Síndrome urémico hemolítico inducido por Escherichia coli enterohemorrágica / Hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli

El síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH) se caracteriza por anemia hemolítica microangiopática, plaquetopeniay daño renal. Constituye la primeracausa de insuficiencia renal aguda en la edad pediátrica y la segunda de insuficiencia renal crónica.Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC,por su sigla en inglés) es el primer agente etiológico de SUH; su principal reservorio es el ganado bovinoy la vía de transmisión, los alimentos contaminados.Hasta el presente no existe un tratamiento específicopara disminuir la progresión del SUH.El estudio de los mecanismos por los cuales STEC infecta y la toxina Shiga induce SUH puede ayudar a desarrollar nuevas estrategias para impedir estaenfermedad.

Papel de la Toxina Shiga en el sindrome urémico hemolítico / Role of the Shiga toxin in the hemolytic uremic syndrome

In the last years, infection associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and subsequent Hemolitic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS) became relevant as a public health since it was considered as one of the most important emergent patogen present in the food contaminated by cattle feces. STEC infection may be asymptomatic or begins with a watery diarrhea that may or may not progress to bloody diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis) and HUS. In Argentina, HUS is the most common pediatric cause of acute renal insufficiency and the second cause of chronic renal failure. Up to now, STEC infection lacks of known effective treatment strategies that diminish risk of progression to HUS. The mechanisms by which Shiga toxin (Stx) induce HUS may help to find strategies to prevent or ameliorate HUS. In this article, recent progress that has contributed to understanding the disease pathogenesis of STEC is reviewed. New strategies to prevent further uptake of Shiga from the gut, either during the diarrheal phase or once HUS has developed are discussed.