Giardia disrupts the arrangement of tight, adherens and desmosomal junction proteins of intestinal cells

► The mechanism involved during giardiasis have not been fully elucidated. ► There is a decrease of epithelium permeability (42%) after interaction with Giardia. ► The parasite was not competent to alter junctional proteins expression. ► We conclude that Giardia is able to rearrange junctional proteins of intestinal cells.