Factores de riesgo relacionados con la depresión postparto / Risk factors related to postpartum depression / Fatores de risco relacionados à depressão pós-parto

El puerperio se considera una de las etapas más importantes del término del embarazo que atraviesan el cuerpo de la una mujer, donde puede ocasionar un estado de fragilidad psicológica, con la presentación de trastornos psiquiátricos, que puede aparecer de forma leve a grave en todas las mujeres posterior al parto, y hasta un año del mismo, se caracteriza por tener efectos a corto, mediano y largo plazo, en la madre, en el recién nacido y en la familia. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar los factores de riesgo de mayor impacto y relevancia en la depresión postparto en Ecuador. Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica narrativa de la literatura científica, de factores de riesgo relacionados a depresión postparto. Se concluyó que la depresión en la etapa postparto ha ido en aumento en los últimos años, al igual que los factores de riesgo de mayor prevalencia, destacando; el estado civil, nivel socio económico, y antecedentes de depresión previos. Los presentes hallazgos ponen de manifiesto la magnitud del problema de la depresión postparto, así como la relevancia de continuar con esta línea de investigación, formular y proponer estrategias de prevención frente a los principales factores de riesgos mencionados con anterioridad.

The puerperium is considered one of the most important stages of the term of pregnancy that a woman's body goes through, where it can cause a state of psychological fragility, with the presentation of psychiatric disorders, which can appear from mild to severe in all women after childbirth, and up to a year of it, is characterized by having short, medium and long-term effects on the mother, the newborn and the family. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk factors with the greatest impact and relevance in postpartum depression in Ecuador. A narrative bibliographic review of the scientific literature on risk factors related to postpartum depression was carried out. It was concluded that depression in the postpartum stage has been increasing in recent years, as well as the most prevalent risk factors, highlighting; marital status, socioeconomic status, and previous history of depression. These findings highlight the magnitude of the problem of postpartum depression, as well as the relevance of continuing with this line of research, formulating and proposing prevention strategies against the main risk factors mentioned above.

O puerpério é considerado uma das fases mais importantes do termo gestacional por que passa o corpo da mulher, onde pode causar um estado de fragilidade psicológica, com a apresentação de transtornos psiquiátricos, que podem se apresentar de leve a grave em todas as mulheres após parto, e até um ano dele, caracteriza-se por ter efeitos a curto, médio e longo prazo sobre a mãe, o recém-nascido e a família. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os fatores de risco com maior impacto e relevância na depressão pós-parto no Equador. Foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica narrativa da literatura científica sobre fatores de risco relacionados à depressão pós-parto. Concluiu-se que a depressão na fase puerperal vem aumentando nos últimos anos, assim como os fatores de risco mais prevalentes, destacando; estado civil, situação socioeconômica e história prévia de depressão. Esses achados destacam a magnitude do problema da depressão pós-parto, bem como a relevância de continuar com essa linha de pesquisa, formulando e propondo estratégias de prevenção contra os principais fatores de risco citados acima.

Role of the Complement System in the Modulation of T-Cell Responses in Chronic Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the intracellular pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi, is the parasitic disease with the greatest impact in Latin America and the most common cause of infectious myocarditis in the world. The immune system plays a central role in the control of T. cruzi infection but at the same time needs to be controlled to prevent the development of pathology in the host. It has been shown that persistent infection with T. cruzi induces exhaustion of parasite-specific T cell responses in subjects with chronic Chagas disease. The continuous inflammatory reaction due to parasite persistence in the heart also leads to necrosis and fibrosis. The complement system is a key element of the innate immune system, but recent findings have also shown that the interaction between its components and immune cell receptors might modulate several functions of the adaptive immune system. Moreover, the findings that most of immune cells can produce complement proteins and express their receptors have led to the notion that the complement system also has non canonical functions in the T cell. During human infection by T. cruzi, complement activation might play a dual role in the acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease; it is initially crucial in controlling parasitemia and might later contributes to the development of symptomatic forms of Chagas disease due to its role in T-cell regulation. Herein, we will discuss the putative role of effector complement molecules on T-cell immune exhaustion during chronic human T. cruzi infection.

