Opportunistic Protozoa Coinfected With Helicobacter Pylori Among Egyptian Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hyperglycemic state wherein the patient has a high level of blood glucose. People with diabetes are vulnerable to infection with opportunistic intestinal parasites as it is considered a state of immune suppression.The study evaluated the opportunistic protozoa co-infected with Helicobacter pylori among 156 DM patients and estimated the risk factors. Early morning stool samples were obtained from each participant and examined for H. pylori and intestinal protozoa. The overall rate of protozoa was 79.5% (124/156), which were Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium parvum and Isospora belli were detected in 13.5%, 29.5%, &16.7% respectively. Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar were in 9% & 8.3% respectively. The overall rate of H. pylori was 19.9%, and its co-infection with I. belli, C. parvum, E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinalis was 6.4%, 32.2%, 12.9% & 9.6% respectively. A significant relation was between H. pylori and diarrhea (P <0.001), C. parvum and abdominal pain (P=0.001), diarrhea (P <0.001), and animal contact (P <0.001), but I. belli showed a significant association with diarrhea (P = 0.002), flatulence (P = 0.027), and animal contact (P = 0.002).