SEROPREVALENCE OF CHAGASIC INFECTION IN YOUNG INDIVIDUALS IN A BLOOD CENTER IN THE STATE OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

SUMMARY This study aimed at estimating the number of cases of non-negative serological reactions to Chagas disease in blood donors at the Blood Center of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2003 to 2010 and at relating them to their cities of origin. Five hundred and seventy-four non-negative results for Chagas disease were evaluated. Of these, 371 (64.8%) were reagent, and 203 (35.4%) were inconclusive. The prevalence of Chagas disease in blood donors was 0.05%. There were, on average, 72 cases/year, and a prevalence of males was observed (64.8%). Forty-three (7.49%) individuals were 18 to 30 years old; 92 (16.02%) were 31 to 40; 147 (25.61%) 41 to 50, and 292 (50.87%) were older than 50 years. It was observed that 29.3% of females with reagent serology were at their fertile age (18 and 45 years). The majority of donors were originally from cities in the southwestern and central regions of São Paulo, but individuals from other states contributed with 20%. The provenance of most donors was the city of Botucatu/SP, followed by the city of Taquarituba/SP. Therefore, the profile of donors at this blood center favors the occurrence of a larger number of non-negative serological reactions. Although there has been a significant reduction in the number of new cases/year for this disease, it is still a public-health problem, and results suggest the need for new epidemiological assessments in the studied region.

DISTINCT CELLULAR MIGRATION INDUCED BY Leishmania infantum chagasi AND SALIVA FROM Lutzomyia longipalpis IN A HEMORRHAGIC POOL MODEL

Recruitment of a specific cell population after Leishmania infection can influence the outcome of the disease. Cellular migration in response to Leishmania or vector saliva has been reported in air pouch model, however, cellular migration induced by Leishmania associated with host's blood and vector saliva in this model has not been described. Herein we investigated cellular migration into air pouch of hamster after stimulation with combination of L. chagasi and host's blood and Lutzomyia longipalpis saliva. Migration induced by saliva was 3-fold more than those induced by L. chagasi alone. Additionally, L. chagasi associated with blood and saliva induced significantly even more leukocytes into air pouch than Leishmania alone. L. chagasi recruited a diverse cell population; however, most of these cells seem to have not migrated to the inflammatory exudate, remaining in the pouch lining tissue. These results indicate that L. chagasi can reduce leukocyte accumulation to the initial site of infection, and when associated with vector saliva in the presence of blood components, increase the influx of more neutrophils than macrophages, suggesting that the parasite has developed a strategy to minimize the initial inflammatory response, allowing an unlimited progression within the host. This work reinforces the importance of studies on the salivary components of sand fly vectors of leishmaniasis in the transmission process and the establishment of the infection.

PRETERM BIRTH AND FETAL GROWTH RESTRICTION IN HIV-INFECTED BRAZILIAN PREGNANT WOMEN

Introduction: Maternal HIV infection and related co-morbidities may have two outstanding consequences to fetal health: mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and adverse perinatal outcomes. After Brazilian success in reducing MTCT, the attention must now be diverted to the potentially increased risk for preterm birth (PTB) and intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR). Objective: To determine the prevalence of PTB and IUGR in low income, antiretroviral users, publicly assisted, HIV-infected women and to verify its relation to the HIV infection stage. Patients and Methods: Out of 250 deliveries from HIV-infected mothers that delivered at a tertiary public university hospital in the city of Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil, from November 2001 to May 2012, 74 single pregnancies were selected for study, with ultrasound validated gestational age (GA) and data on birth dimensions: fetal weight (FW), birth length (BL), head and abdominal circumferences (HC, AC). The data were extracted from clinical and pathological records, and the outcomes summarized as proportions of preterm birth (PTB, < 37 weeks), low birth weight (LBW, < 2500g) and small (SGA), adequate (AGA) and large (LGA) for GA, defined as having a value below, between or beyond the ±1.28 z/GA score, the usual clinical cut-off to demarcate the 10th and 90th percentiles. Results: PTB was observed in 17.5%, LBW in 20.2% and SGA FW, BL, HC and AC in 16.2%, 19.1%, 13.8%, and 17.4% respectively. The proportions in HIV-only and AIDS cases were: PTB: 5.9 versus 27.5%, LBW: 14.7% versus 25.0%, SGA BW: 17.6% versus 15.0%, BL: 6.0% versus 30.0%, HC: 9.0% versus 17.9%, and AC: 13.3% versus 21.2%; only SGA BL attained a significant difference. Out of 15 cases of LBW, eight (53.3%) were preterm only, four (26.7%) were SGA only, and three (20.0%) were both PTB and SGA cases. A concomitant presence of, at least, two SGA dimensions in the same fetus was frequent. Conclusions: The proportions of preterm birth and low birth weight were higher than the local and Brazilian prevalence and a trend was observed for higher proportions of SGA fetal dimensions than the expected population distribution in this small casuistry of newborn from the HIV-infected, low income, antiretroviral users, and publicly assisted pregnant women. A trend for higher prevalence of PTB, LBW and SGA fetal dimensions was also observed in infants born to mothers with AIDS compared to HIV-infected mothers without AIDS.

FIRST REPORT OF ACUTE CHAGAS DISEASE BY VECTOR TRANSMISSION IN RIO DE JANEIRO STATE, BRAZIL

SUMMARY Chagas disease (CD) is an endemic anthropozoonosis from Latin America of which the main means of transmission is the contact of skin lesions or mucosa with the feces of triatomine bugs infected by Trypanosoma cruzi. In this article, we describe the first acute CD case acquired by vector transmission in the Rio de Janeiro State and confirmed by parasitological, serological and PCR tests. The patient presented acute cardiomyopathy and pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade. Together with fever and malaise, a 3 cm wide erythematous, non-pruritic, papule compatible with a "chagoma" was found on his left wrist. This case report draws attention to the possible transmission of CD by non-domiciled native vectors in non-endemic areas. Therefore, acute CD should be included in the diagnostic workout of febrile diseases and acute myopericarditis in Rio de Janeiro.

