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Severe, protracted intestinal cryptosporidiosis associated with interferon gamma deficiency: pediatric case report
M A Gomez Morales1, C M Ausiello, A Guarino
1Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Insights
A human immunodeficiency virus-negative infant with chronic diarrhea showed impaired immune response to Cryptosporidium parvum. This highlights the crucial role of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in recovering from cryptosporidiosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Cryptosporidium parvum is a significant cause of chronic diarrhea in infants.
- Assessing immune function is critical for understanding susceptibility and recovery from parasitic infections.
- Infants with persistent diarrhea require thorough immune evaluation.
Abstract:
We describe a human immunodeficiency virus-negative infant with chronic intractable diarrhea due to Cryptosporidium parvum; he had a history of significant weight loss since the second week of life. A preliminary study of his immune function was negative for primary immunodeficiency. To further study his immune function, proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was elicited by crude antigenic extract from C. parvum oocysts (CCE). Supernatants of CCE-stimulated PBMCs contained interleukin 10 but not interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), while PBMCs from a control (a 2-year-old immunocompetent infant who had recovered from cryptosporidiosis) showed a strong response to IFN-gamma when stimulated with CCE. These results stress the role of IFN-gamma in recovery from cryptosporidiosis.