Background: Protozoa have the ability to replace the human lung. Over recent years, the incidence of pulmonary infections caused by these microorganisms has increased, particularly in individuals with an immunodeficiency. The use of appropriate diagnostic methods is particularly important in the identification of parasites in pulmonary secretions. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate and compare PCR-based diagnostic methods with the gold standard method to detect three pathogenic protozoa, including Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Microsporidia in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained from immunocompromised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: A bronchoalveolar lavage sample of immunodeficient patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was examined by direct microscopy and PCR methods. Results: In this study, we examined 64 patients with immunodeficiency accompanied by COPD. Microsporidia were not identified in the samples. Direct methods identified three and nine cases of Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium, respectively. However, the molecular method identified two and two cases of pulmonary infection with these parasites. Conclusions: Determining the standard diagnostic method for parasites is dependent on factors, such as the type of specimen and the type of parasite. Based on the results of the present study, the direct microscopic method is the optimal diagnostic method for Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium in BAL samples.

Background and Purpose: Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous and chronic fungal infection that is caused by a dimorphic fungus, namely Sporothrix schenckii sensu lato. Lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis is the most clinical form, which accounts for nearly 80% of the cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis. Platelets contain several substances with antimicrobial properties. Regarding this, the present study was performed to investigate the effect of blood-based biomaterials, especially platelets in the treatment of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 12 golden hamsters, divided into three groups of control, platelet-rich plasma, and platelet lysate. For the purpose of the study, Sporothrix conidia suspension was injected subcutaneously on the back of the animals. After the induction of subcutaneous lesions, the Gomori methenamine silver method was applied to verify lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. Subsequently, plasma-rich platelet and platelet lysate were injected into the created lesions in the animals in 3-day intervals (due to the short lifetime of platelets). In the final sage, skin tissue samples were examined to check for the presence of yeast cells and their quantification. Results: The data were indicative of the presence of yeast cells with/without bud in the tissue of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis lesions in the infected animals. Histological investigation revealed that each of the two biomaterials under study (i.e., plasma-rich platelet and platelet lysate) played a positive role in the removal of the yeast cells of sporotrichosis. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that both plasma-rich platelet and platelet lysate were able to effectively prevent from the progression of cutaneous sporotrichosis. Accordingly, much attention has been given to new therapies, including treatment with blood-derived biomaterials.