Prevalencia de infección del tracto urinario y perfil de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana en Enterobacterias

Resumen Las Infecciones del Tracto Urinario (ITU), constituyen uno de los principales motivos de consulta en el ámbito de atención primaria, debido al aumento de la resistencia antibacteriana. Objetivo . Caracterizar la prevalencia de infección del tracto urinario y el perfil de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana in vitro en Enterobacterias en los pacientes de la provincia de Santa Elena - Ecuador. Método . Esta investigación fue descriptiva de diseño documental. La población fue de 827 registros de urocultivos, recopilados de la base de datos del laboratorio de microbiología del Centro de Especialidades IESS La Libertad, en el período comprendido desde agosto 2019 hasta marzo de 2020. Los datos fueron procesados mediante estadística descriptiva, análisis de frecuencia y chi cuadrado. Resultados . De este estudio indican que la prevalencia de ITU fue 22,1%; los principales agentes etiológicos fueron: E. coli (76,0%), Klebsiella oxytoca (6,5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5,8%) y Proteus mirabilis (3,9%). La ITU y la infección por E. coli fueron estadísticamente mayores en mujeres y adultos mayores. La mayor frecuencia de resistencia de E. coli fue para ácido nalidíxico (81,2%), ampicilina (79,9%), ciprofloxacina (72,6%) y sulfametoxazol trimetoprima (61,5%); en Klebsiella oxytoca fue ampicilina (80,0%), sulfametoxazol trimetoprima (70,0%), ácido nalidíxico (60,0%) y ciprofloxacina (40,0%). Mientras que en Klebsiella pneumoniae se halló una resistencia del (100%) para ampicilina y cefalotina, amoxicilina y ácido clavulánico (66,7%), ciprofloxacina (55,6%), ácido nalidíxico (44,4%), meropenem e imipenem (11,1%). Conclusiones. La E. coli continúa siendo el microorganismo más frecuente en ITU. El tratamiento empírico de ITU debería incluir amikacina, nitrofurantoina y piperacilina tazobactam.

Abstract Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are one of the main reasons for consultation in the primary care setting, due to the increase in antibacterial resistance. Objective . To characterize the prevalence of urinary tract infection and the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Enterobacteriaceae in patients in the province of Santa Elena - Ecuador. Method. This was a descriptive research of documentary design. The population was 827 urine culture records, collected from the database of the microbiology laboratory of the Centro de Especialidades IESS La Libertad, in the period from August 2019 to March 2020. The data were processed using descriptive statistics, frequency analysis and chi-square. Results . From this study indicate that the prevalence of UTI was 22.1%; the main etiological agents were: E. coli (76.0%), Klebsiella oxytoca (6.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.8%) and Proteus mirabilis (3.9%). UTI and E. coli infection were statistically higher in women and older adults. The highest frequency of E. coli resistance was for nalidixic acid (81.2%), ampicillin (79.9%), ciprofloxacin (72.6%) and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (61.5%); in Klebsiella oxytoca it was ampicillin (80.0%), trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (70.0%), nalidixic acid (60.0%) and ciprofloxacin (40.0%). While in Klebsiella pneumoniae, 100% resistance was found for ampicillin and cephalothin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid (66.7%), ciprofloxacin (55.6%), nalidixic acid (44.4%), meropenem and imipenem (11.1%). Conclusions . E. coli continues to be the most frequent microorganism in UTI. Empirical treatment of UTI should include amikacin, nitrofurantoin and piperacillin tazobactam.

