DETECTION OF INTESTINAL PROTOZOAN INFECTIONS WITH STRESS ON BLASTOCYSTIS, MICROSPORIDIA IN EGYPTIAN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract

This study assessed intestinal protozoa with stress on Blastocystis among patients with CKD and those on hemodialysis (HD) in Nephrology Unit, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria. The patients were divided into three groups. GI: 50 patients on HD for at least one year, GII: 50 CKD patients not on HD, and GIII: 50 healthy controls. Fresh stool samples were collected in labeled plastic boxes and examined as direct smears after staining with trichrome, Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) stains and modified trichrome (MT) stains. Besides, stool samples were cultured for Blastocystis hom-inis and Copro-antigen (ICT) was used to detect E. histolytica /dispar, G. lamblia and C. parvum. The results showed that the parasitic infections were detected in 79% of the patients; 40% in HD and 39% in CKD patients. The positive samples were (47%) detected by direct wet mount followed by iodine smear (43%) and then trichrome stain (42%). Microsporidiosis was detected in 55 (55%) HD and CKD patients using the MT stain. ICT agreed with microscopic examination in diagnosis of E.histolytica/ dispar and G. lamblia and showed perfect agreement with MZN in C. parvum diagnosis. Introduction Intestinal protozoan infections (IPIs) constitute a significant problem worldwide with more than 58 million cases of IPIs each year, and more than 60% of the