Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

    Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003 Aug;69(2):217-22.

    Isosporiasis in Venezuelan adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus: clinical characterization.

    Certad G, Arenas-Pinto A, Pocaterra L, Ferrara G, Castro J, Bello A, Núñez L.

    Cátedra de Parasitología, Escuela de Medicina J. M. Vargas, Universidad Central de Venezuela, San José, Caracas, Venezuela. gfombo@cantv.net

    A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of isosporiasis and its clinical and laboratory pattern in Venezuelan patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (n = 397). At enrollment, they underwent a thorough clinical history and physical examination, and provided stool specimens for the identification of Isospora belli and other parasites. Isospora belli was identified in 56 subjects (14%) and diarrhea, either acute or chronic, was present in 98% of these cases (P < 0.001). Eosinophilia was strongly associated with isosporiasis (P = 0.01). It was also found that the presence of eosinophilia was more common in I. belli-infected patients without weight loss (P < 0.001). Twenty-six (81.25%) subjects with I. belli infection had CD4+ cell counts < 200 cells/mm3 (P = 0.03). In addition, the data and its description shows the association to be < 100 cells/mm3. This infection seems to be seasonal because the recovery of oocysts occurred mainly in months with significant rainfall. In fact, isosporiasis should be suspected in HIV-infected patients from tropical countries with diarrhea, weight loss, eosinophilia, and low CD4+ cell counts.

    PMID: 13677379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

    Supplemental Content

    Click here to read