Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hyperglycemic state wherein the patient has a high level of blood
glucose. People with diabetes are vulnerable to infection with opportunistic intestinal parasites
as it is considered a state of immune suppression.
The study evaluated the opportunistic protozoa co-infected with Helicobacter pylori among
156 DM patients and estimated the risk factors. Early morning stool samples were obtained
from each participant and examined for H. pylori and intestinal protozoa. The overall rate of
protozoa was 79.5% (124/156), which were Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium parvum
and Isospora belli were detected in 13.5%, 29.5%, &16.7% respectively. Giardia intestinalis
and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar were in 9% & 8.3% respectively. The overall rate of H. pylori
was 19.9%, and its co-infection with I. belli, C. parvum, E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinalis
was 6.4%, 32.2%, 12.9% & 9.6% respectively. A significant relation was between H.
pylori and diarrhea (P <0.001), C. parvum and abdominal pain (P=0.001), diarrhea (P <0.001),
and animal contact (P <0.001), but I. belli showed a significant association with diarrhea (P =
0.002), flatulence (P = 0.027), and animal contact (P = 0.002).