Clinical, Immunological and Parasito- Logical Parallels in Patients with Blastocystosis

On clinical and prophylactic indications, 7905 patients were parasitologically examined, and Blastocystis hominis was detected in 273 (3.4%) of them. Detailed investigations were carried out in 82 of the infected patients (19 males and 63 females), divided into two groups: individuals with clinical symptoms and asymptomatic carriers. A correlation was found between the number of parasites detected, the clinical presentation and the changes in the levels of total serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) in the persons infected with B.hominis. Half of the patients investigated presented with gastrointestinal and allergic symptoms. Significant decrease of levels of serum immunoglobulin IgA, correlating with the number of parasites detected was found in 43 patients, irrespective of the presence or absence of clinical symptoms.