Seroprevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis Infection in Patients with Hyperlipidemia: A Case-Control Study

Mohammad Amin  Sari; Paridokht  Karimian; Eshrat  Beigom Kia; Mehdi  Mohebali; Amirhossin  Aghakhani; Enayat  Darabi; Zohre  Fakhrieh- Kashan

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16394

Mohammad Amin Sari Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Paridokht Karimian Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
Eshrat Beigom Kia Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Amirhossin Aghakhani Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Enayat Darabi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zohre Fakhrieh- Kashan Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16394

Keywords: Strongyloides stercoralis; Hyperlipidemia; Human; Iran

Abstract

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is one of the soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in tropical and subtropical regions. The role of lipid profile has been investigated in the survival of larval stages of helminths, but there is limited information about the role of lipid profiles and strongyloidiasis. Hence, we aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of S. stercoralis infection in patients with hyperlipidemia is compared with the non-hyperlipidemia.

Methods: In 2023, participants were selected from the laboratory of Porsina Hospital in Guilan Province, northern Iran and their lipid profiles including TG, CHOL, LDL, HDL, and VLDL were measured. They were divided into two groups of case and control and matched based on sex and age. S. stercoralis Ab (IgG) was measured by ELISA methods, using the NovaTec kit. Finally, statistical analysis was performed.

Results: Each case and control group consisted of 105 participants, from 13 to 80 years old. 56.66% were female and 43.33% were male. The sero-prevalence of S. stercoralis was found 4.76% in the case group compared to 0.95% in the control group. We found an association between TG fall and VLDL with sero-prevalence of S. stercoralis in hyperlipidemia group (P= 0.034), but other lipid profiles did not show a significant association. A significant relationship was found between contact with dogs and sero-prevalence of S. stercoralis (P=0.001).

Conclusion: The sero-prevalence of S. stercoralis in the case group was 5 times higher than the control group. A significant association between TG and VLDL fall with S. stercoralis Ab (IgG) was observed, but future studies with more sample sizes are suggested to investigate the anti-atherogenic effect of S. stercoralis. Also, a genetic assessment of S. stercoralis and the host (humane and dogs) is recommended to research zoonotic potential in epidemic areas.