The Prevalence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> Infection Among Renal Transplanted Patients in Hamadan City, West of Iran

Abstract

Background: Opportunistic infections have become much more considerable in the last decades, especially in immunocompromised patients and due to the medical interventions. Cryptosporidium is a pathogenic protozoan parasite causing diarrhea in children and some times acts as a life threatening opportunistic pathogen in the immunocompromised adults. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the presence of Cryptosporidium infection among patients undergone renal transplantation, who are at risk for this infection. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and the sample collection consisted of 180 renal transplanted patients referred to Shaheed-Beheshti Hospital, Hamadan city, Iran. The stool specimens were concentrated using formalin-ether technique and then the fecal smears were prepared from the sediments. Afterwards, the slides were stained using the Ziehl-Neelsen staining method and then examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Results: One out of 180 fecal samples was positive for Cryptosporidium infection. The infected patient was a 51-year-old woman who had a renal transplantation six years earlier, with continuous use of CellCept® (mycophenolate mofetil) and prednisolone. The patient had been referred to the hospital with gastrointestinal symptoms. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was very low in renal transplanted patients in Hamadan city, Iran. It could be concluded that cryptosporidiosis is not a life threatening risk in this region and it probably showed well post-transplantation hygienic status of the patients and/or low oocysts load in the area.