Resumo As infecções do trato urinário (IU) são um dos principais motivos de consulta no âmbito dos cuidados primários, devido ao aumento da resistência antibacteriana. Objetivo . Caracterizar a prevalência da infecção do trato urinário e o perfil de suscetibilidade antimicrobiana in vitro de Enterobacteriaceae em pacientes da província de Santa Elena - Equador. Método . Esta foi uma pesquisa descritiva do projeto documental. A população era de 827 registros de cultura de urina, coletados do banco de dados do laboratório de microbiologia do Centro de Especialidades IESS La Libertad, no período de agosto de 2019 a março de 2020. Os dados foram processados utilizando estatísticas descritivas, análise de freqüência e qui-quadrado. Resultados. Deste estudo indicam que a prevalência de UTI foi de 22,1%; os principais agentes etiológicos foram: E. coli (76,0%), Klebsiella oxytoca (6,5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5,8%) e Proteus mirabilis (3,9%). A infecção por UTI e E. coli foi estatisticamente maior nas mulheres e nos adultos mais velhos. A maior freqüência de resistência do E. coli foi para o ácido nalidíxico (81,2%), ampicilina (79,9%), ciprofloxacina (72,6%) e trimetoprim sulfametoxazol (61,5%); em Klebsiella oxytoca era ampicilina (80,0%), trimetoprim sulfametoxazol (70,0%), ácido nalidíxico (60,0%) e ciprofloxacina (40,0%). Enquanto em Klebsiella pneumoniae, foi encontrada 100% de resistência para ampicilina e cefalotina, amoxicilina e ácido clavulânico (66,7%), ciprofloxacina (55,6%), ácido nalidíxico (44,4%), meropenem e imipenem (11,1%). Conclusões . A E. coli continua sendo o microorganismo mais freqüente na UTI. O tratamento empírico da UTI deve incluir amikacina, nitrofurantoína e piperacilina tazobactam.

Immune exhaustion in chronic Chagas disease: Pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action of IL-27 in vitro.

In chronic Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi-specific T-cell function decreases over time, and alterations in the homeostatic IL-7/IL-7R axis are evident, consistent with a process of immune exhaustion. IL-27 is an important immunoregulatory cytokine that shares T-cell signaling with IL-7 and other cytokines of the IL-12 family and might be involved in the transcriptional regulation of T-cell function. Here, we evaluated the expression and function of IL-27R in antigen-experienced T cells from subjects with chronic Chagas disease and assessed whether in vitro treatment with IL-27 and IL-7 might improve T. cruzi-specific polyfunctional T-cell responses. In vitro exposure of PBMCs to T. cruzi induced a downregulation of IL-27R in CD4+ T cells and an upregulation in CD8+ T cells in subjects without heart disease, while IL-27R expression remained unaltered in subjects with more severe clinical stages. The modulation of IL-27R was associated with functional signaling through STAT3 and STAT5 and induction of the downstream genes TBX21, EOMES and CXCL9 in response to IL-27. In vitro treatment of PBMCs with IL-27 and IL-7 improved monofunctional and polyfunctional Th1 responses, accompanied by the induction of IL-10 and Bcl-2 expression in subjects without heart disease but did not improve those in subjects with cardiomyopathy. Our findings support the process of desensitization of the IL-27/IL-27R pathway along with disease severity and that the pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms of IL-27 might be interconnected.

Intraoperative Ketamine and Magnesium Therapy to Control Postoperative Pain After Abdominoplasty and/or Liposuction: A Clinical Randomized Trial.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the effects of ketamine and ketamine associated with magnesium on opioid consumption and pain scores in patients undergoing abdominoplasty and/or liposuction compared to standard treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 63 patients were included and randomized as follows: 21 patients in the Control group, 20 patients in the Ketamine group (Ket), and 22 patients in the Ketamine-magnesium group (KetMag). The KetMag group received an IV bolus of 0.3 mg/kg of ketamine and 50 mg/kg magnesium, followed by continuous infusion of ketamine (0.15 mg/kg/h) and magnesium (10 mg/kg/h) until extubation. The Ket group received the same bolus and infusion of ketamine, together with a bolus and continuous infusion of placebo instead of magnesium. The Control group received saline instead of ketamine and magnesium. The groups were compared in morphine consumption during the first 12h, body-postoperative pain and disability scale until the 90th day, the time until the first morphine request on the PCA pump, pain scores, and the adverse effects related to the use of study drugs. RESULTS: The KetMag group had a lower morphine consumption by almost 50% during the first 12h than the Control and the Ket groups. In addition, the KetMag group required the first dose of morphine later than the other two groups. There were no differences in the adverse effects of the proposed treatments. Finally, multiple linear regression and a nonlinear approach analysis indicated that the Control group experienced a higher degree of pain and increased morphine consumption per hour than Ket and KetMag groups. CONCLUSION: Co-administration of intraoperative ketamine plus magnesium and ketamine alone are an effective and easy regime for reducing pain and opioid consumption in the postoperative period.

