Human muscle sarcocystosis in relation to non-specific rheumatic diseases and rheumatoid arthritis

Human muscle sarcocystosis is a parasitic infection acquired by ingestion of the sporocysts of the Sarcocystis species. This study was performed on 22 non-specific rheumatic patients, 21 rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients and 10 apparently healthy persons as controls. Using the Sarcocystis fusiformis antigen [Ag.], serum samples of the patients and the controls were tested for the presence of Sarcocystis species antibodies using the Western Blot technique. Out of the 22 patients of the first group, 14 were positive [63.7]; of the 21 patients of the second group five were positive [23.8%]. They detected several band ranges from 15-116 KD. Most of these samples had eosinophilia ranged from 7-20. Non of the control group serum reacted against Sarcocystis Ag. Statistically the difference between the two groups was significant [P < 0.04]. Sarcocystis infection may be an important cause of the non-specific rheumatic diseases associated with myositis