Publication Details
Abstract
Intestinal parasitic infections continue to be an important public health problem in children, especially in developing nations. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of E. histolytica and G. lamblia in children with diarrhoea by microscopic examination, molecular methods and to assess the levels of cytokines such as IL-13 and TGF-β in infected children versus healthy controls. From April to June 2026, 100 stool samples were obtained from 1-month-old to 12-year-old children at the Children's Hospital and Out Patient Laboratories. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations and DNA extraction and nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested PCR) of stool samples was performed in positive cases. The serum samples of infected patients and 50 healthy controls were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The microscopic examination revealed 55 positive samples (40 E.histolytica, 15 G.lamblia). The target gene of E. histolytica was identified in all 439 positive samples while G. lamblia was identified in 78.5% of the positive samples at 264 base pairs. As far as age distribution, E. histolytica was more commonly found in children between 2 and 7 years (42.5% positive) and G. lamblia was more commonly found in children between 2 and 12 years (41.5% positive). Serum IL-13 levels were highest in the E. histolytica group (321.12 ± 88.0), followed by the G. lamblia group (170.11 ± 33.9) and healthy controls (60.12 ± 4.9). Similarly, TGF-β levels were 6.54 ± 3.87, 0.88 ± 0.15, and 3.50 ± 1.90, respectively. In general, all the groups studied showed significant difference for both the markers (p<0.001). The results indicate that intestinal parasitic infection is associated with changes in the level of immune-related cytokines, but additional research is necessary to elucidate the roles of these cytokines in host–parasite interactions.