Asymptomatic giardiasis does not affect iron absorption in children with iron deficiency anemia.

OBJECTIVE: Malabsorption of iron has been reported in children with symptomatic giardiasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate intestinal absorption of iron in children with asymptomatic giardiasis and iron deficiency anemia. SUBJECTS: Based upon results of blood hemoglobin and stool examination, two groups were established: asymptomatic giardiasis and anemia, and anemia without intestinal parasitosis (control group). Patients were aged 1-6 years. There was no difference in age, weight, height, or iron nutritional status between the asymptomatic giardiasis and control groups on admission to the study. MEASURES: Intestinal absorption of iron was evaluated using the iron tolerance test and the hemoglobin response to iron therapy. The serum iron tolerance test was based on the increment of iron level 2 hours after administering an iron load of 1 mg/kg of elemental iron in the form of ferrous sulfate, in comparison to the fasting iron level. Hemoglobin response to oral iron therapy was determined by the increment of hemoglobin on day 30 of therapy with ferrous sulfate (5 mg/kg/day of elemental iron). RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the asymptomatic giardiasis and control groups with reference to the iron tolerance test (159.1 +/- 73.1 micrograms/dl and 154.5 +/- 76.5 micrograms/dl, respectively) and to the hemoglobin response to iron therapy (1.5 +/- 0.7 g/dl and 1.8 +/- 1.1 g/dl, respectively). The presence or absence of trophozoites of Giardia lamblia on duodenal aspirate did not affect intestinal absorption of iron. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic giardiasis did not affect the intestinal absorption of iron and the hemoglobin response to oral iron therapy in iron-deficient anemic children.

[Diagnostic limitations of the isolation of trophozoites of Giardia lamblia in duodenal aspirates]. / Limitação diagnóstica da pesquisa de trofozoítos da Giardia lamblia no aspirado duodenal.

Examination of fecal specimens for detection of Giardia lamblia cysts is known to produce a high percentage of false negative results while it is generally believed that duodenal juice often contains trophozoites even when the stool examination is negative. The aim of this study was to compare the detection of trophozoites in duodenal aspirate with the findings of cysts in stool samples for the diagnosis of asymptomatic giardiasis. Forty five children with iron deficiency anemia (one to six years of age) were studied, 21 with giardiasis and 24 without giardiasis. For each subject, one to five stool samples were examined for cysts of Giardia lamblia employing the formol-ether concentration method. Duodenal juice from all children were examined for the presence of trophozoites of Giardia lamblia. Fecal excretion of cysts was demonstrated in 20 (95%) of the 21 patients with giardiasis; however, only nine (43%) exhibited the presence of trophozoites in their duodenal aspirates. In one child trophozoites were observed in the duodenal aspirate; but the parasitologic investigation was negative for cysts in the feces. All the children without giardiasis had at least three stool samples and duodenal aspirate negative for Giardia lamblia. In conclusion, fecal examination by formol ether concentration method exhibited a greater number of positive results than did the duodenal aspirate microscopy method in the diagnosis of giardiasis.