Risk associations for intestinal parasites in symptomatic and asymptomatic schoolchildren in central Mozambique.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic infections by enteric parasites including protist and helminthic species produce long-term sequelae on the health status of infected children. This study assesses potential associations linked with enteric parasite infections in symptomatic and asymptomatic children in Zambézia province, Mozambique. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, stool samples and epidemiological questionnaires on demographics and risk associations were collected from symptomatic children (n = 286) from clinical settings and asymptomatic (n = 807) children from 17 schools and creches aged 3‒14 years. We detected enteric parasites using PCR-based methods. We calculated prevalence (adjusted for age, sex, house construction, drinking water, and latrine use) and odds ratios (ORs) for risk associations with logistic regression, after adjusting for district, neighbourhood and symptoms. RESULTS: Numbers and adjusted prevalence (95% confidence intervals in parentheses) for the symptomatic and asymptomatic populations were Giardia duodenalis 120, 52% (22-82), 339, 42% (25-59); followed by Strongyloides stercoralis 52, 14% (9‒20), 180, 20% (15-25). Risk associations for G. duodenalis included drinking untreated river/spring water, OR 2.91 (1.80-4.70); contact with ducks, OR 14.96 (2.93‒76.31); dogs, OR 1.92 (1.04-3.52); cats, OR 1.73 (1.16-2.59), and a relative with diarrhoea, OR 2.59 (1.54‒4.37). Risk associations for S. stercoralis included having no latrine, OR 2.41 (1.44-4.02); drinking well water, OR 1.82 (1.02-3.25), and increasing age, OR 1.11 (1.04-1.20). CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of intestinal parasites regardless of the children's symptoms. Drinking well or river water, domestic animals, and latrine absence were contributing factors of human infections.

Parasitological versus molecular diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in serial stool samples: how many?

Strongyloidiasis is usually an asymptomatic disease in immunocompetent patients, caused by Strongyloides stercoralis. However, in immunocompromised patients it can produce a severe clinical profile. Therefore, a correct diagnosis is necessary in these cases and in those chronic asymptomatic patients. The low sensitivity of classical parasitological techniques requires the analysis of multiple serial stool samples. Molecular diagnostic techniques represent an improvement in the detection of the parasite. The objective of this study was to evaluate the minimum number of samples necessary to achieve maximum sensitivity by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 116 stool samples from 39 patients were analysed by direct microscopic observation, agar culture, Harada-Mori and real-time PCR, in one, two, three and four or more consecutive samples. After two serial samples, 6 out of 39 patients were positive by parasitological and molecular techniques, while 16 of them were real-time PCR positive, and all the patients detected by parasitology were also detected by the molecular technique, reaching 100.00% sensitivity versus 83.00% when analysing a single sample. These data also reflect apparently low specificity (51.52%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (27.27 %) values, due to the high number of cases detected by real-time PCR and not by parasitological techniques. These cases were confirmed as true positives when analysing three, four or more samples from the same patient. In conclusion, the application of molecular techniques decreases the number of serial stool samples necessary to give a diagnosis with the maximum sensitivity.

[Severe acquired aplastic anemia: historical outcome of patients treated by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from matched sibling donors. A study by the Spanish Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children (GETMON)]. / Aplasia medular grave adquirida: evolución histórica de los resultados obtenidos con trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos de donante familiar. Estudio del Grupo Español para el Trasplante de Médula Osea en Niños (GETMON).

INTRODUCTION: Allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is the treatment of choice for acquired aplastic anaemia in children. Experience with this approach from Spanish Working Party for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children in two sequential time periods (1982-1990 and 1991-2004) is reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty two consecutive patients with a median age of 10 years were transplanted; 18 in the 1982-1990 period and 44 in the 1991-2004 period. Conditioning regimen consisted mainly of irradiation and cyclophosphamide in the first period (72 % of patients) and cyclophosphamide +/- anti-thymocyte globulin (62 %) in the second. Graft versus host disease prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine in most patients (57/62). RESULTS: Fifty one patients are alive and disease-free at a median follow-up of 127 months. Five years probability of event-free survival is 82 %. The survival increased from 61 % to 91 % during the two time periods. Eleven patients died from graft failure or rejection (3), acute or chronic graft versus host disease and infection (4) or multi-organ failure (4). Univariate analysis identified two significant prognostic factors: interval diagnostic/transplant and time period of transplant (for both p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This experience corroborates that allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is the best treatment for severe acquired aplastic anaemia, with a current disease-free survival of 90 % of patients.

Aplasia medular grave adquirida: evolución histórica de los resultados obtenidos con trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos de donante familiar. Estudio del Grupo Español para el Trasplante de Médula Ósea en Niños (GETMON) / Severe acquired aplastic anemia: historical outcome of patients treated by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from matched sibling donors. A study by the Spanish Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children (GETMON)

