Rubens Rodriguez

Longitudinal clinical and serological survey of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Guaporé, southern Brazil, from 1995 to 1999

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a nematode with an intra-vascular location in the mesentery. Our objective was to address several aspects of the natural history of this parasitosis, in a longitudinal clinical and seroepidemiological study. A total of 179 individuals living in a rural area with active transmission in southern Brazil were followed for five years (1995-1999) resulting in yearly prevalence of 28.2%, 4.2%, 10%, 20.2% and 2.8% and incidences of 0%, 5.9%, 8% and 1.5%, respectively. Both men and woman were affected with higher frequencies at age 30-49 years. In 32 individuals serum samples were collected at all time points and IgG antibody reactivity detected by ELISA was variable and usually persisting not longer than one year. Some individual antibody patterns were suggestive of re-infection. There was no association with occurrence of abdominal pain or of other enteroparasites and there was no individual with a confirmed (histopathologic) diagnosis. Mollusks were found with infective third-stage larvae in some houses with an overall prevalence of 16% and a low parasitic burden. In conclusion, abdominal angiostrongyliasis in southern Brazil may be a frequent infection with low morbidity and a gradually decreasing serological reactivity.

ABDOMINAL ANGIOSTRONGYLIASIS : REPORT OF TWO CASES WITH DIFFERENT CLINICAL PRESENTATIONS

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a sporadic infectious disease caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis. It usually presents as acute abdomen, secondary to mesenteric ischemia, and pronounced eosinophilia. In some cases its course is insidious and transient, and the diagnosis is suspicious. The disease is confirmed by the detection of A. costaricensis elements in surgical specimen. The treatment is supportive, with avoidance of antihelminthic administration due to a possible erratic migration followed by worsening of the disease. We report two cases, both with intense eosinophilia and serum IgG-ELISA positive to A. costaricensis. The first case presented ileal perforation and was surgically treated. The second one showed hepatic nodules at ultrasound and was only symptomatically treated, evolving to an apparent protracted resolution. These two cases exemplify different clinical forms of the disease, one of them with liver involvement.

Individual serological follow-up of patients with suspected or confirmed abdominal angiostrongyliasis

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis (AA) is a zoonotic nematode infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, with widespread occurrence in the Americas. Although the human infection may be highly prevalent, morbidity is low in Southern Brazil. Confirmed diagnosis is based on finding parasitic structures in pathological examination of biopsies or surgical resections. Serology stands as an important diagnostic tool in the less severe courses of the infection. Our objective is to describe the follow up of humoral reactivity every 2-4 weeks up to one year, in six individuals with confirmed (C) and ten suspected (S) AA. Antibody (IgG) detection was performed by ELISA and resulted in gradually declining curves of reactivity in nine subjects (56%) (4C + 5S), that were consistently negative in only three of them (2C + 1S) after 221, 121 and 298 days. Three individuals (2C + 1S) presented with low persistent reacitivity, other two (1C + 1S) were serologically negative from the beginning, but also presenting a declining tendency. The study shows indications that abdominal angiostrongyliasis is usually not a persistent infection: although serological negativation may take many months, IgG reactivity is usually declining along time and serum samples pairing may add valuable information to the diagnostic workout.

dogs may be a reservoir host for Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasitic nematode of wild rodents. Several other vertebrate species including man may become infected by ingestion of the third stage larvae produced by the intermediate hosts, usually slugs from the family Veronicellidae. There is a report of the diagnosis of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in Canis familiaris with lesions resembling those found in human disease. As a preliminar evaluation of the adequacy of a canine model for pathogenetic studies, a dog was inoculated with 75 L3 of A. costaricensis. Infection was established and fist stage larvae were found in feces up to 88 days post infection, sometimes in very large numbers (9.5 x 10(4) L1/g). No clinical manifestations or significant lesions were detected. These are indications that dog may play a role as a reservoir host for A. costaricensis.

Histologic evaluation of human pulp tissue after orthodontic intrusion.

INTRODUCTION The forces applied during orthodontic treatment bring about effects on the teeth and surrounding tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible changes in the human pulpal tissue resulting from orthodontic intrusion in a 21-day period using histologic examination. METHODS The sample consisted of 17 young individuals of both sexes between the ages of 12 and 19 years. A total of 34 premolars were evaluated with orthodontic indication of extraction. Because it is a split-mouth study, in each patient, intrusion force of 60 g was applied randomly on 1 of the dental elements experimental group for 21 days. The counterpart control group received no force. After extractions, these dental elements were fixed in 10% formaldehyde, processed automatically, submitted to histotechnical preparation, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for analysis under optical microscope. RESULTS The paired Fisher exact test (P ≤ .05) showed a significant increase of fibrous tissue in the experimental group. The nonparametric paired Wilcoxon test (P ≤ .05) showed a significant increase in the number of pulpal nodules in the elements of the experimental group and showed no difference in the number of blood vessels between the groups. Large-caliber vessels and congested elements were observed in 8 of the experimental group elements. CONCLUSIONS The orthodontic intrusion force, in these conditions, caused vascular changes in the pulpal tissue and also increased the presence of fibrosis and the number of pulp calcifications in the experimental elements.

