Gloria Echagüe

Distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and bacterial vaginosis presence in cervical samples from Paraguayan indigenous

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of human papillomavirus (HPV) types and to assess bacterial vaginosis (BV) possible associations with cervical infections in indigenous Paraguayan women of the Department of Presidente Hayes. METHODS This study included 181 sexually active women without cervical lesions. HPV typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction with primers PGMY 09/11 followed by reverse line hybridization. BV was diagnosed by the Nugent criteria using the results from a Gram stain smear. RESULTS Sixteen percent of women were positive for at least one high risk HPV type (HR-HPV). The most frequent genotypes were HPV 16 (4.4%), followed by HPV 58 (3.3%), HPV 45 (3.3%), HPV 53 (2.8%) and HPV 11 (2.8%). A significant association between HR-HPV and BV was observed (p=0.01). In addition, women with BV had a higher frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis (p=0.0007), Trichomonas vaginalis (p=0.00009), Mycoplasma hominis (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS A large variety of HPV genotypes was detected and showed a slightly different pattern from previous studies on urban women in Paraguay, with the predominance of HR-HPV. Furthermore, the information of co-infections involved in BV could be useful for the improvement of national prevention programs, as well as for laboratory surveillance of these genital infections.

Perfil de riesgo litogénico en pacientes con urolitiasis en Paraguay

The lithogenic risk profile is a graphical representation of metabolic factors and urinary saturation involved in the stone formation with their respective critical values. Aim: To determine the lithogenic risk profile in patients with urolithiasis. Material and Methods: Personal data such as anthropometric, history of diseases and family history of urolithiasis were recorded. Different compounds acting as promoters or inhibitors of crystallization were measured in serum and urine samples, and the data obtained were used to calculate urinary saturation using Equil software. Results: We included 30 men and 43 women with a median age of 45 (34-54) years. Overweight and family history of urolithiasis was reported in 63 and 32% respectively. Crystallization risk was detected in 74% of participants. The most common urinary abnormalities were hypocitraturia in 48% and hypercalciuria in 40%. Conclusions: The lithogenic profile revealed urinary saturation compatible with crystallization risk in 74% of the studied patients

Anemia y deficiencia de hierro en mujeres indígenas del Departamento de Presidente Hayes, Paraguay, 2010-2011

Segun datos de la UNICEF, entre 4 mil y 5 mil millones de personas en el mundo padecen carencia de hierro, y se calcula que 2 mil millones sufren de anemia. La mujer puede presentar diversos tipos de anemia, ya sea por menstruaciones abundantes o por deficiencia de aporte de hierro. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar los parametros hematologicos e indicadores quimicos de la anemia y carencia de hierro en las mujeres indigenas del Departamento de Presidente Hayes, Paraguay, realizado de octubre de 2010 a octubre de 2011. En este estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transverso, se incluyeron 222 mujeres de 12 a 60 anos de edad de las etnias maka, nivacle, sanapana, enxet y tobaqom. Se determino la concentracion de la hemoglobina e indices hematimetricos: VCM, HCM y CHCM mediante un contador hematologico. El hierro serico y transferrina se determino por metodo enzimatico colorimetrico y la saturacion de la transferrina por calculo manual. En el 40% (88/222) de las mujeres se observo hemoglobina por debajo de 12 g/dL. Con respecto a los indices hematimetricos, presentaron valores inferiores al punto de corte, siendo el 33% para VCM, 22% HCM y el 16% para CHCM. Estos resultados indican una deficiencia de hierro en diferentes fases, lo que tendria consecuencias negativas como la anemia, baja resistencia a infecciones, retraso en el desarrollo psicomotor y funcion cognoscitiva de los ninos, bajo rendimiento academico, fatiga, entre otras patologias en una poblacion vulnerable donde la mayoria de las mujeres estudiadas son de edad fertil.