Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?

Chemotherapy can cause immunosuppression, which may trigger latent intestinal parasitic infections in stools to emerge. This study investigated whether intestinal parasites can emerge as opportunistic infections in breast and colorectal cancer patients (n=46 and n=15, respectively) undergoing chemot...

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Main Authors: Chandramathi, S., Suresh, K., Anita, Z.B., Kuppusamy, Umah Rani
Format: Article
Published: Oxford University Press 2012
Subjects:
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author Chandramathi, S.
Suresh, K.
Anita, Z.B.
Kuppusamy, Umah Rani
author_facet Chandramathi, S.
Suresh, K.
Anita, Z.B.
Kuppusamy, Umah Rani
author_sort Chandramathi, S.
collection UM
description Chemotherapy can cause immunosuppression, which may trigger latent intestinal parasitic infections in stools to emerge. This study investigated whether intestinal parasites can emerge as opportunistic infections in breast and colorectal cancer patients (n=46 and n=15, respectively) undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Breast cancer patients were receiving a 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen (6 chemotherapy cycles), and colorectal cancer patients were receiving either an oxaliplatin/5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (FOLFOX) regimen (12 cycles) or a 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (Mayo) regimen (6 cycles). Patients had Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia infections that were only present during the intermediate chemotherapy cycles. Thus, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy should be screened repeatedly for intestinal parasites, namely B. hominis and microsporidia, as they may reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments.
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spelling um.eprints-27762019-03-18T08:21:23Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/2776/ Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic? Chandramathi, S. Suresh, K. Anita, Z.B. Kuppusamy, Umah Rani R Medicine Chemotherapy can cause immunosuppression, which may trigger latent intestinal parasitic infections in stools to emerge. This study investigated whether intestinal parasites can emerge as opportunistic infections in breast and colorectal cancer patients (n=46 and n=15, respectively) undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Breast cancer patients were receiving a 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen (6 chemotherapy cycles), and colorectal cancer patients were receiving either an oxaliplatin/5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (FOLFOX) regimen (12 cycles) or a 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (Mayo) regimen (6 cycles). Patients had Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia infections that were only present during the intermediate chemotherapy cycles. Thus, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy should be screened repeatedly for intestinal parasites, namely B. hominis and microsporidia, as they may reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments. Oxford University Press 2012-02 Article PeerReviewed Chandramathi, S. and Suresh, K. and Anita, Z.B. and Kuppusamy, Umah Rani (2012) Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic? Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 106 (4). pp. 267-269. ISSN 0035-9203, DOI 22340948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2011.12.008 22340948
spellingShingle R Medicine
Chandramathi, S.
Suresh, K.
Anita, Z.B.
Kuppusamy, Umah Rani
Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title_full Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title_fullStr Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title_full_unstemmed Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title_short Infections of Blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients: are they opportunistic?
title_sort infections of blastocystis hominis and microsporidia in cancer patients are they opportunistic
topic R Medicine
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