplant recipients), 8 of the 48 patients (17%) were tested positive for microsporidia. Thus, these pathogens should be taken into account when the other etiological agents cannot be found in diarrheic patients with PIDs or undergoing immunosuppressive treatment before or after transplantation. This article presents the results of the first epidemiological study on the occurrence and prevalence of microsporidia in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency in Poland.