Related Experiment Videos
Intestinal microsporidiosis in Italian individuals with AIDS
M C Voglino1, G Donelli, P Rossi
1Laboratorio di Ultrastrutture, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
Abstract:
A survey on microsporidiosis in individuals with AIDS presenting chronic diarrhoea was carried out in Italy, over a four-year period (1992-1995). Three out of 72 (4.2%) individuals were found positive, on intestinal biopsies, for Enterocytozoon bieneusi by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sixteen individuals with AIDS, from a second group of subjects, were confirmed positive, by TEM, for intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Of these 19 cases, 10 (52.6%) were homosexual men. Two of these individuals, under albendazole treatment, showed also spores with unusual features. The prevalence of intestinal microsporidiosis (12-50%) reported in European countries, Australia and North America, where homosexuality is the major HIV risk factor (63-77%), is higher than in Italy, where homosexual men represent only 16% of the total number of AIDS cases.
Insights
Microsporidiosis, an infection causing chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, was studied in Italy. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was identified in 4.2% of individuals, with homosexual men being the most affected group.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Microsporidiosis is an opportunistic infection that can cause chronic diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common microsporidian species identified as a cause of intestinal disease in AIDS patients.
- Previous studies in Europe, Australia, and North America reported higher prevalence rates of intestinal microsporidiosis in AIDS patients compared to Italy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of intestinal microsporidiosis in individuals with AIDS presenting with chronic diarrhea in Italy.
- To identify the causative microsporidian species and assess risk factors, such as homosexuality.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted over a four-year period (1992-1995) in Italy.
- Intestinal biopsies from individuals with AIDS and chronic diarrhea were examined using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Main Results:
- Three out of 72 (4.2%) individuals tested positive for Enterocytozoon bieneusi by light microscopy and TEM.
- An additional 16 individuals with AIDS were confirmed positive for intestinal microsporidiosis (Enterocytozoon bieneusi) by TEM.
- Of the 19 confirmed cases, 10 (52.6%) were homosexual men.
- Two patients on albendazole treatment exhibited unusual spore features.
Conclusions:
- Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a cause of chronic diarrhea in Italian AIDS patients, though its prevalence appears lower than in other Western countries.
- Homosexuality is a significant risk factor for microsporidiosis in this Italian cohort.
- Further investigation into the unusual spore morphology observed during albendazole treatment is warranted.