Clinical and laboratory evaluation of schistosomiasis mansoni patients in Brazilian endemic areas

A total of 60 percent of the territory of Alagoas (AL) is considered endemic for the occurrence of schistosomiasis and the classification of clinical forms of the disease are not known. This paper aimed to evaluate an endemic schistosomiasis population in AL, taking into account the prevalence, classification of the clinical forms and the results of laboratory analyses. The sample consisted of residents in endemic areas. The participants were submitted to a stool examination by the Kato-Katz technique and the diagnosis was based on the reading of two microscopic slides for each sample. The patients whose examinations were positive for schistosomiasis mansoni were submitted to a clinical examination and blood collection. Based on this examination, 8.11 percent of the study population were positive for schistosomiasis. The medium parasite load was 79.1 ± 174.3 eggs. The intestinal (90.57 percent) and hepatointestinal (9.43 percent) forms were found at statistically significant levels (p < 0.001). The results of the present study update information on schistosomiasis in the city of Rio Largo. These data, although referring only to three locations in that city, suggest a decrease either in the parasite load or in the severity of clinical forms.

Associação entre lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal e Helicobacter Pylori em pacientes com doença hepática crônica / Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastroduodenal lesions in patients with chronic liver disease

Contexto: A relação entre a infecção por Helicobacter pylori e lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal em pacientes com doença hepática crônica permanece controversa. Objetivo: Avaliar a presença de lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal e sua relação com Helicobacter pylori em pacientes com doença hepática crônica. Métodos: Estudaram-se 46 pacientes e 27 controles com dispepsia funcional, submetidos a endoscopia digestiva alta. Foram consideradas lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal a gastropatia da hipertensão portal, erosão e úlcera péptica. O Helicobacter pylori foi detectado através de duas amostras de biopsia do antro e do corpo gástrico, pelo método de Giemsa. Resultados: As lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal foram identificadas em 38 (82,6 por cento) pacientes com doença hepática crônica, significantemente mais frequente que nos controles (P = 0,02). A presença de Helicobacter pylori foi observada em 13 (28,2 por cento) dos pacientes com doença hepática e em 17 (62,9 por cento) dos controles. A estimativa de risco mostrou interação significante entre lesão da mucosa e doença hepática crônica (P = 0,04; OR 5,1 IC 95 por cento, 1,6-17,3). Quando associada à presença do Helicobacter pylori, o risco foi mais elevado na ausência da bactéria (P = 0,005; OR 13,0 IC 95 por cento, 1,4-327,9). Conclusão: Pacientes com doença hepática crônica mostram risco aumentado de desenvolver lesões da mucosa gastroduodenal, independente da presença de Helicobacter pylori.

Context: The relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastroduodenal lesions in chronic liver disease remains controversial. Objective: Evaluate the evidence of the role of H. pylori infection in gastroduodenal lesions in patients with chronic liver disease. Methods: Forty-six patients with chronic liver disease were matched with 27 dyspeptic persons for age and sex. The gastroduodenal lesions were portal hypertension gastropathy, erosion and peptic ulcer. All patients underwent upper endoscopy: two biopsies were taken in the antrum and in the gastric body. The biopsies were used for Giemsa staining. Results: A gastroduodenal lesions were found in 38 (82.6 percent) patients with liver disease and was significantly more frequent than among controls (P = 0.002). H. pylori infection was detected at histological assessment in 13 (28.2 percent) patients with chronic liver disease and in 17 (62.9 percent) controls. The odds ratio (OR) showed an interaction statistically significant between gastroduodenal lesions and chronic liver disease (P = 0.04; OR = 5.1; 95 percent CI = 1.6-17.3). When adjusted for the presence of H. pylori OR was significantly with H. pylori negative (OR 13.0 IC 95 percent, 1.4-327.9). Conclusion: Patients with chronic liver disease showed higher risk of developing gastroduodenal lesions regardless of the presence of the H. pylori infection.