Antígeno nativo y no nativo para determinar la seroprevalencia de Trypanosoma cruzi en mujeres embarazadas en el estado de Morelos, México / Native and non-native antigen to determine the seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women from the state of Morelos, Mexico

INTRODUCCIÓN: La enfermedad de Chagas es una infección parasitaria crónica sistémica, de importancia global, causada por Trypanosoma cruzi. OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de anticuerpos contra T cruzi en mujeres embarazadas en el estado de Morelos, México. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se analizaron 1.620 sueros de mujeres embarazadas mediante dos pruebas serológicas: ELISAc (antígeno crudo nativo) y ELISAr (antígeno recombinante, no nativo). Las muestras reactivas se analizaron posteriormente mediante hemaglutinación indirecta (HAI). Se utilizaron dos enfoques de detección, en paralelo (son positivas las muestras reactivas por cualquier método) y en serie (son positivas las muestras confirmadas por HAI). Se evaluaron factores sociodemográficos y de salud asociados a la presencia de anticuerpos contra T. cruzi mediante razones de momios al 95%. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvo una seroprevalencia de 4,87% con el diagnóstico en paralelo y de 0,43% en serie. A partir de los resultados en paralelo las mujeres que fueron atendidas en los hospitales generales de Tetecala y Jojutla tuvieron, respectivamente, 2,2 y 2,0 veces mayor posibilidad de presentar anticuerpos contra T cruzi con respecto a las mujeres que fueron atendidas en el Hospital General de Cuautla. CONCLUSIÓN: La prevalencia de anticuerpos contra T cruzi en mujeres embarazadas en el estado de Morelos fluctuó entre 0,43 y 4,87%, según el antígeno y el abordaje utilizado. Es necesario continuar con la vigilancia de la seroprevalencia de anticuerpos contra T cruzi en mujeres embarazadas en el estado de Morelos, México, con las técnicas de mayor sensibilidad y especificidad disponibles.

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is a globally important chronic systemic parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. AIM: To determine the prevalence of antibodies against T cruzi in pregnant women from the state of Morelos, México. METHODS: 1,620 sera from pregnant women were analyzed using two serological tests: ELISAc (native crude antigen) and ELISAr (recombinant, non-native antigen). Reactive samples were subsequently analyzed by indirect hemagglutination (IHA). Two detection approaches were used, in parallel (reactive samples by any method are positive) and serial (samples confirmed by IHA are positive). Sociodemographic and health factors associated with the presence of antibodies against T cruzi were evaluated using 95% odds ratios. RESULTS: A seroprevalence of 4.87% was obtained with parallel diagnosis and 0.43% in series. From the parallel results, the women who were attended at the general hospitals of Tetecala and Jojutla had respectively 2.2 and 2.0 times greater chance of presenting antibodies against T cruzi compared to the women who were attended at the General Hospital of Cuautla. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of antibodies against T cruzi in pregnant women from the state of Morelos fluctuated between 0.43 and 4.87%, depending on the antigen and the approach used. It is necessary to continue with the surveillance of the seroprevalence of antibodies against T cruzi in pregnant women from the state of Morelos, Mexico, using the techniques with the highest sensitivity and specificity available.

Patients with hepatic cirrhosis: altered lymphocyte response to mitogens and its relation with plasmatic zinc, albumin and transferrin

Patients with alchoholic hepatic cirrhosis have a higher predisposition to acquiring infections than healthy individuals, suggesting an alteration in the immune system. They also exhibit an important decrease in certain plasmatic constituents such as zinc, albumin, and transferrin which are involved in the normal immune response. The blastoid transformation of lymphocites stimulated in vitro with phytohemaglutinin M and P in patients with alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis was studied and the results were correlated with the plasmatic constitutents aforementioned. The rate of blastoid transformation was significantly lower (p<.001) in these patients when compared to the control group, but did not correlate directly with the concentration of zinc, albumin, transferrin or circulating globulins. Patients' plasma significantly inhibited the response of normal cells to stimulation with phytohemaglutinin and Concanavalin A; nevertheless, the blastoid transformation of lymphocytes in these patients was not restored to normal levels when incubated with control plasma