Introducción: El trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos (TPH) de donante familiar compatible es el tratamiento de elección en la aplasia medular adquirida (AMA) grave en la infancia. Se presenta la experiencia de Grupo Español para el Trasplante de Médula Ósea en Niños en esta enfermedad a lo largo del período cronológico 1982-2004. Pacientes y métodos: Recibieron un trasplante 62 pacientes con una mediana de edad de 10 años. En el período 1982-1990 lo recibieron 18 pacientes y en el período 1991-2004, 44. El régimen de acondicionamiento varió según el período cronológico; en el primero se utilizó preferentemente la asociación de radioterapia y ciclofosfamida (72 % de los casos) y en el segundo ciclofosfamida con o sin globulina antitimocitaria (62 %). La profilaxis de enfermedad injerto contra huésped más utilizada fue la ciclosporina (57/62 pacientes). Resultados: Un total de 51 pacientes están vivos y en remisión completa de su aplasia con períodos de observación de entre 24 y 289 meses (mediana de 127 meses). La probabilidad de supervivencia actuarial libre de eventos a 5 años es del 82 %. Dicha supervivencia se incrementó del 61 al 90 % entre los dos períodos analizados. Un total de 11 pacientes fallecieron por fracaso o pérdida del injerto (3), enfermedad injerto contra huésped aguda o crónica asociada a infecciones (4) o fallo multiorgánico (4). El análisis univariante evidenció dos factores con valor predictivo para la supervivencia: el intervalo diagnóstico/trasplante y el período cronológico en que se efectuó (en ambos, p = 0,03). Conclusiones: Esta experiencia confirma que el trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos de donante familiar compatible es el tratamiento de elección para la aplasia medular grave adquirida, con un porcentaje de supervivencia libre de episodios del 90 % en la actualidad (AU)

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is the treatment of choice for acquired aplastic anaemia in children. Experience with this approach from Spanish Working Party for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children in two sequential time periods (1982-1990 and 1991-2004) is reported. Patients and methods: Sixty two consecutive patients with a median age of 10 years were transplanted; 18 in the 1982-1990 period and 44 in the 1991-2004 period. Conditioning regimen consisted mainly of irradiation and cyclophosphamide in the first period (72 % of patients) and cyclophosphamide ± anti-thymocyte globulin (62 %) in the second. Graft versus host disease prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine in most patients (57/62). Results: Fifty one patients are alive and disease-free at a median follow-up of 127 months. Five years probability of event-free survival is 82 %. The survival increased from 61 % to 91 % during the two time periods. Eleven patients died from graft failure or rejection (3), acute or chronic graft versus host disease and infection (4) or multi-organ failure (4). Univariate analysis identified two significant prognostic factors: interval diagnostic/transplant and time period of transplant (for both p = 0.03). Conclusions: This experience corroborates that allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is the best treatment for severe acquired aplastic anaemia, with a current disease - free survival of 90 % of patients (AU)

Manifestaciones cutáneas del trastorno mieloproliferativo transitorio asociado a síndrome de Down / Cutaneous manifestations of transitory myeloproliferative disorder associated with Down syndrome

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Inmunoprofilaxis activa después del trasplante alogénico de progenitores hemopoyéticos en pacientes pediátricos / Active immune-prophylaxis after allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation in pediatric patients

Existen diferentes evidencias de la desaparición de inmunidad frente a las enfermedades para las que existe inmunoprofilaxis activa, tras un trasplante alogénico de medula ósea. Estos hallazgos no constituyen sólo un problema epidemiológico. Desde un punto de vista estrictamente clínico, estos pacientes podrían beneficiarse de la administración de determinadas formas de vacunas frente a enfermedades a las que son especialmente susceptibles. Sin embargo, no existe en la actualidad una pauta unificada para la revacunación de estos pacientes. Más aún, diferentes encuestas sugieren que la inmunoprofilaxis activa es con frecuencia infravalorada en estos pacientes. En la presente revisión, se pretende ofrecer tanto una información actualizada sobre las actuales tendencias, como una guía práctica para la reinmunización de estos pacientes de acuerdo con las necesidades de nuestro medio (AU)

[Active immune-prophylaxis after allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation in pediatric patients]. / Inmunoprofilaxis activa después del trasplante alogénico de progenitores hemopoyéticos en pacientes pediátricos.

There is considerable evidence supporting the disappearance of immunity against diseases for which there is active immune-prophylaxis available after allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation. These findings do not constitute merely an epidemiologic problem. From a strictly clinical point of view, these patients might benefit from the administration of different forms of vaccines against diseases to which they are particularly susceptible. There are, however, no unified criteria for the revaccination of these patients. Moreover, several surveys suggest that active immune-prophylaxis is frequently undervalued in these patients. In the present review, we provide up-to-date information on current trends as well as practical guidelines for the re-immunization of these patients in our environment.

[Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children with severe acquired aplastic anemia. The long-term results. The Spanish Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation in Children (GETMON)]. / Transplante alogénico de médula ósea en niños con aplasia medular grave adquirida. Resultados a largo plazo. Grupo Español para el Trasplante de Médula Osea en Niños (GETMON).

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the efficacy of allogeneic BMT in the treatment of childhood severe acquired aplastic anemia (SAAA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven children aged 2 to 16 years (median 11 years) received a BMT from an HLA identical sibling. Conditioning consisted in irradiation (total, nodal or thoraco-abdominal) plus cyclophosphamide (120-200 mg/kg) in 15 patients and cyclophosphamide alone (200 mg/kg) in the rest. Prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was cyclosporine and methotrexate in most patients. RESULTS: Twenty-four children achieved the bone marrow graft at a median of 18 days (neutrophils) and 21 days (platelets). Two patients failed engraftment and 1 had a late graft rejection. Three patients developed acute GVHD grades 3-4 and six chronic GVHD, which was extensive in 4 of them. Twenty patients/71%) are alive and disease-free at a median follow-up of 110 months and the estimated disease free survival at 6 years is 67%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA identical sibling is the best treatment modality for children with SAAA. Acute GVHD associated with infections and graft rejection were responsible for treatment failures.