Fulminant Amoebic Colitis: Role of the Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses

About 10% of the world population is affected by an invasion of the colon by Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) that results in intestinal amebiasis. This pathogenesis is an important cause of death worldwide, ranking fourth among parasite related fatalities, behind malaria, Chagas disease and Leshmaniasis. Clinically speaking, E. histolytica causes amoebic dysentery, ameboma, amoebic appendicitis and fulminant amoebic colitis (FAC) (Espinosa-Cantellano & Martínez-Palomo, 2000; Pérez-Tamayo, 1986; Prathap & Gilman, 1970).