Epidemiological and clinical profile of patients with Chagas disease in the Central-North area of Paraná, Southern Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION Profiles of patients with Chagas disease in Paraná were studied. METHODS A descriptive, questionnaire-based study was performed. RESULTS Of 270 participants, 64% were female, 60% were aged ≥65 years, 91% were infected via vector transmission, and 44% were infected in Paraná. Indeterminate (30%), cardiac (36%), cardiodigestive (20%) and digestive (14%) forms were found. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who were older than 65 years of age, retired, female, living in the urban area of Maringá, and infected by vector transmission in childhood in Paraná presented cardiac and digestive signs and did not receive etiological treatment when first diagnosed.

Radiological study of megacolon in trypanosoma cruzi infected rats / Estudo radiológico de megacólon em ratos infectados por trypanosoma cruzi

ABSTRACT Background: Researches on Chagas disease still use several animals and rats, due to size and susceptibility were preferred by many authors. Aim: To develop an experimental model of megacolon in rats inoculated with the strain Y of Trypanosoma cruzi. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were distributed in three groups inoculated with different inoculants: Group A: 600000, Group B: 1000000 and Group C: 1500000 blood trypomastigotes of T. cruzi. Animals were sedated intramuscularly at zero inoculation time (T0) and 60 days after inoculation (T60), to perform the barium enema in order to evaluate the dilatation of the different segments of colon in a comparative study of the measurements obtained, using a digital caliper. Evidence of infection was performed by blood smear collected from the animal's tail 18 days after inoculation with observation of blood forms. Results: Comparing the intestinal diameter of the inoculated animals with 60,0000 trypomastigotes in the T0 of infection with T60 days after the inoculation, significant dilatation was observed between the proximal, medial and distal segments (p<0.01), indicating the establishment of the megacolon model. In addition, comparing intestinal diameter between the different segments, with in the T0 of infection and the T60 after inoculation, significant alterations were observed (p<0.05). Conclusion: The proposed model was possible for in vivo studies of alterations due to infection by T. cruzi and functional alterations of the colon. In addition, the changes manifested in the colon are not directly proportional to the size of the inoculum, but to the time of infection that the animals were submitted, since the animals inoculated with 60,0000 blood forms were the ones which presented the most significant alterations.

RESUMO Racional: Pesquisas para doença de Chagas ainda utilizam diversos animais e o rato por seu tamanho e sua suscetibilidade foi o preferido por muitos pesquisadores. Objetivo: Desenvolver um modelo experimental de megacólon em ratos inoculados com a cepa Y de Trypanosoma cruzi. Métodos: Utilizou-se 30 ratos, machos, distribuídos em três grupos inoculados com diferentes inóculos: Grupo A: 600000, Grupo B: 1000000 e Grupo C: 1500000 tripomastigotas sanguíneos da cepa Y de T. cruzi. Os animais foram sedados via intramuscular no tempo zero de inoculação (T0) e aos 60 dias após a inoculação (T60) para realização de enema opaco para avaliação da dilatação dos diferentes segmentos do cólon em estudo comparativo das medidas obtidas, com o auxílio de um paquímetro digital. A comprovação da infecção foi realizada com esfregaço de sangue coletado a partir da cauda do animal 18 dias após a inoculação com observação das formas sanguíneas. Resultados: Ao comparar o diâmetro intestinal dos animais inoculados com 60.0000 formas tripomastigotas no T0 de infecção com T60 dias após a inoculação, observou-se dilatação significativa entre os segmentos proximal, medial e distal (p<0,01), indicando o estabelecimento do modelo de megacólon. Além disso, ao comparar o diâmetro intestinal entre os diferentes segmentos, dentro do T0 de infecção e do T60 após a inoculação, observou-se alterações significantes (p<0,05). Conclusões: O modelo proposto mostrou-se factível para estudos in vivo das alterações decorrentes da infecção pelo T. cruzi e alterações funcionais do cólon. Além disso, as alterações manifestadas no cólon não são diretamente proporcionais ao tamanho do inóculo, mas sim ao tempo de infecção que os animais foram submetidos, visto que os inoculados com 600000 formas sanguíneas foram as que mais apresentaram alterações significantes.

