Role and Pathophysiology of Protozoan Parasites Causing Liver Diseases

Abstract

Protozoans are responsible for numerous chronic and severe human diseases worldwide. These are transmitted through food and water along with blood transfusion and physical organ transplantation. Apart from tropical parasites, other protozoans including Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia cause debilitating and fatal human diseases. Countries with low socioeconomic status like India, Mexico, Africa, and Central and South America showed higher prevalence of protozoan infections. Protozoan species invading into the intestine can easily get access to the human liver through the bloodstream and cause chronic liver diseases. Impairment due to such protozoan in the liver causes abnormal liver enzyme activities. These infectious protozoan parasites cause liver abscesses and colitis and are responsible for epidemic in developing and tropical nations. Several drugs including metronidazole/tinidazole, iodoquinol, paromomycin, and diloxanide furoate are currently available for the treatment of hepatic abscess along with few proteolytic agents such as ritonavir, saquinavir, and indinavir that effectively and efficiently inhibit the growth of protozoans. Moreover, newer treatment and therapeutic approaches are needed to control protozoan-associated infection without any side effects that are associated with the drugs. Such newer therapies and research will help in the reduction of protozoan-related disease burden especially in developing countries. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.