RESUMO
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. are protozoans that cause American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis, respectively. In endemic foci where both diseases coincide, coinfection can occur. The objective of this work was the characterization of the parasites involved in coinfection in several endemic areas of Venezuela. METHODS: Molecular characterization was done in 30 samples of several species of mammals (Didelphis marsupialis, Equus mulus, Rattus rattus, Canis familiaris, Felis catus, and Sciurus granatensis) from the states of Anzoategui, Cojedes and Capital District diagnosed with T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. coinfections. For the typing of T. cruzi DTUs, the markers of miniexon, 24Sa rDNA, 18Sa rDNA, and hsp60-PCR-RFLP (EcoRV) were used. Infection by Leishmania spp. was characterized by miniexon multiplex PCR for complexes of Leishmania and ITS1-PCR-RFLP (HaeIII, HhaI, and RsaI) for the identification of the species. RESULTS: The T. cruzi TcI was present in 100% of the coinfected mammals, which included 76.7% of triple infection by T. cruzi TcI-complex-L. (L) mexicana-L. infantum/chagasi, 13.3% of double infection by T. cruzi TcI-L. mexicana and 10% of double infection by T. cruzi Tcl-L. infantum/chagasi. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the double or triple infection is a phenomenon existing in almost all the coendemics areas and mammals studied, which might influence the mechanisms of adaptation and pathogenicity of these parasites.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/veterinária , Coinfecção/epidemiologia , Leishmania/genética , Leishmaniose/veterinária , Mamíferos/parasitologia , Trypanosoma cruzi/genética , Animais , Animais Selvagens/parasitologia , Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Coinfecção/parasitologia , DNA de Protozoário/genética , Reservatórios de Doenças/parasitologia , Doenças Endêmicas , Leishmaniose/epidemiologia , Venezuela/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Nutritional evaluation is required to treat patients with hepatic disease. A significant correlation was demonstrated between real body weights lean body mass (LMB) with arm muscular area (AMA) (P less than 0.001); LBM of patients with ascites Vs without ascites showed significant differences (P less than 0.02). No significant differences (P greater than 0.1) was demonstrated, when we used the AMA between patients with Vs without ascites. Albumin values showed slight depletion on 20%; 12% had moderate and 4% had very severe depletion, but 64% of patients had normal values. Albumin-transferrin showed very good correlation (P less than 0.001); but there was no correlation between albumin-AMA, transferrin-AMA, transferrin-MMM and albumin-MMM (P greater than 0.05). The lymphocytic count on 53.33% was normal, 37.67% showed light depletion and 9% had moderate; PPDs was greater than 10mm in 60.86%; normal in 17.36%, and not reactive in 21.75%. AMA is a real and ideal nutritional evaluation method, because it is able to correct the errors due to the presence of ascites.