Background and paroxystic activities on AIDS patients' EEG. Relation with urea and creatinine seric concentration.

The HIV is responsible for important metabolic and structural alterations of the brain. This affected brain must react to continuous systemic metabolic fluctuations. We search for possibly resulting cerebral electric disturbance that could be found by EEG exploration. Sixty-three AIDS patients ranked as CDC group IV had their EEG background rhythm measured, and were appointed to mutually exclusiding groups delimited by medians' values of urea (24 mg/dl) and creatinine (0.9 mg/dl) seric concentrations. These groups were independently formed for each of the parameters utilized, and each data pair generated therefrom were compared between themselves to verify whether there were differences in background rhythm and the occurrence of paroxysmal activity. Background rhythm and paroxysmal activities have not statistically differed between the group whose creatinine values were lower than 0.9 mg/dl and the group whose creatinine values were equal or higher than 0.9 mg/dl. Background rhythm has not statistically differed between the group whose urea values were < 24 mg/dl and the group whose urea values were = 24 mg/dl; contrariwise, the occurrence of paroxysmal activities in these groups has significatively differed, being higher in the patient group whose otherwise normal urea values exceeded 24 mg/dl (p = 0.02).

[Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in diarrheic syndrome in HIV positive patients]. / Prevalência de criptosporidiose na síndrome diarréica do paciente HIV positivo.

During the period February 1987-June 1988, we examined 542 stool samples of 271 HIV positive patients both with and without full-blown AIDS. One hundred patients with either acute or chronic diarrhea and 180 patients without diarrhea were studied. The stool samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium sp., other protozoa, helmints, and pathogenic enterobacteria. We found a prevalence of 14.3% of Cryptosporidium sp. in patients with full-blown disease and diarrhea. We encountered no Cryptosporidium sp. among asymptomatic patients. The occurrence of diarrhea was significantly associated with a CD4/CD8 ratio lower than 0.4, with the finding of Cryptosporidium sp. in the stools, being a CDC group IV, and with a positive stool culture for pathogenic enterobacteria. The diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium sp. could not be distinguished, on clinical grounds, from diarrhea caused by other etiologic agents.

PIP: During the period February 1987-June 1988, the authors examined 542 stool samples of 271 HIV-positive patients both with and without fullblown AIDS. 100 patients with either acute or chronic diarrhea and 180 without diarrhea were studied. The stool samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium sp., other protozoa, helminths, and pathogenic enterobacteria. A prevalence of 14.3% of Cryptosporidium sp. in patients with fullblown AIDS and diarrhea was found. No Cryptosporidium sp. was seen among asymptomatic patients. The occurrence of diarrhea was significantly associated with a CD4/CD8 ratio lower than 0.4, with the finding of Cryptosporidium sp. in the stools, being a CDC group IV, and with a positive stool culture for pathogenic enterobacteria. The diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium sp. could not be distinguished on clinical grounds from diarrhea caused by other etiologic agents. (author's modified) (summaries in ENG, POR