21) immunocompromised children having different types of malignancies (leukemia,
lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and ueuroblastoma) together with (20) control children were
subjected to this study. Both groups of children complained of diarrhoea. Bacteriological and
Parasitological examination of their stool specimens was done. Bacteriological examination revealed
only one positive case of Aeromonas (4.8%) in immunocomproised groupwhile in immunocomptent
children this organism could not be isolated. Parasitological examination revealed 8 positive cases
(38%) of cryptosporida in immunocompromised cases and 4 cases (20%) in the immunocomptent
children. Strongyloides stercoralis infection was found in 1 cases (4.8%) tit malignancy group while
it could not be detected in faecal specimens of immunocomptent children.
The compromised host has one or more defects in
the normal defense mechanisms that protect individual
from infectious agents, predisposing him to an increased
risk of severe infection. Malignancy is associated with
multiple defects in host defense and in addition cancer
chemotherapy itself contributes to more defects in local
(central venous catheter placement, surgeory, mucositis
and venipmcture) and systemic (neutropertia,
lymphopenia, T and B lymphocyte function) host defense.
It is agreed that neutropenia and attenuated cell-mediated
immunity are the two greatest risk factors for infection in
patients with malignancy (Behraman and vaughan 1992).
In this way, pathogenic or potentially pathogenic
infectious agents are invited easily to the compromised
host. Gastrointestinal infection continues to be a major
complication in inununocompromised children and the
majority of these infections arise from endogenous
microbial flora or aquired from hosital environment
(Brady, 1989). Recent reports have described detection of
cyanobcteria (blue- green algae)- like bodies MMWR,
1991) and a fastidious gram-negative coccobacillus in
stool culture of immunocompromised host by selective
media (Blum et al, 1992). Inununocompromised patients
may suffer from dissemination of reactivated latent
infections, invading pathogens and opportunistic. It is
those infections with parasites against which immunity is
preclominantely T-cell mediated that are likely to be more
severe. Among parasites that pose a major hazard in
immunocompromised patients include Cryptosporidium |
