Mucin2 and Lipid Profile Estimation in Giardia Lamblia Infected Patients: A Case-control Study

Introduction: Globally, Giardia duodenalis (G. lamblia) is a protozoan parasite that has the ability to cause sporadic or epidemic infectious diarrhoea. Giardia infection is a crucial cause of waterborne and foodborne disease, outbreaks in the daycare centre, and international travel-related infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Giardia lamblia infection on serum MUC2 and lipid profile. Patients and Methods: From March to April 2021, a case-control study was conducted on 48 patients with giardiasis who attended AL-Hakeem Hospital in Najaf Province in Iraq and 24 healthy adults as a control group. Stool examinations were done using standard techniques for the identification of the parasitic infection. Results: The results showed a significantly higher concentration (130.57 ± 4.04 ng/ml, and 130.11 ± 3.6 ng/ml) (p < 0.05 of MUC2 in G. lamblia infected patients (males and females) in comparison to the individuals of the control group. In addition, significantly higher concentrations (p < 0.05) of cholesterol, VLDL, TG, and LDL were found in comparison to the control individuals, whereas the concentration of HDL was significantly lower (p < 0.05 in patients infected with G. lamblia as compared to the control group. Conclusion: The current study revealed that MUC2 and lipid profile are valuable biomarkers that help in the diagnosis of G. lamblia parasite infection.