Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021009. doi: 10.4178/epih.e2021009. Epub 2021 Jan 20.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis and other intestinal parasites in patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs in northern Iran and to investigate related risk factors.
This cross-sectional study was conducted among 494 patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (n=188) and those treated with prolonged corticosteroid administration (n=306). All fresh fecal samples were examined using the direct wet-mount, formalin ethyl acetate concentration, and agar plate culture techniques.
In total, 16.8% of patients were positive for at least 1 intestinal parasite; the helminthic and protozoan infection rates were 5.1% and 12.3%, respectively. The infection rate was significantly higher in corticosteroid-treated individuals (19.6%) than cancer patients (12.2%) (p<0.05). The prevalence rate of S. stercoralis among patients receiving chemotherapy and those treated with corticosteroids were 4.3% and 5.2%, respectively. The prevalence rate of S. stercoralis infection was significantly higher in older patients (p<0.05).
Strongyloidiasis is one of the most common parasites among patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs in northern Iran. Early diagnosis and proper treatment of these patients are necessary to minimize the complications of severe strongyloidiasis.
本研究旨在评估伊朗北部接受免疫抑制药物治疗的患者中肠道寄生虫（包括鞭虫）的流行情况，并探讨相关的危险因素。
本横断面研究纳入了 494 名接受免疫抑制药物治疗的患者，包括接受化疗的癌症患者（n=188）和长期接受皮质类固醇治疗的患者（n=306）。所有新鲜粪便样本均采用直接湿片镜检、甲醛-乙醚沉淀集卵法和琼脂平板培养技术进行检查。
共有 16.8%的患者至少感染了 1 种肠道寄生虫，其中寄生虫和原虫感染率分别为 5.1%和 12.3%。皮质类固醇治疗组（19.6%）的感染率明显高于癌症患者（12.2%）（p<0.05）。化疗组和皮质类固醇治疗组的鞭虫感染率分别为 4.3%和 5.2%。鞭虫感染率在老年患者中明显更高（p<0.05）。
鞭虫感染是伊朗北部接受免疫抑制药物治疗患者中最常见的寄生虫之一。对这些患者进行早期诊断和适当治疗，对于减少严重鞭虫感染的并发症非常必要。
