Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar infection in chronic hemodialysis patients

• Main Authors: Sebastiáo Rodrigues Ferreira-Filho, Fabiola Corrêa da Costa Braga, Danilo Martins de Sa, Evandro Batista Nunes, Juliana Santos Parreira Soares, Silvia Mamprim Padovese, Andreia Camara de Oliveira, Gredista Maria Ferreira Oliveira, Gilberto dos Passos, Hélton Pereira Lemes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2011-01-01
• Series: Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation
• Online Access: http://www.sjkdt.org/article.asp?issn=1319-2442;year=2011;volume=22;issue=2;spage=237;epage=244;aulast=Ferreira-Filho

To determine the prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (Eh/Ed) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, we collected 330 samples of feces from 110 patients, and nine indivi-duals were found to be positive for Eh/Ed. We compared the infected patients with a group of 14 uninfected HD patients. Both groups were analyzed for their signs, symptoms and socio-economic characteristics using questionnaires. Blood tests were also performed in both the groups. Although both groups did not differ statistically with respect to their signs, symptoms and socio-economic conditions, there was a trend toward a greater number of individuals with diarrhea in the Eh/Ed infected group. In conclusion, we suggest that a parasitological examination of the patient′s stool to detect the Eh/Ed complex should be included with the routine tests so that those patients with a positive fecal test could be initiated on appropriate anti-Eh/Ed therapy.