Experimental murine schistosomiasis and thyroid function

In humans the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis may be associated with some degree of somatosexual underdevelopment. In the present study we induced an experimental hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis by infecting 21-day-old mice with the São Lourenço da Mata-PE strain of Schistosoma mansoni and evaluated thyroid function and its relationship with somatosexual development. Plasma levels of T3 and T4 were determined in 115-day old male albino Swiss mice by radioimmunoassay as a measure of thyroid function. Prepuberal infection with S. mansoni resulted in significant increases in liver (74) and spleen (138) weights, although there were no changes in animal growth or plasma T3 and T4 concentrations under the experimental conditions used. The present study demonstrates that prepuberal infection of mice with S. mansoni induces the development of a hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis during adult life with apparently normal thyroid function.

Esquistossomose aguda autoctone no municipio de Paracambi - RJ. / Autochthonous acute schistosomiasis in the municipality of Paracambi - RJ

Os autores relatam tres casos de esquistossomose mansoni aguda cujas manifestacoes clinicas surgiram 40 dias apos o provavel banho infectante, na localidade de Cascata, municipio de Paracambi, RJ. As observacoes foram feitas a partir de um caso-indice, que apresentava quadro infeccioso agudo inicialmente rotulado como salmonelose. Sao descritas as manifestacoes clinicas (febre, diarreia, rash cutaneo, esplenomegalia) e laboratoriais (leucocitose com eosinofilia significativa).Descrevem-se as caracteristicas ecologicas da area em questao, bem como a situacao do foco, de acordo com estudos realizados pela Superintendencia de Campanhas do Ministerio da Saude (SUCAM)