ABSTRACT
Cryptosporidium, an intracellular parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other
mucosal surfaces, causes self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent subjects and potentially
life-threatening syndromes in immunocompromised individuals, primarily those with
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cryptosporidium is also the single most common identifiable pathogen in the biliary tract in patients
with AIDS-cholangiopathy, an important biliary disorder caused by opportunistic infection
of the biliary epithelium and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in
AIDS patients. The organism stimulates periductal inflammation in the biliary tree,
induces biliary epithelial cell apoptosis, and thus contributes to the pathogenesis
of AIDS-cholangiopathy. Currently, there is no fully effective medical therapy for
both of the diseases. A better understanding of the parasitology of Cryptosporidium and the pathophysiology of biliary cryptosporidiosis should aid not only our understanding
of the pathogenesis of AIDS-cholangiopathy but also the development of effective therapies
and control of this ubiquitous, highly infectious threat.
KEYWORDS
Cryptosporidium, AIDS-cholangiopathy - pathogenesis - bile ducts - HIV
