Diffuse and disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis: clinical cases experienced in Ecuador and a brief review.

BACKGROUND: In Ecuador, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is prevalent countrywide, but only one case of diffuse-CL and two cases of disseminated-CL were experienced during our research activities more than 30 years from 1982 to date. These three patients suffered from multiple lesions distributed at a wide range of the body surface, revealing difficulty to clinically differentiate each other. METHODS: There is a considerable confusion of the use and/or differentiation of the terminologies (terms) between the two disease forms, diffuse-CL and disseminated-CL. One of the aims of the present study is to clarify the difference between the two disease forms, mainly based on the cases experienced in Ecuador. RESULTS: The disseminated-CL case newly reported here was clinically very similar to the diffuse-CL case, but the former showed the following marked differences from the latter: (1) the organisms isolated were identified as the parasites of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis/panamensis, which are also known as the causative agents of disseminated-CL in different endemic countries of the New World; (2) the patient was sensitive against antimonials; and (3) mucosal involvement was observed, which is never observed in diffuse-CL. CONCLUSIONS: In the text, three clinical cases, one diffuse-CL and two disseminated-CL, were presented. Furthermore, a bibliographic comparison of the features between the two disease forms was made, and a brief comment was also given.

A national survey to determine prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among pregnant women in Ecuador.

A nationwide survey was conducted to obtain an estimate of Chagas disease prevalence among pregnant women in Ecuador. As part of a national probability sample, 5,420 women seeking care for delivery or miscarriage at 15 healthcare facilities were recruited into the study. A small minority of participants reported knowing about Chagas disease or recognized the vector. A national seroprevalence of 0.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.0-0.2%) was found; cases were concentrated in the coastal region (seroprevalence = 0.2%; 95% CI = 0.0-0.4%). No cases of transmission to neonates were identified in the sample. Seropositive participants were referred to the National Chagas Program for evaluation and treatment. Additional studies are necessary to determine if areas of higher prevalence exist in well-known endemic provinces and guide the development of a national strategy for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Chagas disease in Ecuador.

Detección de anticuerpos de entamoeba histolytica por el método de Elisa en la costa ecuatoriana: 1999 / Detection of Hystolitic entamoeba antibodies by the Elisa method in ecuadorian coast: 1999

Este trabajo enfoca el estudio seroepidemiológico de la Amebiosis en la región de la costa ecuatoriana; se utilizó un método de ensayo inmunoenzimático en fase sólida con equipo semiautomatizado ELISA con el reactivo marca Diamedix. Para estandarizar este método se analizaron 249 sueros de pacientes provenientes de la costa ecuatoriana, (provincias de: Manabí, Guayas, Los Ríos y El Oro), con una tasa de positividad de 0.19 por ciento. De las muestras provenientes, 68 correspondiente a mujeres y el 32 por ciento a hombres cuyas edades varían entre menores de un año hasta mayores de 55 años. El riesgo relativo de casos positivos establece un índice de 1.58 (0.90 2.75) y su proporción de frecuencia es de 1.75 (0.85

This work focuses the seroepidemiologic study of amebiosis in the ecuadorian coast; through a method of inmunenzimatic essay in solid phase with ELISA semiautomatized equipment with Diamedix (reactive). We analized 249 serum samples from patients of Manabi, Guayas, Los Rios and El Oro, with a positive range of 68 percent of women and 32 percent of men with ages between less than a year and more than 55 years. Relative risk of positive cases was 1.58 (0.9 2.75) and its frequency proportion of 1.75 (0.85

Un análisis de el antígeno de Leishmania para el skin test

Glicoconjugados de enlace para concavalina A (CABG) fueron purificados a partir de promastigotes de Leishmania panamensis (MHOM/PA/71/LS94). A través del análisis SDS-PAGE se confirmaron tres bandas importantes migratorias a aproximadamente 30,16 y 12 kDa en la preparación CABG. La antigenicidad de CABG contra una hipersensibilidad específica del tipo retardado fue examinada en pacientes con leishmaniasis cutánea activa. La respuesta del antígeno CABG fue extremadamente baja en comparación con las de la preparación de extracto soluble (CA) y la preparación con parásitos enteros (LST).