OPPORTUNISTIC PROTOZOA COINFECTED WITH HELICOBACTER PYLORI AMONG EGYPTIAN DIABETIC PATIENTS

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hyperglycemic state wherein the patient has a high level of bloodglucose. People with diabetes are vulnerable to infection with opportunistic intestinal parasitesas it is considered a state of immune suppression.The study evaluated the opportunistic protozoa co-infected with Helicobacter pylori among156 DM patients and estimated the risk factors. Early morning stool samples were obtainedfrom each participant and examined for H. pylori and intestinal protozoa. The overall rate ofprotozoa was 79.5% (124/156), which were Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium parvumand Isospora belli were detected in 13.5%, 29.5%, &16.7% respectively. Giardia intestinalisand Entamoeba histolytica/dispar were in 9% & 8.3% respectively. The overall rate of H. pyloriwas 19.9%, and its co-infection with I. belli, C. parvum, E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinaliswas 6.4%, 32.2%, 12.9% & 9.6% respectively. A significant relation was between H.pylori and diarrhea (P <0.001), C. parvum and abdominal pain (P=0.001), diarrhea (P <0.001),and animal contact (P <0.001), but I. belli showed a significant association with diarrhea (P =0.002), flatulence (P = 0.027), and animal contact (P = 0.002).