Frequency of Leishmania spp. infection among HIV-infected patients living in an urban area in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is little information about the frequency of Leishmania infection in asymptomatic people living with HIV (PLWH) and about the performance of laboratory diagnostic methods in coinfected patients in Latin America. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of Leishmania spp. infection in HIV-infected patients living in an urban area in Brazil. METHODS: To detect Leishmania infection, diagnostic tests were performed to detect anti-Leishmania antibodies (ELISA using Leptomonas seymouri antigens; ELISA using rK39 antigens; ELISA using rK28 antigens; indirect fluorescent-antibody test (IFAT); direct agglutination test (DAT)) and Leishmania DNA (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the target genes kDNA and ITS-1). RESULTS: The frequency of at least one positive test was 15%. For ELISA using Leptomonas antigens and IFAT, there was an association between CD4+ T lymphocyte counts and test positivity, with a higher positivity of these tests in more immunosuppressed patients (CD4+ T cell count < 200/mm3). CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, there was a high prevalence of Leishmania spp. infections in this population living with HIV. Although there is the possibility of cross-reaction, some tests that are considered highly specific for the diagnosis of Leishmania infection were positive. There was also an association between the positivity of some tests studied and lower values of CD4+ T lymphocytes.

Medida del grosor foveolar mediante tomografía de coherencia óptica en pacientes adultos con nefropatía diabética en hemodiálisis / Measurement of foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography in adult haemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy

Antecedentes: Diversos estudios han demostrado la eficacia de la hemodiálisis (HD) sobre el edema macular de los pacientes diabéticos. Objetivo: Estudiar los efectos de una sesión de HD sobre el grosor foveolar, mediante tomografía de coherencia óptica (OCT), en pacientes adultos con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 con insuficiencia renal crónica (IRC)estadio 5 secundaria a nefropatía diabética en HD. Pacientes y métodos: Se estudiaron 25 ojos de 14 pacientes a los cuales se les realizó analítica y OCT pre-HD y post-HD. Resultados: Como grupo, el grosor foveolar no se modificaba tras una sesión de HD en los 25 ojos estudiados (245,28± 52,21 µ frente a 240,40 ± 40,25 µ) (p = 0,428) (2% de reducción) ni se correlacionaba con ninguno de los parámetros clínicos o analíticos analizados. Al comparar el subgrupo de 13 ojos en los que el grosor foveolar no se modificaba o disminuía respecto al subgrupo de 12 ojos en los que el grosor foveolar aumentaba se encontró que en el primer subgrupo la temperatura del baño era significativamente mayor (37,00 ± 0,00 frente a 36,29 ºC, p = 0,008) y la conductividad significativamente menor (14,00 ± 0,00 frente a 14,29 ± 0,10 mS/cm, p = 0,030). Conclusión: La HD podría modificar el grosor foveolar retiniano en función de la modificación de parámetros como la temperatura del baño yl a conductividad (AU)

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hemodialysis (HD) on macular edema in diabetic patients. Objective: To study the effects of a HD session on foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with chronic renal failure (CRF)secondary to stage 5 diabetic nephropathy in HD. Patients and methods: We studied 25 eyes of 14 patients who underwent analytical studies and pre-HD and post-HD OCT. Results: As a group, the foveal thickness did not change afterone session of HD in the 25 eyes studied (245.28 ± 52.21 Ì versus 240.40 ± 40.25 µ) (p = 0.428) (2% reduction) or correlated with any clinical or laboratory parameters analyzed. When comparing the subgroup of 13 eyes in which the foveal thickness did not change or decreased compared to the subgroup of 12 eyes in which the foveal thickness increased we found that in the first subgroup the bath temperature was significantly higher (37.00 ± 0.00 versus 36.29 °C, p = 0.008) and the conductivity was significantly lower (14.00 ± 0.00 versus 14.29± 0.10 mS/cm, p = 0.030). Conclusion: HD may modify the foveal retinal thickness as a function of changing parameters such as bath temperature and conductivity. Conclusion: HD may modify the foveal retinal thickness as a function of changing parameters such as bath temperature and conductivity (AU)

Measurement of foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography in adult haemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hemodialysis (HD) on macular edema in diabetic patients. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of a HD session on foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with chronic renal failure (CRF) secondary to stage 5 diabetic nephropathy in HD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 25 eyes of 14 patients who underwent analytical studies and pre-HD and post-HD OCT. RESULTS: As a group, the foveal thickness did not change after one session of HD in the 25 eyes studied (245.28 ± 52.21 µ versus 240.40 ± 40.25 µ) (p = 0.428) (2% reduction) or correlated with any clinical or laboratory parameters analyzed.When comparing the subgroup of 13 eyes in which the foveal thickness did not change or decreased compared to the subgroup of 12 eyes in which the foveal thickness increased we found that in the first subgroup the bath temperature was significantly higher (37.00 ± 0.00 versus 36.29 ° C, p = 0.008) and the conductivity was significantly lower (14.00 ± 0.00 versus 14.29 ± 0.10 mS / cm, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: HD may modify the foveal retinal thickness as a function of changing parameters such as bath temperature and conductivity.