An observational study of the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to ascertain the prevalence and relationship between intestinal parasite infections (IPIs) and the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: One hundred and forty-two adult patients (18 years of age) with established CKD were compared to 30 controls in a case–control descriptive observational study. The primary outcome measures were the prevalence of IPIs in CKD patients and healthy controls. The secondary outcome measures were the association of IPIs with the severity of kidney disease. Results: Twenty one (14.8%) participants in the study group and 7 (23.3%) in the control group had IPIs (P = 0.278). Among the organisms causing IPI, hookworm and Entamoeba histolytica were the most common as seen in 23.8% of cases and 19.1% of cases, respectively. In different stages of CKD, the prevalence of IPI showed an increase with the increase in the grading (r = 0.2547, P = 0.036). However, the type of IPIs were similar in all three grades. Conclusion: IPIs are common among CKD patients and healthy populations in developing countries. The increasing severity of CKD increases the occurrence of IPI owing to increased uraemia and decreased immunity. Monitoring of such cases may help in improving the outcomes of such patients.

Keywords

• chronic kidney disease
• immunity
• intestinal parasitic infections
• uraemia