New Scheme of Intermittent Benznidazole Administration in Patients Chronically Infected with Trypanosoma cruzi: Clinical, Parasitological, and Serological Assessment after Three Years of Follow-Up.

In a pilot study, we showed that the intermittent administration of benznidazole in chronic Chagas disease patients resulted in a low rate of treatment suspension and therapeutic failure, as assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) at the end of treatment. Here, a 3-year posttreatment follow-up study of the same cohort of patients is presented. The treatment scheme consisted of 12 doses of benznidazole at 5 mg/kg of body weight/day in two daily doses every 5 days. Parasite load, Trypanosoma cruzi-specific antibodies, and serum chemokine levels were measured prior to treatment and after a median follow-up of 36 months posttreatment by DNA minicircle kinetoplastid and nuclear DNA satellite sequence qPCR methods, conventional serological techniques, a Luminex-based assay with recombinant T. cruzi proteins, and a cytometric bead array. At the end of follow-up, 14 of 17 (82%) patients had negative qPCR findings, whereas three of 17 (18%) had detectable nonquantifiable findings by at least one of the qPCR techniques. A decline in parasite-specific antibodies at 12 months posttreatment was confirmed by conventional serological tests and the Luminex assays. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 levels increased after treatment, whereas monokine induced by gamma interferon levels decreased. New posttreatment electrocardiographic abnormalities were observed in only one patient who had cardiomyopathy prior to treatment. Together, these data strengthen our previous findings by showing that the intermittent administration of benznidazole results in a low rate of treatment suspension, with treatment efficacy comparable to that of a daily dose of 5 mg/kg for 60 days.

Impaired frequencies and function of platelets and tissue remodeling in chronic Chagas disease.

Chronic inflammation, as a consequence of the persistent infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, leads to continuous activation of the immune system in patients with chronic Chagas disease. We have previously shown that increased sera levels of soluble P-selectin are associated with the severity of the cardiomyopathy distinctive of chronic Chagas disease. In this study, we explored the expression of biomarkers of platelet and endothelial activation, tissue remodeling, and mediators of the coagulation cascade in patients at different clinical stages of chronic Chagas heart disease. The frequencies of activated platelets, measured by the expression of CD41a and CD62P were decreased in patients with chronic Chagas disease compared with those in uninfected subjects, with an inverse association with disease severity. Platelet activation in response to adenosine diphosphate was also decreased in T. cruzi-infected subjects. A major proportion of T. cruzi infected subjects showed increased serum levels of fibrinogen. Patients with severe cardiac dysfunction showed increased levels of endothelin-1 and normal values of procollagen I. In conclusion, chronic infection with T. cruzi induced hemostatic alterations, even in those patients who do not yet present cardiac symptoms.

Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific T-Cell Responses to Monitor Treatment Efficacy in Chronic Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease is the highest impact parasitic disease in Latin America. In recent years, the use of immune-related biomarkers to predict diagnostic and treatment efficacy or to monitor diseases has been considered a promising tool. Our group has worked for the past 20 years on the characterization of different immunological aspects of the T-cell responses to T. cruzi antigens. We have shown that monitoring of appropriate immunological responses can provide earlier and robust measures of treatment.The Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSPOT (ELISPOT) assays are powerful tools to evaluate antigen-specific immune responses at the single-cell level. Herein, we describe uses of the ELISPOT assay to determine the T. cruzi-specific T-cell populations in PBMCs from chronic chagasic subjects.