Betametasona e extrato aquoso de Arctium lappa no tratamento da angiostrongilíase

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasite that causes abdominal angiostrongyliasis in humans. The treatment for it includes the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, despite the lack of studies to justify this approach. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of betamethasone and Arctium lappa on the evolution of intestinal lesions induced by this parasite. Adult male Swiss mice were used, distributed into four groups: infected and treated with betamethasone; infected and treated with Arctium lappa; infected and not treated; and control group. The treatments were started on the 15th day after infection and continued for 15 days. The presence of eosinophilic infiltration and granuloma was evaluated (1-mild; 2-moderate; 3-severe). Betamethasone allowed the lesions to evolve into more severe forms, while the extract did not interfere with disease progression. The substances applied were ineffective for protection against the lesions induced by Angiostrongylus costaricensis in mice. These findings discourage the use of betamethasone and Arctium lappa for humans affected by abdominal angiostrongyliasis.

Prevalência de helmintíases em apêndices cecais

OBJETIVO: Relatar a prevalencia do diagnostico de helmintiases em apendices cecais removidos por procedimentos cirurgicos em municipios do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e enviados para o Instituto de Patologia de Passo Fundo. METODO: Estudo transversal de prevalencia. Analisados 3.646 laudos de apendices cecais do Instituto de Patologia de Passo Fundo, no periodo de 01 de maio de 1995 a 24 de abril de 2001. RESULTADOS: A prevalencia de helmintos nas pecas cirurgicas foi de 3,07 % (n=112), com a enterobiase perfazendo 66,07% (n=74) dos casos, seguidos por angiostrongiliase 20,54 % 9 (n=23), multiparasitose 5,35% (n=6), teniase 4,47% (n=5), ascaridiase 2,68 % (n=3) e um caso de ovo de helminto nao identificado. O diagnostico histopatologico de apendicite aguda, ocorreu em 75,09% dos casos associados a helmintiase. CONCLUSAO: A prevalencia do diagnostico histopatologico de helmintiases em apendices cecais ressecados, por provavel diagnostico clinico de apendicite ou abdomen agudo, encontrados em nosso meio foi semelhante aos descritos mundialmente. O exame histopatologico pode revelar helmintos ou ovos durante ou apos a intervencao.

Efeitos da remoção da túnica adventícia da aorta descendente em suínos

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of removal of the adventitia on the tunica media in a pig model. METHODS The experiment was performed in eight pigs. The adventitia of the descending aorta was removed. Following euthanasia, at two, four, six and eight weeks, the aortic segment was removed. Next, slices of the aorta were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Weigert-Van Gieson. RESULTS After two weeks there was a slight cellular breakdown in the outer third of the media. After four weeks structural breakdown of elastic fibers was observed in the outer two thirds of the same layer. In six weeks, several areas of necrosis and almost complete disruption of elastic fibers were identified. Finally, after eight weeks, there was fibrosis of the entire wall with disruption of the internal elastic lamina. CONCLUSION The removal of the adventitia leads to degeneration of the media, determining loss of the normal structure of the aortic wall that is variable in its location, intensity and shape, depending on the length and duration of the ischemic insult.

Effects of ZnSO4-induced peripheral anosmia on zebrafish behavior and physiology

HighlightsExperimental ZnSO4‐induced anosmia causes acute, but not prolonged, anxiogenic‐like effect on zebrafish behavior.ZnSO4 anosmia protocol is stressful, raising whole‐body cortisol levels.ZnSO4 anosmia protocol causes olfactory epithelium damage with overt basal cell vacuolization and intercellular edema. ABSTRACT Olfaction plays a key role in modulating behavioral and physiological responses of various animal species, including fishes. Olfactory deficits can be induced in fish experimentally, and utilized to examine the role of olfaction in their normal and pathological behaviors. Here, we examine whether experimental anosmia, evoked by ZnSO4 in adult zebrafish can be associated with behavioral and/or physiological responses. We show that experimental ZnSO4‐induced anosmia caused acute, but not prolonged, anxiogenic‐like effects on zebrafish behavior tested in the novel tank test. The procedure also elevated whole‐body cortisol levels in zebrafish. Moreover, ZnSO4 treatment, but not sham, produced damage to olfactory epithelium, inducing overt basal cell vacuolization and intercellular edema. The loss of olfaction, assessed by the fish food preference behavior in the aquatic Y‐maze, was present 1 h, but not 24 h, after the treatment. Collectively, this suggests that transient experimental anosmia by ZnSO4 modulates zebrafish behavior and olfaction, which can be used to evoke and assess their stress‐related anxiety‐like states.

Mo1063 Spirulina Platensis Attenuates Dyspeptic Symptoms After Cessation of Chronic Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

managements were similar in all treatment groups. The children remained in the study until recovery from diarrhea but up to a maximum of 7 days. Stool weight and duration of diarrhea were the primary outcomes. Results: Baseline clinical characteristics of the children are comparable between the groups. There is a trend in stool weight reduction in the groups receiving L-isoleucine and L-arginine alone or in combination and the reduction is significant on day 1(data presented in Table ). Also similar trend of reduction of duration of diarrhea was observed in those groups although the reduction was not statistically significant (combined analysis). Conclusion: L-isoleucine and L-arginine supplemented food help recovery by reducing stool weight and duration of diarrhea in children with acute diarrhea. Further large study is warranted to establish the beneficial effect of L-isoleucine and L-arginine supplemented food. Comparison of outcome variable (Data are Median, range