Prevalence of strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients in Mazandaran province of northern Iran: A comprehensive study utilizing simultaneous parasitological, serological, and molecular techniques

IF 2 Q3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Pub Date : 2025-04-25 DOI:10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00425

Reza Saberi , Aliasghar Ghorbanzadeh , Rabeeh Tabaripour , Shahabeddin Sarvi , Shirzad Gholami , Seyed Abdollah Hosseini

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth (STH) responsible for strongyloidiasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that affects nearly 614 million people globally. This intestinal nematode poses significant health risks, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of S. stercoralis in high-risk populations in northern Iran, employing a combination of parasitological, serological, and molecular techniques.

Methods

Blood and fecal samples were collected from 92 patients in Mazandaran province, northern Iran, consisting of 52 patients with HIV+/AIDS and 40 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or corticosteroid treatment. Initially, all fecal samples were examined using the nutrient agar culture method for parasitological assessment. Following this, DNA extraction was performed on all samples for identify S. stercoralis (by COX1- Nested PCR). Additionally, the sera of the patients were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (NovaTec Immunodiagnostica GmbH, Dietzenbach, Germany).

Results

The stool samples from these patients were negative in agar plate cultures. Among the 92 patients in the study, stool microscopy for Strongyloides rhabditiform larvae was positive in three cases. Using nested PCR, four samples (4.34 %) tested positive for S. stercoralis. Serological investigations revealed that 4 out of 52 HIV-positive patients (7.69 %) and 15 out of 40 cancer patients (37.5 %) had a history of infection with S. stercoralis.

Conclusions

These results emphasis the importance of employing a multifaceted diagnostic approach, combining parasitological, serological, and molecular techniques, to accurately identify infections in at risk populations. Given the potential for severe complications associated with strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised individuals, regular screening and prompt treatment are essential to reduce health risks.

查看原文本刊更多论文

伊朗北部Mazandaran省免疫功能低下患者中圆线虫病的患病率：一项同时利用寄生虫学、血清学和分子技术的综合研究

粪类圆线虫是一种土壤传播的蠕虫（STH），是一种被忽视的热带病（NTD），影响全球近6.14亿人。这种肠道线虫具有重大的健康风险，特别是在免疫功能低下的个体中。本研究旨在采用寄生虫学、血清学和分子技术相结合的方法，调查伊朗北部高危人群中粪球菌的流行情况。方法采集伊朗北部Mazandaran省92例患者的血液和粪便样本，其中52例为HIV+/AIDS患者，40例为化疗或皮质类固醇治疗的癌症患者。最初，所有粪便样本都使用营养琼脂培养法进行寄生虫学评估。随后，对所有样品进行DNA提取（COX1-巢式PCR）鉴定粪球菌。此外，使用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）试剂盒（NovaTec immunodiagnostics GmbH, Dietzenbach, Germany）对患者的血清进行分析。结果患者粪便琼脂平板培养均为阴性。本研究92例患者中，3例粪便显微镜检出横纹状圆线虫幼虫阳性。巢式PCR检测结果为4份（4.34%）粪球菌阳性。血清学调查显示，52例hiv阳性患者中有4例（7.69%），40例癌症患者中有15例（37.5%）有粪球菌感染史。结论这些结果强调了采用多方面的诊断方法，结合寄生虫学、血清学和分子技术，在高危人群中准确识别感染的重要性。鉴于免疫功能低下的个体可能出现与类圆线虫病相关的严重并发症，定期筛查和及时治疗对于降低健康风险至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Parasite Epidemiology and Control Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

3.10%

发文量

审稿时长

17 weeks

期刊介绍： Parasite Epidemiology and Control is an Open Access journal. There is an increasing amount of research in the parasitology area that analyses the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. This epidemiology of parasite infectious diseases is predominantly studied in human populations but also spans other major hosts of parasitic infections and as such this journal will have a broad remit. We will focus on the major areas of epidemiological study including disease etiology, disease surveillance, drug resistance and geographical spread and screening, biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects in clinical trials for both human and other animals. We will also look at the epidemiology and control of vector insects. The journal will also cover the use of geographic information systems (Epi-GIS) for epidemiological surveillance which is a rapidly growing area of research in infectious diseases. Molecular epidemiological approaches are also particularly encouraged.