Chagas' disease in Aboriginal and Creole communities from the Gran Chaco Region of Argentina: Seroprevalence and molecular parasitological characterization.

Most indigenous ethnias from Northern Argentina live in rural areas of "the Gran Chaco" region, where Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic. Serological and parasitological features have been poorly characterized in Aboriginal populations and scarce information exist regarding relevant T. cruzi discrete typing units (DTU) and parasitic loads. This study was focused to characterize T. cruzi infection in Qom, Mocoit, Pit'laxá and Wichi ethnias (N=604) and Creole communities (N=257) inhabiting rural villages from two highly endemic provinces of the Argentinean Gran Chaco. DNA extracted using Hexadecyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide reagent from peripheral blood samples was used for conventional PCR targeted to parasite kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA) and identification of DTUs using nuclear genomic markers. In kDNA-PCR positive samples from three rural Aboriginal communities of "Monte Impenetrable Chaqueño", minicircle signatures were characterized by Low stringency single primer-PCR and parasitic loads calculated using Real-Time PCR. Seroprevalence was higher in Aboriginal (47.98%) than in Creole (27.23%) rural communities (Chi square, p=4.e(-8)). A low seroprevalence (4.3%) was detected in a Qom settlement at the suburbs of Resistencia city (Fisher Exact test, p=2.e(-21)).The kDNA-PCR positivity was 42.15% in Aboriginal communities and 65.71% in Creole populations (Chi square, p=5.e(-4)). Among Aboriginal communities kDNA-PCR positivity was heterogeneous (Chi square, p=1.e(-4)). Highest kDNA-PCR positivity (79%) was detected in the Qom community of Colonia Aborigen and the lowest PCR positivity in two different surveys at the Wichi community of Misión Nueva Pompeya (33.3% in 2010 and 20.8% in 2014). TcV (or TcII/V/VI) was predominant in both Aboriginal and Creole communities, in agreement with DTU distribution reported for the region. Besides, two subjects were infected with TcVI, one with TcI and four presented mixed infections of TcV plus TcII/VI. Most minicircle signatures clustered according to their original localities, but in a few cases, signatures from one locality clustered with signatures from other village, suggesting circulation of the same strains in the area. Parasitic loads ranged from undetectable to around 50 parasite equivalents/mL, showing higher values than those generally observed in chronic Chagas disease patients living in urban centers of Argentina. Our findings reveal the persistence of high levels of infection in these neglected populations.

Estado nutricional y enteroparasitosis en una escuela hogar de la ciudad de Corrientes / Nutritional conditions and enteroparasitosis in the home school of the Corrientes city

Todas las criaturas vivientes deben captar desde su medio ambiente nutrientes para su desarrollo, reproducción y mantenimiento. Como enfermedad nutricional, la anemia en los niños ocupa uno de los primeros lugares. La pobreza, practicas inadecuadas de alimentación infantil, analfabetismo, políticas de alimentación inadecuada, saneamiento ambiental y parasitosis, son factores predisponentes. La gran difusión y alta frecuencia de las Enteroparasitosis constituyen un problema médico importante en los países tropicales y subtropicales. En nuestro medio los antecedentes registrados indican índices crecientes. Se plantearon como objetivos determinar la prevalencia de los Enteroparasitos, su relación con el estado nutricional y anémico en niños internos en la Escuela Hogar Juan D. Perón. De 345 niños internos se tomaron al azar 130 clínicamente sanos según el informe médico. Se realizó un examen de laboratorio (Hemograma y Coproparasitológico seriado). De los 130 niños estudiados, 105 (80,8 por ciento) presentaron infección por Enteroparasitos. Blastocystis hominis, Entamoeba coli y Giardia lamblia con 67 (51,5 por ciento), 40 (30,8 por ciento) y 23 (17,7 por ciento) casos respectivamente fueron los mas encontrados. Del total de niños 85 (65,4 por ciento) resultaron anémicos y 15 bordeline (11,5 por ciento). De los niños anémicos, 79 (92,9 por ciento) presentaron infección por Enteroparasitos. Nutricionalmente la mayoría de los niños fueron eutróficos (102), encontrándose anemia en 69 (67,6 por ciento) casos. Los elevados índices planteados pueden originarse en el deterioro de la situación socioeconómica en los últimos tiempos en nuestra región. La mayoría de los niños anémicos resultaron ser eutróficos y presentaron Enteroparasitosis, se atribuye esta situación a una deficiente alimentación y decadente educación sanitaria. El mayor porcentaje de niños anémicos autróficos podría deberse a la falta de atención nutricional por parte de las personas que se ocupan de los niños. El elevado porcentaje de niños anémicos y con Enteroprasitos encontrados demanda impostergables acciones de todos los niveles para garantizar el derecho a que nuestros niños crezcan sanos. Se sugieren medidas preventivas

