Parasites and Biliary stones

Cryptosporidiosis ٥٤
malnutrition, viral infections such as measles and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and exogenous immunotherapy for
cancer or other diseases, the duration and severity of illness depends on
the extent of cellular immunity impairment. In general, as CD4 T cell
numbers or function decreases, the severity of illness increases. Infections
can become chronic and life threatening with frequent voluminous watery
stools leading to dehydration. In severe cases life cycle stages have been
seen in cells in the respiratory tree, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, and other
extraintestinal sites.With the application of a cocktail of anti-viral drugs,
the severity and number of cases of cryptosporidiosis in HIV infected
persons decreased although there is no specific medication for treatment
of cryptosporidiosis.Also animals exhibit the same prominent clinical
sign of infection as humans, watery diarrhea. Clinical signs have been
reported for cattle, sheep and goats (Angus, 1990).
Loss of absorptive epithelium including apoptosis and villus atrophy
results in malabsorption, and release of inflammatory cell mediators
stimulating electrolyte secretion and diarrhea (Gookin et al., 2002).
Argenzio et al. (1996) found that prostaglandins altered NaCl transport
primarily by stimulating the enteric nervous system. Because of the
profuse secretory diarrhea, it has been hypothesized that C. parvum
produces an enterotoxin.
Other findings may include cholecystitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis,
reactive arthritis, and respiratory problems. These sites of infection are
often under diagnosed because oocysts are more easily recognized in
persons with diarrhea than in those without. Gallbladder disease affects
less than 10% of AIDS patients with cryptosporidiosis. This condition
usually presents with acalculous cholecystitis or sclerosing cholangitis
with right upper quadrant pain and fever; diarrhea may or may not be