Effect of corticosteroid and irradiation on caecal amoebic infection in rats

Albino rats (Wistar strain) were pretreated with corticosteroid, irradiation or both to study the effect on the outcome of amoebic infection given intracaecally. The number of animals with lesions amongst "treated" groups was not significantly different from that amongst untreated control animals (P greater than 0.05) but amoebic pathology was markedly exacerbated amongst the treated animals. It is thus thought that once the amoebic infection is established, amoebae become better established for penetration in the immuno-depressed host. The study further suggests that corticosteroid therapy could aggravate an otherwise sub-clinical amoebic infection in man.