Microsporidia in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Pediatric Patients with Diarrhea at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background Human microsporidiosis presents as an important and rapidly emerging opportunistic infection. However, the exact burden of this infection especially in the pediatric population of Northern India remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of microsporidia among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative pediatric patients who presented with diarrhea. Methods A total of 263 children were recruited consisting of 98 HIV seropositive with diarrhea and 165 HIV seronegative but with diarrhea. Morning stool samples were collected and both direct and formol ether concentrated samples were examined for the presence of intestinal parasites. The modified acid-fast staining was done for coccidian parasites and trichrome stain for microsporidia detection. Further, the species were detected using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a conserved region of the small ribosomal subunit rRNA gene of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon hellem, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Results Overall, one or more parasites were detected in 52.04% (51/98) of HIV seropositive and 53.33% (88/165) of seronegative children (p = 0.8391). However, coccidian parasites were detected in a significantly huge number of HIV seropositive children (21.43% [21/98]) as compared with HIV seronegative children (4.24% [7/165]). Microsporidial DNA could be detected in HIV seropositive with diarrhea children (17.35% [17/98]) by PCR. A significant correlation between low CD4 count (≤ 200/μL) and intestinal parasite positivity could be established. Conclusion Microsporidia is a significant cause of diarrhea in HIV seropositive pediatric patients and should be kept in mind as one of the differential diagnoses in such patients.

Encephalitozoon hellem infection after haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children: a case report

“…Besides, there is no new pathognomonic change in head MR, and the patient also had no complaints of ocular discomfort. Dinesh ( 11 ) reported that microsporidia are one of the main causes of intestinal infection in HIV-positive children. HIV-infected children usually have low immune function, while this patient’s early T-cell subset and B-cell subset decreased significantly after transplantation, indicating slow immune reconstitution and susceptibility to various pathogens.…”