BRAIN ABSCESS DUE TO Staphylococcus aureus OF CRYPTOGENIC SOURCE IN AN HIV-1 INFECTED PATIENT IN USE OF ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY

The spectrum of neurological complications associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is broad. The most frequent etiologies include primary diseases (caused by HIV itself) or secondary diseases (opportunistic infections or neoplasms). Despite these conditions, HIV-infected patients are susceptible to other infections observed in patients without HIV infection. Here we report a rare case of a brain abscess caused by Staphylococcus aureus in an HIV-infected patient. After drainage of the abscess and treatment with oxacilin, the patient had a favorable outcome. This case reinforces the importance of a timely neurosurgical procedure that supported adequate management of an unusual cause of expansive brain lesions in HIV-1 infected patients.

Concomitância de infecção chagásica e esquistossomose numa população brasileira

A população estudada, composta de 201 indivíduos do sexo masculino, 85% dos quais com idade superior a 30 anos, exibiu elevada prevalência de esquistossomose mansônica (95% pela intradermoreação e 79% pela reação de hemaglutinação), bem como sorologia positiva para T. cruzi em pelo menos 28% dos casos. A severidade da infecção chagásica, avaliada através do ECG e de um exame clínico, mostrou-se bastante superior àquela reportada de diversas outras regiões endêmicas, notadamente o Rio Grande do Sul, e semelhante àquela descrita para Bambuí (M.G.): 47% dos indivíduos com positividade sorológica apresentavam alterações eletrocardiográficas, contra apenas 24% daqueles com sorologia negativa. A correlação entre sorologia e sintomas e sinais clínicos também foi tentada. Embora se trate de região trabalhada pelas equipes da SUCAM, é de se ressaltar que a transmissão de T. cruzi ainda não foi interrompida.

Estudos de freqüência, morfologia e diagnóstico de Entamoeba gingivalis, Gros, 1849

Realizamos estudos de freqüência de Entamoeba gingivalis entre 100 pacientes atendidos nos ambulatórios odontológicos da Ufiiversidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), utilizando-se esfregaços corados pela técnica de Papanicolaou modificado, revelando um expressivo índice de 62% de positividade. A afinidade do corante pelo conteúdo vacuolarfagocítico impede uma nítida visualização das cromatinas central e periférica do núcleo do parasita. Lavados bucais de outros 10 pacientes foram utilizados para avaliar em qual método parasitológico de diagnóstico (a fresco e em coloração por hematoxilina férrica, Giemsa e Papanicolaou) ocorre melhor visualização do parasita. O exame afresco do sedimento do lavado bucal revelou 100% de positividade e nítida visualização do parasita. Nenhuma técnica de coloração dos esfregaços se mostrou adequada, apresentando o núcleo freqüentemente mascarado pelos vacúolos fagocíticos. Em preparações coradas por azul de toluidina e na microscopia eletrônica de transmissão pode-se observar caracteres morfológicos típicos do protozoário.

Características físico-químicas do antimoniato de meglumina em diferentes condições de armazenamento

No período de outubro de 1992 a julho de 1995, realizaram-se medições da osmolaridade e pH de ampolas pertencentes a um único lote de meglumina antimoniato (Rhodia Farma Ltda, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Lote 9206L-004) mantidos em três condições de temperatura (4ºC, 37oC e temperatura ambiente). Embora fossem observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas na osmolaridade média das ampolas submetidas aos diferentes tratamentos, o número limitado de medições e a varíabilidade desta característica entre ampolas mantidas na mesma condição de temperatura, avaliadas no mesmo momento, não permitiram obter conclusões definitivas. Não foi demonstrada variação significativa do pH nas mesmas condições. Assumindo que a alteração nestes parâmetros poderia refletir mudanças na estrutura do antímonial pentavalente está indicada a realização de esperimentos melhor controlados que possam definir a relação existente entre as variáveis estudadas.

Estudo terapêutico aberto com sulfato de aminosidine na leishmaniose mucosa causada for Leishmania (viannia) braziliensis

No período de setembro a novembro de 1994 foram tratados 21 pacientes com leishmaniose mucosa ativa, predominantemente adultos lavradores do sexo masculino, com sulfato de aminosidine intramuscular, I6mg/kg/dia por 20 dias. Treze pacientes eram virgens de tratamento e 8 haviam sido tratados sem sucesso com Glucantime®". O diagnóstico baseou-se inicialmente em crítêrios epidemiolôgicos, clínicos e nos resultados da intrademoireação de Montenegro e a imunofluorescência indireta para anticoipos séricos antileishmânia e durante o acompanhamento nos resultados dos estudos parasitológicos. Sessenta e sete por cento dos pacientes tiveram diagnóstico parasitológico confirmado sendo a inoculação do material de biópsia das lesões em hamsters o método mais sensível. O tempo médio de acompanhamento foi de 12,6 meses. A adesão ao tratamento foi de 100%. Os efeitos colaterais foram dor no local da injeção (86%), proteinúria leve (24%), elevação do nível sérico de creatinina (5%) e perda auditiva subclínica em um dos dois pacientes que realizaram audiometria. Obsevou-se cura clínica em 48% dos pacientes e a percentagem acumulada de recidiva foi de 29% (4/14pacientes) durante o acompanhamento.