Anemia ferropénica en niños de una escuela hogar de la ciudad de Corrientes / Pherropenic anemia in children of the home school of the Corrientes city

La Anemia Ferropénica es el descenso de hemoglobina en sangre secundaria a una disminución de la concentración de hierro en el organismo. Su aporte insuficiente en la dieta es la principal causa y produce en los niños alteraciones en la conducta, pérdida de apetito, pica. Se planteó como objetivo general determinar la prevalencia de anemia ferropénica de niños internos de la Escuela Hogar Juan D. Perón y relacionarla con la edad, sexo y estdo nutricional del niño. De 345 niños internos se tomaron al azar 130 clínicamente sanos según el informe clínico, se los agrupó en intervalos por edades y se realizó un examen clínico y de laboratorio. La mayor prevalencia de Anemia Ferrpénica se halló en los varones entre 8 y 11 años de edad, todos ellos eutróficos, resultado que no concuerdan con otros autores. Se concluye que el mayor porcentaje en varones podría deberse a que estan en crecimiento y los requerimientos nutricionales son mayores, como así también a un aporte insuficiente en este micronutriente. Se sugieren medidas preventivas

Angiogenesis during mandibular distraction osteogenesis.

Recruitment of a blood supply is critical for successful bone induction and fracture healing. Despite the clinical success of distraction osteogenesis (DO), an analysis of angiogenesis during membranous bone DO has not been performed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temporal and spatial pattern of angiogenesis during mandibular DO. The right hemimandible of adult male rats was osteotomized, and a customized distraction device was applied. Following a 3-day latency period, distraction was begun at a rate of 0.25 mm twice daily for 6 days (3.0 mm total; 12% increase in mandibular length). Three animals each were sacrificed on days 2, 4, and 6 of distraction (D1, D2, and D3 respectively), or after 1, 2, or 4 weeks of consolidation (C1, C2, and C3 respectively). Two experienced pathologists reviewed the regenerate histology, and angiogenesis was assessed by counting the number of blood vessels per intermediate-power field (IPF). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance, with p < or = 0.05 considered significant. Results demonstrate that mandibular DO was associated with an intense vascular response during the early stages of distraction (D1). On average, 31.5+/-7.9 vessels were noted in each IPF examined during this time point. The number of blood vessels in the distraction regenerate decreased significantly during the later distraction time points, with approximately 14.0+/-2.0 and 14.7+/-3.5 blood vessels per IPF in sections obtained after days 4 and 6 of distraction (D2, D3) respectively. However, blood vessels at these time points took on a more mature histological pattern. During the consolidation period, the number of blood vessels noted in the regenerate decreased with 8.0+/-2.6, 9.3+/-2.1, and 4.0+/-2.0 vessels per IPF in sections obtained after 1, 2, or 4 weeks of consolidation (C1, C2, C3) respectively (p < 0.05 compared with vessel counts during the earliest distraction time point). This study demonstrates for the first time that an intense vascular response associated with mandibular DO occurs primarily during the early stages of distraction. The authors hypothesize that as distraction continues, newly formed vessels likely undergo consolidation, thus forming more mature vessels capable of withstanding distraction forces. Future studies will assess the effects of therapeutic interventions designed to increase angiogenesis during DO on bony regenerate formation.

Neoangiogenesis and sinusoidal "capillarization" in dysplastic nodules of the liver.

The blood supply of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is primarily arterial. Recent studies reported differences of vascular, especially arterial, supply among low- and high-grade dysplastic nodules and HCC. We assessed arterialization using monoclonal antibody specific for smooth muscle actin as well as simultaneous changes in sinusoidal capillarization in cirrhotic nodules, dysplastic nodules, and HCC. We immunohistochemically stained 56 cirrhotic nodules, 20 low-grade dysplastic nodules, 27 high-grade dysplastic nodules, and 20 HCCs for alpha smooth muscle actin (to identify unpaired arteries (i.e., arteries not accompanied by bile ducts) and CD34 (indicating sinusoidal capillarization). Distribution and number of unpaired arteries and distribution of sinusoidal capillarization were graded semiquantitatively. Unpaired arteries were rare in cirrhotic nodules, significantly more common in dysplastic nodules of both types (p < 0.00001), and most common in HCC. Sinusoidal capillarization was least common in cirrhotic nodules, significantly more common in dysplastic nodules (p < 0.0035), and most common in HCC. No topographic relationship between unpaired arteries and sinusoidal capillarization was identified. These findings showed that (1) distributions of sinusoidal capillarization and unpaired arteries in dysplastic nodules are intermediate between those in cirrhotic nodules and HCC, supporting dysplastic nodules as premalignant lesions; (2) unpaired arteries are histologically useful for distinguishing dysplastic nodules from large cirrhotic nodules; and (3) areas of sinusoidal capillarization within dysplastic nodules are unrelated to location of arterialization.