• Annals of Saudi medicine · Sep 2021

    Cryptosporidium spp. during chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study of 94 patients with malignant solid tumor.

    • Mehmet Karabey, Hüseyin Can, Tülay Öncü Öner, Mert Döşkaya, Sedef Erkunt Alak, Aysu Değirmenci Döşkaya, Muhammet Karakavuk, Ahmet Efe Köseoğlu, Cemal Ün, Adnan Yüksel Gürüz, Ahmet Alacacıoğlu, Bayram Pektaş, Aytül Gül, Selçuk Kaya, and Ayşegül Aksoy Gökmen.
    • From the Department of Medical Microbiology, Izmir Katip Celebi Universitesi, Izmir, Turkey.
    • Ann Saudi Med. 2021 Sep 1; 41 (5): 293-298.

    BackgroundCryptosporidium spp. is a protozoan parasite that infects many vertebrate animals, including humans. Since Cryptosporidium spp. can cause chronic life-threatening diarrhea and severe malabsorption in immunocompromised patients, we investigated the prevalence of this parasite among patients undergoing chemotherapy for malignant solid tumors.ObjectiveInvestigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in stool samples.DesignCross-sectional.SettingTertiary care.Patients And MethodsStool samples were collected from adult patients with malignant solid tumors receiving chemotherapy and diarrhea. Cryptosporidium spp. prevalence was determined using Ziehl-Neelsen staining, ELISA, and real-time PCR targeting of the COWP gene.Main Outcome MeasureThe prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in patients undergoing chemotherapy for malignant solid tumors.Sample Size94 RESULTS: The prevalence was 2.1% (2/94), 5.3% (5/94), and 5.3% (5/94) as detected by Ziehl-Neelsen staining, real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The prevalence reached 8.5% (8/94) using all results obtained from the three methods. Among eight positive stool samples, four were positive by at least two different methods (Ziehl-Neelsen staining-ELISA or ELISA-real-time PCR) whereas the remaining four were positive by either ELISA or real-time PCR.ConclusionThese findings show the risk of cryptosporidiosis in cancer patients and the necessity to use at least two diagnostic methods during the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis to reach more accurate and trustworthy results.LimitationsFurther studies with a larger sample size are recommended.Conflict Of InterestNone.

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