Distinct monocyte subset phenotypes in patients with different clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease and seronegative dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi leads to a constant stimulation of the host immune system. Monocytes, which are recruited in response to inflammatory signals, are divided into classical CD14hiCD16-, non-classical CD14loCD16+ and intermediate CD14hiCD16+ subsets. In this study, we evaluated the frequencies of monocyte subsets in the different clinical stages of chronic Chagas disease in comparison with the monocyte profile of seronegative heart failure subjects and seronegative healthy controls. The effect of the anti-parasite drug therapy benznidazole on monocyte subsets was also explored. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The frequencies of the different monocyte subsets and their phenotypes were measured by flow cytometry. Trypanosoma cruzi-specific antibodies were quantified by conventional serological tests. T. cruzi-infected subjects with mild or no signs of cardiac disease and patients suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy unrelated to T. cruzi infection showed increased levels of non-classical CD14loCD16+ monocytes compared with healthy controls. In contrast, the monocyte profile in T. cruzi-infected subjects with severe cardiomyopathy was skewed towards the classical and intermediate subsets. After benznidazole treatment, non-classical monocytes CD14loCD16+ decreased while classical monocytes CD14hiCD16-increased. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The different clinical stages of chronic Chagas disease display distinct monocyte profiles that are restored after anti-parasite drug therapy. T. cruzi-infected subjects with severe cardiac disease displayed a profile of monocytes subsets suggestive of a more pronounced inflammatory environment compared with subjects suffering from heart failure not related to T. cruzi infection, supporting that parasite persistence might also alter cell components of the innate immune system.

New Scheme of Intermittent Benznidazole Administration in Patients Chronically Infected with Trypanosoma cruzi: a Pilot Short-Term Follow-Up Study with Adult Patients.

There is a clinical need to test new schemes of benznidazole administration that are expected to be at least as effective as the current therapeutic scheme but safer. This study assessed a new scheme of benznidazole administration in chronic Chagas disease patients. A pilot study with intermittent doses of benznidazole at 5 mg/kg/day in two daily doses every 5 days for a total of 60 days was designed. The main criterion of response was the comparison of quantitative PCR (qPCR) findings prior to and 1 week after the end of treatment. The safety profile was assessed by the rate of suspensions and severity of adverse effects. Twenty patients were analyzed for safety, while qPCR was tested for 17 of them. The average age was 43 ± 7.9 years; 55% were female. Sixty-five percent of treated subjects showed detectable qPCR results prior to treatment of 1.45 (0.63 to 2.81) and 2.1 (1.18 to 2.78) parasitic equivalents per milliliter of blood (par.eq/ml) for kinetoplastic DNA (kDNA) qPCR and nuclear repetitive sequence satellite DNA (SatDNA) qPCR, respectively. One patient showed detectable PCR at the end of treatment (1/17), corresponding to 6% treatment failure, compared with 11/17 (65%) patients pretreatment (P = 0.01). Adverse effects were present in 10/20 (50%) patients, but in only one case was treatment suspended. Eight patients showed mild adverse effects, whereas moderate reactions with increased liver enzymes were observed in two patients. The main accomplishment of this pilot study is the promising low rate of treatment suspension. Intermittent administration of benznidazole emerges a new potential therapeutic scheme, the efficacy of which should be confirmed by long-term assessment posttreatment.

Photodynamic Action Mechanism Mediated by Zinc(II) 2,9,16,23-Tetrakis[4-(N-methylpyridyloxy)]phthalocyanine in Candida albicans Cells.

