Measurement Of Blood Loss Using (51)Cr In Heavy Infection Cases Of Trichocephalus Trichiurus.

This study was undertaken to find out the possibility of iron-deficiency anemia by the intestinal blood loss in massive infection cases of T. trichiurus. Among the children of a community in which the whipworm infections were highly prevalent, 7 cases were selected whose E.P.G. of whipworm ova were more than 1,000. The hematological findings and estimated blood loss using (51)Cr were undertaken. The results could be summarized as follows: 1) The E.P.G. and E.P.D. of T. trichiurus ova in studied 7 cases were 10,500-37,200/gm of feces and 0.90-5.14 million/day respectively. 2) Findings of hematological examination were in lower limit of normal in hemoglobin content and hematocrit. And erythrocytes were neither microcytic nor hypochromic. Differential count of leucocytes showed persistently low grade of eosinophilia. 3) Serum iron content measured by modification of Barkan method showed subnormal value in 5 out of 7 cases. 4)Erythrocyte radioactivity half disappearance time(T(1/2)) and intestinal blood loss were estimated using (51)Cr-tagging erythrocytes. And the results showed that T(1/2) were shortened (13-19 days ) in all cases and the blood loss was 0.94-6.54 ml/day which were correlated with worm burden (E.P.D.) significantly. 5) From the above results, it could be concluded that intestinal blood loss of T. trichiurus heavy infection were actually occurred but the amount of losses were easily compensated.