Investigation of Cryptosporidium Species Frequency by ELISA Method in HIV / AIDS Patients

Objective: Opportunistic infections are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. Chronic diarrhea caused by parasites are important opportunistic infections in these patients. Cryptosporidium spp. is one of the parasites that cause chronic diarrhea in these patients. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the frequency of Cryptosporidium spp. parasites in our HIV-infected patients. Methods: In 29 HIV patients being followed up at Haseki Training and Research Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic, Cryptosporidium spp. antigen was investigated in the stool. Patients were selected randomly regardless of their clinical characteristics. Results: Of the 29 patients, 77% were male and 58.5% were under 40 years of age. Fifty five point two percent of the patients were diagnosed within the past year. The HIV transmission ways were as follows; 72.5% heterosexual, 17.2% homosexual / bisexual, and 10.3% the unknown group. Seventy six percent of the patients had CD4 counts above 200 cells / ml and 89.6% were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Cryptosporidium spp. antigen was not detected in any of the patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that the frequency of Cryptosporidium spp. in the studied patient population is low but that the number of patients studied should be increased for a more accurate assessment. Also, it was concluded that more study is needed in this subject in our country