Yu Z, Li F, Zeng Z, Huang Z, Fan Z, Jin Y, Luo W, Xiang X, Deng Q.
Int J Infect Dis. 2011 Dec;15(12):e845-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2011.08.006. Epub 2011 Oct 12.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, No. 89, Taoyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518052, China.
BACKGROUND:
Patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are often highly susceptible to microbial infection due to a depressed immune system. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of Cryptosporidium infection in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated ACLF in Hunan Province, China.
METHODS:
Fecal samples from 218 patients with HBV-associated ACLF, 122 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 140 children with diarrhea were collected; Cryptosporidium infection was detected by auramine-phenol staining, modified acid-fast staining, and the polymerase chain reaction. The clinical characteristics of this parasitic infection in Cryptosporidium-positive ACLF patients were further evaluated.
RESULTS:
The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in the HBV-associated ACLF patients was 6.0% (13/218), which was markedly higher than that found in CHB patients (0.8%, 1/122) and in children with diarrhea (1.4%, 2/140). Although watery diarrhea was not seen in the 13 Cryptosporidium-positive ACLF patients, eight (61.5%) of them had diarrhea. Moreover, our investigation showed that Cryptosporidium infection was not associated with the severity of the disease in ACLF patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection is high among patients with HBV-associated ACLF and might be a significant cause of diarrhea in this population.
Copyright © 2011 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