The photoreaction type I/type II pathways mediated by zinc(II) 2,9,16,23-tetrakis[4-(N-methylpyridyloxy)]phthalocyanine (ZnPPc(4+) ) was studied in Candida albicans cells. This photosensitizer was strongly bound to C. albicans cells at short times. After 30 min irradiation, 5 µM ZnPPc(4+) produced ~5 log decrease in cell viability. Different probes were used to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell suspensions (~10(6) CFU mL(-1) ). Singlet molecular oxygen, O2 ((1) Δg ), was observed by the reaction with 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA) and tetrasodium 2,2-(anthracene-9,10-diyl)bis(methylmalonate) (ABMM), whereas the nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) method was used to sense superoxide anion radical (O2·-). Moreover, the effects produced by an anoxic atmosphere and cell suspensions in D2 O, as well as the addition of sodium azide and mannitol as ROS trapping were evaluated in the PDI of C. albicans. These investigation indicates that O2 ((1) Δg ) is generated in the cells, although a minor extension other radical species can also be involved in the PDI of C. albicans mediated by ZnPPc(4+) .

Impact of aetiological treatment on conventional and multiplex serology in chronic Chagas disease.

BACKGROUND: The main criterion for treatment effectiveness in Chagas Disease has been the seronegative conversion, achieved many years post-treatment. One of the main limitations in evaluating treatment for chronic Chagas disease is the lack of reliable tests to ensure parasite clearance and to examine the effects of treatment. However, declines in conventional serological titers and a new multiplex assay can be useful tools to monitor early the treatment impact. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Changes in antibody levels, including seronegative conversion as well as declines in titers, were serially measured in 53 benznidazole-treated and 89 untreated chronic patients in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a median follow-up of 36 months. Decrease of titers (34/53 [64%] treated vs. 19/89 [21%] untreated, p<0.001) and seronegative conversion (21/53, [40%] treated vs. 6/89, [7%] untreated, p<0.001) in at least one conventional serological test were significantly higher in the benznidazole-treated group compare with the untreated group. When not only complete seronegative conversion but also seronegative conversion on 2 tests and the decreases of titers on 2 or 3 tests were considered, the impact of treatment on conventional serology increased from 21% (11/53 subjects) to 45% (24/53 subjects). A strong concordance was found between the combination of conventional serologic tests and multiplex assay (kappa index 0.60) to detect a decrease in antibody levels pos-treatment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Treatment with benznidazole in subjects with chronic Chagas disease has a major impact on the serology specific for T. cruzi infection in a shorter follow-up period than previously considered, reflected either by a complete or partial seronegative conversion or by a significant decrease in the levels of T. cruzi antibodies, consistent with a possible elimination or reduction of parasite load.

Susceptibility of Candida albicans to photodynamic action of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin in different media.

The photodynamic activity of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP) was evaluated in vitro on Candida albicans cells under different experimental conditions. This tetracationic porphyrin binds rapidly to C. albicans cells, reaching a value of ∼1.7 nmol 10(-6) cells when the cellular suspensions (10(6) CFU mL(-1) ) were incubated with 5 µM sensitizer. The amount of cell-bound sensitizer is not appreciably changed when cultures are incubating for longer times (>15 min) but it diminishes with the number of washing steps. Photosensitized inactivation of C. albicans cellular suspensions increases with both sensitizer concentration and irradiation time, causing a ∼5 log decrease of cell survival when the cultures are treated with 5 µM TMPyP and irradiated for 30 min. However, the photocytotoxicity decreases after one washing step, with the decrease in cell-bound sensitizer. The growth of C. albicans cells was arrested when the cultures were exposed to 5 µM TMPyP and visible light. On agar surfaces, the phototoxic effect of this sensitizer, which caused an inactivation of C. albicans cells, remained high. No growth was observed in areas containing TMPyP and irradiated. Moreover, in small C. albicans colonies, C. albicans cells were completely inactivated. These studies indicate that TMPyP is an effective sensitizer for photodynamic inactivation of yeasts in both liquid suspensions or localized on a surface.

Chronic human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi drives CD4+ T cells to immune senescence.

