Emphasizing the Interplay and Diagnostic Power: The Cryptosporidium-Colorectal Cancer Nexus: Unveiling Pathogenic Links with PCR and Fluorescent Diagnostics | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Medical Microbiology | ||||
| Article 51, Volume 35, Issue 1, January 2026 | ||||
| Document Type: New and original researches in the field of Microbiology. | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejmm.2025.400159.1751 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Zainab Abbas  1; Muntaha M. Al Alouci 1; Khalid A.J. Alkhazraji2
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| 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of medicine, University of Anbar, Anbar, Iraq | ||||
| 2Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, College of Medical Technology, Al-farahidi University, Baghdad, Iraq | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Cryptosporidium spp. are protozoan parasites known to cause gastrointestinal illness, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Objective: This study investigates the presence of Cryptosporidium in patients with CRC using conventional microscopy and nested PCR methods to evaluate diagnostic performance and explore possible links between the parasite and colorectal malignancy. Methodology: A total of 29 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 3 control individuals without cancer were enrolled between 2023 and 2024 in Al-Ramadi, Iraq. Intestinal wash samples were collected and examined microscopically using modified Ziehl–Neelsen, phenol auramine, and acridine orange staining. DNA was extracted from microscopy-positive samples and subjected to nested PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium spp. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated using microscopy as the reference standard. Results: Comparative analysis showed no significant age or gender differences between colorectal cancer patients and controls. However, diarrhea was significantly more common in patients (65.5%, p=0.03). Nested PCR demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (88%) in detecting Cryptosporidium spp., outperforming microscopy (48.3% vs. 34.5%). Combined methods improved detection to 55.2%. PCR also showed clear amplification of the 18S rRNA gene, confirming its accuracy. Sequencing identified two Cryptosporidium species, highlighting Nested PCR’s effectiveness in diagnosing infections in colorectal cancer cases. Conclusions: Nested PCR is a highly accurate method for detecting Cryptosporidium spp. in colorectal cancer patients due to its high sensitivity, ability to detect parasite DNA, and superior performance compared to microscopy, especially in low-parasite-load cases. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Cryptosporidiosis; PCR; CRC; Colorectal cancer | ||||
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