Infectious Diseases and Secondary Antibody Deficiency in Patients from a Mesoregion of São Paulo State, Brazil.

Our aim was to determine the secondary antibody deficiency (SAD) profiles of patients in a mesoregion of São Paulo state, Brazil, focusing on infectious diseases. Demographic characteristics, and clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic files; infections were classified as organ-specific and graded as mild, moderate, life-threatening, and fatal. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 30% of patients, nephrotic syndrome (NS) 25%, chronic lymphocyte leukemia 20%, and multiple myeloma 15%. Patients with NS were younger than those in other groups, and hypo-γ-globulinemia was detected in 94.1%, IgG < 400 mg/dL in 60.0%, IgA < 40 mg/dL in 55.0%, and CD19 < 20 cells/mm3 in 30.0%. One hundred and one infections were found; 82.1% were classified as mild or moderate, 7.9% as life-threatening, and 3.0% as fatal. Respiratory tract infections were more prevalent (41.5%), and pneumonia accounted for 19.8%. Lower levels of infections were found in patients with NS compared with NHL (p = 0.0001). Most patients progressed to hypo-γ-globulinemia and SAD after treatment with immunosuppressants, and mild and moderate infections were predominant. These therapies are increasing in patients with different diseases; therefore, monitoring hypo-γ-globulinemia and infections may help to identify patients at high risk for severe complications, antibiotic prophylaxis or treatment, and immunoglobulin replacement.

Infectious diseases and immunological markers associated with patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with rituximab.

BACKGROUND: The use of rituximab (RTX) is increasing, even in developing countries. It has become the first-line therapy or adjuvant to chemotherapy (CHOP; cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin and prednisone) for various diseases, including B cell lymphoma and autoimmune diseases. AIM: We describe the infectious diseases and immunological markers associated with RTX treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). METHODS: Serum immunoglobulins were determined before and after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) administration. Pneumo-23IgG-specific anti-pneumococcal antibodies were evaluated before and after vaccination. Immunophenotyping and lymphocyte proliferation were determined in the course of the treatment. RESULTS: Seven patients were followed and median age was 56.0 ± 5.0 years (range, 41.9-71.6 years). At baseline, the mean level of IgG was 333.7 ± 40.8 and IgM 40.9 ± 11.3 mg/dL, respectively; immunoglobulin A and E (IgA and IgE) were under the limit of detection. Two patients had reduced or absent B cells and T cell subsets were at normal levels in five patients. All patients failed to mount an efficient post-vaccination immune response against hepatitis B virus, tetanus, diphtheria and against the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. During RTX/CHOP treatment, human-IgG-immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy was introduced in six patients after recurrent infections, including community-acquired pneumonia (85.7%), chronic sinusitis (85.7%) and gastroenteritis (42.9%). CONCLUSION: Poor response against pneumococcal vaccines increases the susceptibility of respiratory diseases in these patients. In patients with NHL treated with RTX, the benefits achieved with IVIg replacement for the control of recurrent infectious diseases is of paramount importance. Clinicians dealing with monoclonal antibodies against cancer therapy, especially RTX, should be aware of the increasing risks for symptomatic induced hypogammaglobulinemia and respiratory infections.

Gastroenterite eosinofílica: relato de caso / Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: case report

A gastroenterite eosinofílica é uma doença rara, de etiologia desconhecida, com infiltração eosinofílica da parede gastrintestinal a uma profundidade variável e diversas manifestações gastrintestinais. Relatamos o caso de um homem de 37 anos admitido com queixa aguda de dor abdominal e vômitos biliares. Tratava-se de uma gastroenterite eosinofílica, com infiltração predominante da camada muscular (submucosa e lâmina própria), que respondeu a um curso de corticoide em doses baixas, estando assintomático até o momento em que se relatou o caso.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare disease of unknown etiology, with eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal wall to a depth variable and various gastrointestinal symptoms. We report the case of a 37 year old man admitted with complaints of acute abdominal pain and vomiting bile. It was an eosinophilic gastroenteritis with predominant infiltration of the muscle layer (submucosa and lamina propria), which responded to a course of steroids in low doses, with no symptoms until the time it was reported the case.