Relationship between Gastrointestinal Parasites and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Khartoum state

Abstract

This study was conducted in different hospitals in Khartoum state. The study involved two hundred stool samples collected from 100 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and another 100 as controls, during the period between February and June (2016). The results showed that 51 (51%) of irritable bowel syndrome patients as well as 33 (33%) of the control were harboring gastrointestinal parasites. The study revealed that Entamoeba histolytica was seen in 22% of the IBS cases followed by Entamoeba coli in 18%, Giardia lamblia in 16%, Chilomastix mesnili in 4%, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia spp and Enterobius vermicularis in 3% each and Ascaris lumbricoides in 1%. Lower rates were reported among the control group where Entamoeba histolytica was seen in 19% of the control followed by Entamoeba coli in 15%, Giardia lamblia in 11%, Hymenolepis nana in 2%, Chilomastix mesnili, hook worm and Ascaris lumbricoides in 1% each. The results demonstrated that the prevalence rate of gastrointestinal parasites among males and females was almost close (23% and 28% respectively). On the other hand, the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among males and females in the control group was found to be 18% and 15% respectively. The highest prevalence rate (63.6% and 57.6%) were found among the 31-40 and 21-30 years age groups respectively, while the lowest rate (38.5%) was found among the 11-20 years age group for the IBS patients. For the control group, the highest prevalence rate (66.6%) was found among the 0-10 years age group, while the lowest prevalence rate (18.5%) was found among the 21-30 years age group. The highest prevalence rates (63.6%) was found among the illiterate group, while the lowest rate (20%) was found among the primary school group for the IBS patients. For the control group, the highest prevalence rate (63.6%) was found among the university graduate group, while the lowest prevalence rate (17.6%) was found among the illiterate group. When using different techniques for all samples (IBS patients and controls), formal ether concentration technique proved to detect higher rates of different parasites encountered, the highest rate was for Entamoeba histolytica (20.5%), followed by Entamoeba coli (16.5%). The result also showed that using floatation technique was useless in recovering any single case of Hook worm, Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia spp and Enterobius vermicularis.