Investigation of possible correlation between Giardia duodenalis genotypes and clinical symptoms in southwest of Iran

Giardia duodenalis is one of the most important human enteric parasites throughout the world. Clinical symptoms of this parasite vary from asymptomatic infection to chronic diarrhea. Still it is not clear, whether different types of pathogenesis are due to different strains of organism or to variable host factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible correlation of clinical symptoms with assemblages among symptomatic and asymptomatic cases collected from southwest of Iran. Fecal samples were collected from 100 symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, which were positive for G. duodenalis. The samples were subjected to semi-nested PCR and RFLP for gdh gene. Among symptomatic patients, 54% had mixed genotypes AII and BIII, 28% and 18% of samples indicated assemblages BIII and AII, respectively. In contrast, among asymptomatic cases, 64%, 26% and 10%samples had mixed genotypes, BIII and AII assemblages, respectively. Statistical analysis using Chi-Square test showed that there was no significant correlation between assemblage and clinical symptoms in current study. High prevalence of mixed infection in both groups may affect this conclusion, therefore further study in more details are necessary to clarify these finding. Additionally, it is important to carry out investigations regarding human host factors as well

Pediatric visceral leishmanisis in the southwest part of Iran: a study of 215 cases

To study the epidemiological, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of visceral leishmaniasis [VL] in children. It is a retrospective study, hospital records of all children with diagnosis of VL were reviewed from 1991 through 2003. Hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jondi-Shapour University of Medical Sciences in the southwestern part of Iran. Two hundreds and fifteen patients [153 males and 62 females] were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 31 +/- 22 months. Fever and splenomegaly were present in >95% of the patients and hepatomegaly and lymphadenopathy in 76% and 3.7% of cases, respectively. Common laboratory findings were anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. All patients were treated with meglumine antimoniate.Relapse were observed in 4% of the patients and fatality rate was 5%. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the southwestern part of Iran. The clinical profile of the disease is typical of the Mediterranean infantile form

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis

This is the first case description of primary amebic meningoencephalitis [PAM] in an Iranian child. The patient was an eighteen months old boy referred to the hospital with signs and symptoms of acute meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] examination indicated pleocytosis with predominance of neutrophils, low sugar and high protein. Gram staining and culture of CSF for bacteria were negative. Microscopic examination of CSF revealed the motile amebae with pseudopodia. In Giemsa staining of CSF, the trophozoites of amebae were observed. The initial response to a six-week treatment course with amphotericin B, rifampin and chloramphenicol was satisfactory, but in the follow-ups the patient regressed neurologically. Although PAM is a rare and fatal disease, it should be differentiated from bacterial meningitis and treatment must be promptly carried out