Previously we found that the frequency of IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells specific for Trypanosoma cruzi inversely correlates with disease severity in chronic human Chagas disease along with low levels of IL-2-secreting CD8(+) T cells in all clinical stages. This impairment of the parasite-specific T cell responses was associated with phenotypic features of immune senescence of the CD8(+) T cell compartment. These data prompted us to address the question of whether the CD4(+) T cell compartment also experiences signs of exhaustion. Thus, we performed a functional and phenotypical characterization of T. cruzi-specific and overall CD4(+) T cells in chronically infected subjects with different degrees of cardiac dysfunction. The results show an inverse association between disease severity and the frequency of T. cruzi-specific IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) T cells. The high expression of CD27 and CD28 with a relative low expression of CD57 found on CD4(+)IFN-gamma(+) T cells suggests that the effector T cell pool in chronic T. cruzi infection includes a high proportion of newly recruited T cells, but a low frequency of long-term memory cells. The total CD4(+) T cell compartment shows signs of senescence and later stages of differentiation associated with more severe stages of the disease. These findings support the hypothesis that long-term T. cruzi infection in humans might exhaust long-lived memory T cells.

Mejoría clínica y serológica de pacientes con enfermedad de Chagas crónica tratados con benznidazol / Improvement of clinic and serological long-term evolution of chronic Chagas disease patients treated with benznidazole

Objetivos: Comparar la evolución alejada de pacientes crónicos tratados con benznidazol y sin tratamiento. Métodos: Se incluyeron 1835 pacientes con enfermedad de Chagas crónica y más de 1 año de seguimiento. El punto final principal de evaluación fue la progresión de la miocardiopatía y los puntos finales secundarios incluyeron los cambios electrocardiográficos y la negativización serológica. Los resultados del tratamiento se evaluaron en un modelo multivariado (Cox) ajustados para la edad, sexo, síntomas y ECG. Los pacientes tratados recibieron 5 mg/kg de peso/día de benznidazol oral, durante 30 días (760 pacientes) o continuaron sin tratamiento (1075 pacientes). Resultados: La edad, los síntomas y el ECG anormal fueron predictores independientes de progresión de la miocardiopatía. El tratamiento con benznidazol redujo la progresión de la cardiopatía (HR 0.63; IC 95%: 0.47-0.95; p = 0.02), la mortalidad (HR 0.54; IC 95%: 0.30-0.97; p = 0.04) y los cambios del ECG (HR 0.59; IC 95%: 0.44-0.79; p < 0.001), mientras que aumentó la frecuencia de negativización completa de la serología (HR 1.78; IC 95%: 1.16-2.73; p = 0.008). Conclusiones: El tratamiento con benznidazol mostró un beneficio clínico y serológico sobre la evolución de la enfermedad de Chagas crónica.

Side effects of benznidazole as treatment in chronic Chagas disease: fears and realities.

Chagas disease is caused by a parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted primarily by a triatomine insect and affects approximately 8 million people in Latin American countries. The principal aim of the management of the disease is to avoid the development of cardiomyopathy and transmission by blood transfusion, congenital and organ transplants. Currently, benznidazole is the only etiological treatment commercially available for the disease until new and better drugs can be developed and tested. Benznidazole has been used even though it does not have all the conditions of an ideal drug. The efficacy and tolerance of benznidazole is inversely related to the age of the patient, while its side effects are more frequent in elderly patients. The side effects are systematically evaluated only in controlled studies designed for that purpose. However, the true clinical impact of the side effects could be different, considering that the treatment is for a short duration (between 30 and 60 days) and only carried out once. In this article, we discuss the benefits and risks of the treatment with benznidazole from a clinical point of view to be considered for the management of the treatment of chronic adult Chagas disease patients in the current medical practice.

5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on Hep-2 and MCF-7c3 cells.

