Analysis of pulmonary manifestations in patient infected with plasmodium vivax / Análise das manifestações pulmonares em pacientes infectados por plasmodium vivax

Objective: To evaluate pulmonary manifestations in patients infected with Plasmodium vivax. MethOds: This was a cross- sectional, retrospective study of 50 patients diagnosed in 2006 to 2008 with vivax malaria at the Evandro Chagas Institute and referred to the University Hospital João de Barros Barreto to examine the pulmonary manifestations. Results: 72% of the patients were men, 28% were 21 to 30 years of age, 30% had parasitaemia 50 to 2000 p/mm3, 88%, 94% and 92% of the patients presented respectively with fever, chills and headache respectively, 56% of the patients had cough, 62% felt breathlessness, 28% presented dyspnea and 86% experienced chest pain. COnClusiOn: The majority of patients surveyed had parasitaemia in the range 50 to 2000 p/mm3. The classic triad fever, chills and headache was present in most patients. Among pulmonary manifestations, cough, chest pain and shortness of breath were reported by the majority of patients.(AU)

Objetivo: Analisar as manifestações pulmonares em pacien- tes infectados por Plasmodium vivax. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado por meio da análise de 50 prontuários de pacientes diagnosticados com malária vivax entre 2006 a 2008, no Instituto Evandro Chagas, e encaminhados para o Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto para análise das manifes- tações pulmonares. ResultadOs: Observou-se que 72% dos pacientes eram homens, 28% possuíam de 21 a 30 anos de idade, 30% apresentaram parasitemia de 50 a 2000 p/mm3. Entre as manifestações clínicas, 88%, 94% e 92% dos pacientes apresentaram, respectivamente, febre, calafrio e cefaleia, 56% apresentaram tosse, 62% sentiram falta de ar, 28% dispneia e 86% dor torácica. COnClusãO: A maioria dos pacientes pesquisados apresentou parasitemia no intervalo de 50 a 2000 p/mm3. A tríade clássica da malária esteve presente na maioria, já dentre as manifestações pulmonares pesquisadas, a tosse, a dor torácica e a falta de ar corresponderam aos sintomas mais relatados pelos pacientes.(AU)

Parasitemia aguda mortal por malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) / Mortal acute parasitemia caused by malaria (Plasmodium falciparum)

La malaria es una importante causa de morbimortalidad de países en desarrollo de las zonas tropicales. Sus forma graves de presentación se asocian a una mortalidad del 30%, la mayor proporción debido a P. falciparum. Presentamos el caso de una mujer joven chilena, que luego de viajar a una región endémica, desarrolla sepsis grave seguida por falla orgánica rápidamente progresiva secundaria a malaria por P. falciparum.

Malaria is an important morbidity and mortality cause in non developed tropical countries. Several forms are associated with mortality of 30%, the most part due to P falciparum. We present a young Chilean female case, that after flying to endemic area, developed severe sepsis followed by rapid and progressive organ failure secondary to P.falciparum malaria.

Protein 3-nitrotyrosine formation during Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice

Nitric oxide (ÀNO) is a diffusible messenger implicated in Trypanosoma cruzi resistance. Excess production of ÀNO and oxidants leads to the generation of nitrogen dioxide (ÀNO2), a strong nitrating agent. Tyrosine nitration is a post-translational modification resulting from the addition of a nitro (-NO2) group to the ortho-position of tyrosine residues. Detection of protein 3-nitrotyrosine is regarded as a marker of nitro-oxidative stress and is observed in inflammatory processes. The formation and role of nitrating species in the control and myocardiopathy of T. cruzi infection remain to be studied. We investigated the levels of ÀNO and protein 3-nitrotyrosine in the plasma of C3H and BALB/c mice and pharmacologically modulated their production during the acute phase of T. cruzi infection. We also looked for protein 3-nitrotyrosine in the hearts of infected animals. Our results demonstrated that C3H animals produced higher amounts of ÀNO than BALB/c mice, but their generation of peroxynitrite was not proportionally enhanced and they had higher parasitemias. While N G-nitro-arginine methyl ester treatment abolished ÀNO production and drastically augmented the parasitism, mercaptoethylguanidine and guanido-ethyl disulfide, at doses that moderately reduced the ÀNO and 3-nitrotyrosine levels, paradoxically diminished the parasitemia in both strains. Nitrated proteins were also demonstrated in myocardial cells of infected mice. These data suggest that the control of T. cruzi infection depends not only on the capacity to produce ÀNO, but also on its metabolic fate, including the generation of nitrating species that may constitute an important element in parasite resistance and collateral myocardial damage.

Criopreservación de plasmodium, novyella, juxtanucleare con glicerol / Cryopreservation of plasmodium, novyella, juxtanucleare with glycerol

Se evaluó la criopreservación de Plasmodium juxtanucleare utilizando glicerol bajo cuatro concentraciones (20 por ciento, 16 por ciento, 12 por ciento, y 8 pro ciento). Posteriormente, congelamiento a -196ºC, por seis meses, la sangre fue descongelada e inoculada en pollos, tres pollos para cada concentración de glicerol (CG). Se realizó frotis sanguíneos diarios, de las aves, durante 35 días. El análisis de variables biológicas reveló que la parasitemia fue directamente proporcional a CG, el período pre-patente fue de 12,4 ñ 2,7 días, el pico máximo de parasitemia (PMP) fue de 23,5 ñ 3,5 días y la duración media de la parasitemia fue de 33,6 ñ 1,0 días. La tasa de hemólisis varió de 12,45 por ciento a 40 por ciento y, fue inversamente proporcional a CG. Hubo diferencia significativa (P<0,05) en cuanto a PMP; donde el inoculo con glicerol a 12 por ciento difirió de los demás, presentando el mayor PMP (30,5 ñ 0,5). La parasitemia media, de los grupos experimentales tuvo el inicio entre el séptimo y octavo día post-inoculación (DPI), durando, en media, hasta el 35º DPI. El grupo que recibió inoculo con glicerol a 20 por ciento presentó la mayor y más alta parasitemia. El glicerol a 20 por ciento fue la concentración más eficiente para la criopreservación de P. juxtanucleare