Abstract:
Intestinal parasites usually create benign diseases, though they may induce complications with high morbidity and mortality to the immunocompromised, including. Diabetic, patients. The aim was to detect the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in diabetic patients, comparing them with non diabetic control group and other parameters in Sohag, Egypt.
100 fecal samples were collected from diabetic patients from the diabetes outpatient clinic of Sohag University Hospital and 100 control fecal samples. All samples were examined macroscopically and microscopically by direct smear and different concentration methods then stained by Modified Ziehl-Neelsen Acid fast stain. Glycated haemoglobin (Hb A1c) was measured to detect the DM controlled patients. Collected data were organized, tabulated, and statistically analyzed.
Intestinal parasitic infections were found in 25 cases out of 100 patients (25%) in the diabetic group, in comparison to 7 cases out of 100 controls (7%)(with high significance (p value <0.001)). In the diabetic group Giardia lamblia infection was detected in 22 cases (22%) and 5 (5%) amongst controls, Entamoeba histolytica infection in 7 cases (7%) and 3 (3%) amongst controls, Hymenolypis nana infection in 5 cases (5%) and 3 (3%) amongst controls. Entamoeba coli infection in 8 patients (8%), Entamoeba hartmanni infection in 3 diabetic cases (3%), Dientamoeba fragilis infection in a case (1%), Cryptosporidium parvum infection in 5 cases (5%) and microsporidia in 3 cases (3%). Neither E. coli, E.hartmanni, D.fragilis, C. parvum infections nor microsporidia were detected in controls. Only the rate of G.lamblia infection in DM patients compared to that of controls was considered of high significant value (p value < 0.001). Residence, gender differences were not significant, while age, less than 10 years having the highest prevalence (p value< 0.003), type I infection rate was significantly higher than type II (p value <0.001). DM control also significantly affected the infection rates (p value<0.007 in type I and < 0.01 in type II).
Conclusions: DM is a threatening health condition for intestinal parasitic infections especially for young aged, type I uncontrolled patients.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus ,DM type I, type II, DM controlled patients, Intestinal parasites, Sohag.