The cytotoxic effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) induced protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) on two human carcinoma cell lines, MCF-7c3 cells and Hep 2 cells, was studied. In both cell lines, PPIX content depends on the ALA concentration and incubation time. The maximal PPIX content was higher in the MCF-7c3 cells, reaching a value of 8 microg/10(6) cells, compared to the Hep-2 cells, which accumulated 3.2 microg/10(6) cells. Treatment of cells with the iron chelator desferrioxamine prior to ALA exposure enhances the amount of PPIX, consequently diminishing enzymatic activity of ferroquelatase. Photo sensitization of the cells was in correlation with the PPIX content; therefore, conditions leading to 80% cell death in the MCF-7c3 cells provoke a 50% cell death in the Hep 2 cells. Using fluorescence microscopy, cell morphology was analyzed after incubation with 1 mM ALA during 5 hr and irradiation with 54 Jcm(-2); 24 hr post-PDT, MCF-7c3 cells revealed the typical morphological changes of necrosis. Under the same conditions, Hep-2 cells produced chromatine fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis. PPIX accumulation was observed to occur in a perinuclear region in the MCF-7c3 cells; while in Hep-2 cells, it was localized in lysosomes. Different mechanisms of cell death were observed in both cell lines, depending on the different intracellular localization of PPIX.

Long-term cardiac outcomes of treating chronic Chagas disease with benznidazole versus no treatment: a nonrandomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Benznidazole is effective for treating acute-stage Chagas disease, but its effectiveness for treating indeterminate and chronic stages remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To compare long-term outcomes of patients with nonacute Chagas disease treated with benznidazole versus outcomes of those who did not receive treatment. DESIGN: Clinical trial with unblinded, nonrandom assignment of patients to intervention or control groups. SETTING: Chagas disease center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. PATIENTS: 566 patients 30 to 50 years of age with 3 positive results on serologic tests and without heart failure. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was disease progression, defined as a change to a more advanced Kuschnir group or death. Secondary outcomes included new abnormalities on electrocardiography and serologic reactivity. INTERVENTION: Oral benznidazole, 5 mg/kg of body weight per day for 30 days (283 patients), or no treatment (283 patients). RESULTS: Fewer treated patients had progression of disease (12 of 283 [4%] vs. 40 of 283 [14%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.10 to 0.59]; P = 0.002) or developed abnormalities on electrocardiography (15 of 283 [5%] vs. 45 of 283 [16%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.27 [CI, 0.13 to 0.57]; P = 0.001) compared with untreated patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 0.97 [CI, 0.94 to 0.99]; P < 0.002) and left ventricular diastolic diameter (hazard ratio, 2.45 [CI, 1.53 to 3.95]; P < 0.001) were also associated with disease progression. Conversion to negative results on serologic testing was more frequent in treated patients than in untreated patients (32 of 218 [15%] vs. 12 of 212 [6%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.1 [CI, 1.06 to 4.06]; P = 0.034). LIMITATIONS: Nonrandom, unblinded treatment assignment was used, and follow-up data were missing for 20% of patients. Loss to follow-up was more common among patients who were less sick. Two uncontrolled interim analyses were conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with no treatment, benznidazole treatment was associated with reduced progression of Chagas disease and increased negative seroconversion for patients presenting with nonacute disease and no heart failure. These observations indicate that a randomized, controlled trial should now be conducted.

Trypanosoma cruzi modulates the profile of memory CD8+ T cells in chronic Chagas' disease patients.

We present a cross-sectional analysis of the maturation and migratory properties of the memory CD8(+) T cell compartment, in relation to the severity of heart disease in individuals with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection removed from endemic areas for longer than 20 years. Subjects with none or mild heart involvement were more likely to mount T. cruzi-specific memory IFN-gamma responses than subjects with more advanced cardiac disease, and the T. cruzi-specific CD8(+) T cell population was enriched in early-differentiated (CD27(+)CD28(+)) cells in responding individuals. In contrast, the frequency of CD27(+)CD28(+)CD8(+) T cells in the total memory CD8(+) T cell population decreases, as disease becomes more severe, while the proportion of fully differentiated memory (CD27(-)CD28(-)) CD8(+) T cells increases. The analysis of CCR7 expression revealed a significant increase in total effector/memory CD8(+) T cells (CD45RA(-)CCR7(-)) in subjects with mild heart disease as compared with uninfected controls. Altogether, these results are consistent with the hypothesis of a gradual clonal exhaustion in the CD8(+) T cell population, perhaps as a result of continuous antigenic stimulation by persistent parasites.