“…Together, these observations indicate that in giardiasis, loss of absorptive surface area coupled with defective glucose-stimulated electrolyte, fluid, and solute absorption, rather than hypersecretory processes such as those observed during cholera, are responsible for excessive loss of fluids in the stools. As mentioned above, a similar pathophysiological cascade has been reported in a number of other disorders, including cryptosporidiosis (Argenzio et al 1990), Crohn's disease (Dvorak 1988), bacterial enteritis (Buret et al 1990(Buret et al , 1998, celiac disease (Rubin et al 1966), and chronic intestinal anaphylaxis ). Recent studies have shed new light on the mechanisms whereby host immune factors may lead to these abnormalities in giardiasis.…”