Serum and rectal mucosal zinc levels in acute and chronic diarrhea.

Serum and rectal mucosal zinc content was estimated in children (6-18 months old) with acute diarrhea (Group I: n = 50), chronic diarrhea (Group II: n = 25), extraintestinal infections (Group III: n = 15) and apparently healthy controls (Group IV: n = 20). The sex and nutritional status of various groups was comparable. The mean serum and tissue zinc levels in acute (p less than 0.001) and chronic (p less than 0.05 for serum; p less than 0.001 for tissue) diarrhea groups were significantly lower than healthy and infected controls. Group II had significantly lower (p less than 0.001) serum and rectal zinc content in comparison to Group I. There was a significant negative correlation between serum zinc and diarrheal duration (r = 0.5676; p less than 0.001). Repeat estimation at discharge in 38 patients (25 in Group I, 13 in Group II) revealed a significant reduction in both tissue and serum zinc and only tissue zinc in acute and chronic diarrhea, respectively. A total of 23 patients (16 in Group I, and 7 in Group II) were evaluated 2 weeks after discharge. After discharge, at recovery there was no alteration in serum zinc, but tissue zinc was marginally higher (p greater than 0.05). It is concluded that zinc depletion occurs in diarrhea, more so in the chronic state; with the continuation of diarrhea, depletion progresses; and there is a tendency for repletion during convalescence.

Isolamento de parvovirus canino no Brasil / Isolation of canine parvovirus in Brazil

Foram examinadas 56 amostras de fezes, 10 de raspado de mucosa intestinal de 2 amostras de material vomitado de cäes doentes, além de 7 amostras de fezes de cäes normais, com o objetivo de isolar-se o parvovirus canino durante a epizootia de gastoenterite hemorrágica ocorrida em Säo Paulo. Das 56 amostras de fezes de cäes doentes foram isolados virus de 24 (42,8%) e das 7 amostras de fezes de cäes clinicamente normais foi isolado virus de apenas 1 (14,3%). Tanto o material vomitado quanto do raspado de mucosa intestinal obteve-se o isolamenteo de parvovirus de uma amostra apenas, correspondendo a 50% e 10%, respectivametne. A reaçäo de hemaglutinaçäo, realizada com os váios tipos de materiais clínicos, demonstrou concordância de 96,3% com o isolamento de virus nas 27 amostras positivas, evidenciando a grande utilidade prática desta reaçäo como método de triagem para determinar, nos casos de diarréia em cäes, a presença de particulas virais com esta caracteristica hemaglutinantes. Em 15 amostras de suspensäo fecal e em uma das culturas positivas foi observada, a microscopia eletrônica, a presença de particulas virais com a s características morfológicas dos parvovirus isolados e o parvovirus felino foi demonstrada pela reaçäo de inibiçäo de hemaglutinaçäo e pela imunofluorescência em 6 das amostras isoladas