ABSTRACT
American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) can be transmitted by blood transfusion. For almost 40 years, this transmission has been limited to Latin America, but recently, three cases have been reported in the USA and Canada. With increasing emigration to North America and Europe, Chagas' disease may be introduced to the Northern hemisphere by transfusion of blood from carriers. This review will focus on the discovery, biology and antigenic profile of Trypanosoma cruzi (the aetiological agent of Chagas' disease), including the invertebrate vectors, animal reservoirs and transmission to humans, with special reference to blood transfusion. Finally, diagnostic tests and prophylactic measures for the prevention of Chagas' disease will be discussed.
Subject(s)
Chagas Disease/transmission , Transfusion Reaction , Animals , Antigens, Protozoan/analysis , Chagas Disease/diagnosis , Chagas Disease/prevention & control , Host-Parasite Interactions , Humans , North America/epidemiology , Prevalence , South America/epidemiology , Trypanosoma cruzi/immunologyABSTRACT
The prevalence of HIV-1 antibodies in selected groups of individuals from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santos was determined retrospectively. These groups and respective prevalences were: hemophiliac patients from Rio de Janeiro (1983-1984) 98.0%; polytransfused hemodialysis patients from São Paulo (1985-1986) 3.0% and (1987) 7.7%; intravenous drug addicts from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (1986-1987) 15.9%; male prisoners from São Paulo (1988) 12.5%, and pregnant women from Santos (1988-1989) 3.6%. These data stress the magnitude of AIDS in Brazil.
Subject(s)
HIV Seroprevalence , HIV-1 , Adolescent , Adult , Brazil/epidemiology , Female , HIV Antibodies/analysis , HIV-1/immunology , Hemophilia A , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , Prisoners , Renal Dialysis , Retrospective Studies , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Substance Abuse, IntravenousABSTRACT
Funcao hepatica em hemofilicos. Estudamos 35 hemofilicos graves, clinica e laboratorialmente, quanto a funcao hepatica.Os hemofilicos foram classificados em grupos de acordo com o tipo de hemofilia, idade, periodicidade de tratamento, historia previa de hepatite, esplenomegalia, hepatoesplenomegalia e presenca ou ausencia de anticorpo Australia. Pelo menos 60% dos hemofilicos mostraram alguma alteracao nos parametros laboratoriais estudados (enzimas: alanina aminotransferase, aspartato aminotransferase, fosfatase alcalina, gama-glutamiltransferase, desidrogenase latica e desidrogenase isocitrica, bilirrubina proteinas totais e fracoes e imunoglobulinas e quase 90% eram portadores do anticorpo Australia. A tentativa e grau de lesao hepatica com algum grupo em especial mostrou que somente o grupo com historia previa de hepatite clinica apresentava maior frequencia de alteracoes que a encontrada globalmente nos 35 hemofilicos estudados
Subject(s)
Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Humans , Male , Hemophilia A , Liver Function TestsSubject(s)
Factor VIII/immunology , Hemophilia A/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Antibody Formation , Antigens/analysis , Child , Humans , Immunologic Techniques , Liver/physiopathology , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Foram estudados 16 hemofilicos graves (12 do tipo A, 4 do tipo B) clinica e laboratorialmente. A funcao imunologica humoral foi avaliada pelos seguintes exames: proteinas, imunoglobulinas, C3, C4, ativador de C3, iso-hemaglutininas, hetero-hemaglutininas, PCR, antiestreptolisina O, latex fator reumatoide, reacao de Waaler-Rose, aglutininas para Salmonella thyphi, anticorpos para Toxoplasma gondii e Trypanosoma cruzi e anticorpo Australia (HBs Ac).A funcao celular foi avaliada pelos seguintes exames: hemograma, contagem de linfocitos, de linfocitos T circulantes (rosetas precoces e tardias) e intradermorreacoes a antigenos de memoria. As alteracoes encontradas (aumento da fracao gama e elevacao das imunoglobulinas) podem ser relacionadas com o disturbio hepatico cronico que alguns dos hemofilicos apresentam