Absence of erythrocyte sequestration in a case of babesiosis in a splenectomized human patient

Abstract Background The importance of vascular occlusion in the pathogenesis of human haemoprotozoal disease is unresolved. Methods Giemsa-stained tissue sections from a human case of Babesia microti infection in a splenectomized patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and colon cancer were exami...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Malaria Journal
Main Authors: Joyce Alina J, Haymore Bret R, Hsue Gunther, Budd Alison C, Clark Ian A, Thorner Richard, Krause Peter J
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2006
Subjects:
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-69
https://doaj.org/article/b698a459ee4c4fb481189ff063f64c7e
Description
Summary:Abstract Background The importance of vascular occlusion in the pathogenesis of human haemoprotozoal disease is unresolved. Methods Giemsa-stained tissue sections from a human case of Babesia microti infection in a splenectomized patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and colon cancer were examined to ascertain the distribution of parasitized erythrocytes within the vascular lumen. Results No evidence of sequestration was observed. Conclusion This first report on the vascular location of B. microti in human tissue suggests that severe multi-organ failure due to babesiosis is independent of sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes. A similar pathogenesis may also cause multi-organ failure in other intraerythrocytic protozoal infections, including falciparum malaria.

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