ABSTRACT
To search for the opportunistic and other pathogenic intestinal parasites in dialysis patients, and to compare the methods used for diagnosis. This is a randomized study, which recruited participants from dialysis patients. The study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Research Hospital, School of Medicine in Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey between June 2012 and March 2013. One hundred and forty-two patients were diagnosed with an end-stage renal failure, which underwent dialysis, and 150 healthy volunteers were enrolled to the study. Native-lugol, formol ethyl acetate sedimentation method, trichrome, modified trichrome, acid fast, and Calcofluor staining methods were applied to the stool samples. For the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis [G. intestinalis], and Entamoeba histolytica [E. histolytica], commercially available ELISA kits were used, which detect antigen in the stool. Parasites were found in 62 of the dialysis patients [43.7%] and 19 of the control group [12.7%]. The most encountered parasitic agents in the dialysis patients were Blastocystis spp. [23.9%], G. intestinalis [8.5%], E. histolytica [2.1%], Microsporidia spp. [2.1%], and Cryptosporidium spp. [2.1%]. The parasite detection rate of the formol ethyl acetate sedimentation method was found to be higher than native-lugol [p<0.05]. To protect the dialysis patients with diarrhea from parasitic infections, it is important to carry out interval stool examinations with trichrome, modified trichrome, acid fast, and Calcofluor staining methods and the ELISA method that detects antigen in the stool
ABSTRACT
To elucidate the prevalence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Turkey. This study was conducted in the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey during the period of 2006 and 2007. Venous blood before delivery and cord blood during delivery were collected from 138 women, and we observed the presence of immunoglobulin [Ig]G and IgM antibodies by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay [ELISA], western blotting, and other serologic tests. The combination of ELISA and western blotting have the greatest sensitivity among the serological techniques used. The results of the cord and venous sera were comparable with no significant difference, except for one sample. Data obtained showed that early characterization of IgG antibodies synthesized by congenitally infected newborn is important. This preliminary study sets an example to the studies that would help both in determining the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis by screening larger populations and in preventing sequels by early diagnosis