Evaluation of the susceptibility of Tritrichomonas foetus to extracts of Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) by flow cytometry.

Bovine Trichomonosis (BT), a sexually transmitted disease endemic in countries with extensive cattle farming and natural service, is one of the most common causes of reproductive failure. 5-nitroimidazoles and their derivatives are used for its treatment, mainly metronidazole. The emergence of drug resistance mechanisms and treatment failures raise the need to investigate the effectiveness of new active compounds that contribute to parasite control. In this regard, extracts of Lantana camara (Verbenacea) have shown high biocidal potential against isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania braziliensis in vitro assays, although their effect on Tritrichomonas foetus has not been demonstrated yet. The available information on in vitro susceptibility of trichomonicidal drugs comes from the use of a diversity of methodologies and criteria, especially the observation of parasite motility under the optical microscope to assess their viability. Recently, in our laboratory, the use of flow cytometry has been described for the first time as a rapid and efficient method to evaluate the viability of T. foetus against metronidazole. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytostatic effect of L. camara extracts against T. foetus isolates by flow cytometry. Under aerobic conditions, IC50 values of 22.60 µg/mL were obtained on average. Under anaerobic conditions, the IC50 oscilated around 29.04 µg/mL. The results obtained allowed describing the susceptibility exhibited by these protozoa, being a valuable information for the development of potential BT treatments.

[Strongyloides stercoralis and HIV: a case report of an indigenous disseminated infection from non-endemic area]. / Strongyloides stercoralis y VIH: un caso de infección diseminada en una zona no endémica.

Strongyloides stercoralis affects people who live in the tropics, but it also extends to temperate regions where its low incidence rate may lead to misdiagnose it. Inside the host this nematode may remain silent for many years, nevertheless, in patients infected with HIV its reactivation leads to a disseminated infection in ectopic sites. This report presents the case of a 34 years-old man infected with HIV who lived in a highland area in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. He was admitted to the hospital because of a complicated Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, receiving trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and prednisone treatment. A few days after admission his conditions deteriorated badly, a sputum examination revealed filariform larvae of S. stercoralis, he was then given oral ivermectin medication (200 microg/kg/d). Malabsorption and ileus were installed and he died from multiorganic failure. The evolution of HIV infection to AIDS, a steroids treatment and therapy failure despite oral ivermectin triggered larvae proliferation and lead to disseminated hyperinfection until he died. This report presents not only the first case of disseminated strongyloidiasis detected in our Hospital but also an indigenous infection acquired in a non-endemic area. An awareness of an increased predisposition to this infection, especially in immunocompromised patients with malabsorption and ileus is of paramount importance, since failure to initiate appropriate therapy can lead to catastrophic outcomes, as illustrated in this case report.