Experimental study of neural plasticity in chagasic megacolon in rats

This is a cross-sectional and experimental study. The purpose of the study was to measure enteric neurons in rats with chagasic megacolon. Twenty-three male rats inoculated with 1,500,000 trypomastigotes of the Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi were used. The animals were sedated intramuscularly at zero inoculation time (T0 ) and at sixty days after inoculation (T60), to perform a barium enema test to evaluate the dilatation of the different segments of the colon. Evidence of infection was performed with a blood smear collected from the animals' tails 18 days after inoculation with observation of blood forms. Membrane preparations underwent dual-label immunofluorescence of global and nitrergic neurons with HuC / HuD antibody and nNOS antibody, respectively. Subsequently, quantitative and morphometric analysis of cecal and proximal colon segments were performed. In the quantitative analysis of the proximal colon segment there was a significant decrease in the numbers of total neurons (Hucolo p=0.001), as well as in the number of nitrergic neurons (NOScolo p=0.032) in the population of rats with chagasic megacolon in relation to the control group. In the cecal segment, this difference was not observed in the result of the total neuron counts (Huceco p=0.289) and nitrergic neurons (NOSececo p=0.466). In the morphometric analysis, considering only the cell body area, a significant difference in the size of the neurons with p=0.000 was observed in the cecal segment. The extensive loss of total neurons that cause predominance of nitrergic neurons contributes to the development of megacolon and neuronal volume increase in the cholinergic neurons, this plasticity does not reestablish the lost equilibrium, causing megacolon.

Deglutição e tosse nos diferentes graus da doença de Parkinson / Deglutition and cough in different degrees of Parkinson disease

Introdução: A doença de Parkinson é uma das patologias que mais comumente afetam a deglutição. Objetivo: Analisar a eficácia da deglutição e do reflexo de tosse nos casos de penetração laríngea ou aspiração traqueal com alimento, em diferentes estágios de severidade na doença de Parkinson. Forma de estudo: Corte contemporânea com corte transversal. Método: A amostra constou de 38 pacientes no grupo de estudo e 38 indivíduos no grupo-controle submetidos a uma avaliação neurológica e uma avaliação otorrinolaringológica pela nasofibrolaringoscopia. Resultados: O reflexo de tosse manifestou-se em 100% dos pacientes sem a oferta de alimento. A presença de estase alimentar em recessos piriformes e valéculas epiglóticas na deglutição das consistências líquida, pastosa e sólida foi significativa (p=0,0000). A ocorrência de penetração laríngea na consistência líquida foi significativa (p=0,0036). Aspiração traqueal ocorreu em seis pacientes do grupo de estudo na consistência líquida, e ausente no grupo-controle. Conclusão: Eficácia da deglutição no grupo de estudo predominou na consistência sólida, seguida da consistência pastosa e líquida. No grupo-controle a deglutição foi eficaz em todos os indivíduos. O reflexo de tosse foi eficaz na maioria dos pacientes do grupo de estudo e a sua ineficácia predominou no subgrupo 2.

Introduction: Parkinson disease is one of the pathologies mostly affecting deglutition. Objective: To analyze the efficiency of both deglutition and cough reflex in cases of laryngeal penetration or tracheal aspiration with food, in different severity stages of Parkinson disease. Study's way: contemporaneous cohort with transverse incision. Method: The sample had 38 patients in the study group and 38 individuals in the control group submitted to a neurologic evaluation and an otorhinolaryngological evaluation by transnasal fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Results: The cough reflex was manifested in 100% of patients without food offering. Alimentary stasis in piriform recesses and epiglottic vallecula in solid, pasty and liquid consistency was significant (p= 0.0000). The laryngeal penetration in liquid consistency was significant (p= 0.0036). Tracheal aspiration occurred in 06 patients of the study group in liquid consistency and it was absent in control group. Conclusion: The efficiency of deglutition in the study group prevailed in the solid consistency, followed by pasty and liquid consistencies. In the control group, deglutition was effective in all individuals. Cough reflex was efficient in most patients of the study group and prevalently inefficient in the subgroup 2.