COMPARISON SERUM LEVELS OF IRON, ZINC, COPPER, MAGNESIUM AND HAEMATOLOGICAL INDEXES IN BLASTOCYSTIS INFECTED PATIENTS AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

Blastocystis is a worldwide intestinal protozoan parasite in human and animals. It is strongly suggested that Blastocystis is a pathogenic parasite. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in total content of essential elements of iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and hematological indexes in adult Blastocystis infected patients compared with healthy males as a control group. Decrease in their serum level causes physiologic and enzyme functional disorder. In this analytic cross-sectional study during 2008, 54 Blastocystis positive patients and 58 healthy controls that referred to the parasitological laboratory of Milad Hospital were examined. Hematological indexes and serum levels of the elements were measured after final confirmation of feces by direct smear and formalin-ethylacetate concentration methods. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS using the independent sample T-Test. There was no statistical significant difference in hematological indexes in both groups. Although the serum levels of iron, zinc, magnesium and copper were slightly higher in cases, no significant difference was found between two groups. As Blastocystis is in the large intestine and absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper are accomplished in the small intestine; probably this parasite has no effect on their absorption.