Table 2.
Clinical symptoms, co-morbidities, co-infections, and hematological/biochemical parameters in cases (Blastocystis-positive patients) and in controls (Blastocystis-negative patients).
| Variables | Blastocystis-Positive Patients | Blastocystis-Negative Patients | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical symptoms | |||
| Diarrhea | 166/336 (49.4%) | 1797/3344 (53.7%) | 0.144 |
| Abdominal pain | 275/336 (81.8%) | 975/3344 (29.2%) | <0.001 |
| Nausea | 36/336 (10.7%) | 29/3344 (0.9%) | <0.001 |
| Vomiting | 47/336 (14%) | 446/3344 (13.3%) | 0.803 |
| Constipation | 24/336 (7.1%) | 323/3344 (9.7%) | 0.160 |
| Anorexia | 34/336 (10.1%) | 27/3344 (0.8%) | <0.001 |
| Fever | 18/336 (5.4%) | 972/3344 (29.1%) | <0.001 |
| Aerophagia | 39/336 (11.6%) | 53/3344 (1.6%) | <0.001 |
| Halitosis | 5/336 (1.5%) | 4/3344 (0.1%) | 0.001 |
| Urticaria | 103/336 (30.7%) | 202/3344 (6%) | <0.001 |
| Anal itching | 32/336 (9.5%) | 90/3344 (2.7%) | <0.001 |
| Dyspepsia | 27/336 (8%) | 88/3344 (2.6%) | <0.001 |
| Co-morbidities | |||
| Celiac disease | 8/336 (2.4%) | 48/3344 (1.4%) | 0.264 |
| Type 2 diabetes | 59/309 (19.1%) | 182/3344 (5.4%) | <0.001 |
| IBS | 6/336 (1.8%) | 160/3344 (4.8%) | 0.017 |
| Cancer | 18/336 (5.4%) | 194/3344 (5.8%) | 0.833 |
| Co-infections | |||
| Pathogenic bacteria | 30/336 (8.9%) | 6/3344 (0.2%) | <0.001 |
| Helminths | 22/336 (6.5%) | 22/3344 (0.7%) | <0.001 |
| Protozoa | 25/336 (7.4%) | 72/3344 (2.2%) | <0.001 |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| Glucose * | 87.00 (14.0) | 87.00 (14.0) | 0.379 |
| Glycosylated hemoglobin * | 5.70 (1.0) | 5.50 (0.9) | 0.523 |
| Hemoglobin * | 14.10 (1.80) | 14.10 (2.50) | 0.903 |
| Relative eosinophilia * | 3.20 (4.5) | 0.10 (0.1) | <0.001 |
* Quantitative variable. Data are reported as counts (%) except for quantitative variables, which are described as median and interquartile range (IQR).