Objective:To evaluate parasitemia by qPCR in patients undergoing etiological treatment and followed in a Brazilian reference center.Methods:Parasite load was quantified by qPCR in 32 participants with chronic Chagas d...Objective:To evaluate parasitemia by qPCR in patients undergoing etiological treatment and followed in a Brazilian reference center.Methods:Parasite load was quantified by qPCR in 32 participants with chronic Chagas disease who were treated with benznidazole.Serological analyses were performed before and after the treatment and parasite loads were compared prior and 12/18 months post the treatment.Results:Thirty-two participants were recruited and treated with benznidazole,and 20 were followed-up.Adverse events(AE)were observed in 22 out of 29 participants that had safety data(76%),and dermatological alterations were the most frequently observed AE.Of the 20 participants analyzed,13 and 7 completed 12 and 18 months follow-up after the treatment,respectively.12 Months after the final treatment,Trypanosoma cruzi was detectable in 3 patients by qPCR;18 months after the final treatment,Trypanosoma cruzi was detectable per qPCR in 4 of the 7 participants.Thus,between 12 and 18 months,7 participants of the 20 initial follow-up cases showed positive qPCR,indicating treatment failures.Conclusions:qPCR can be used as an alternative method for evaluating the effectiveness of the etiological treatment of CD,and can be applied to analyze early therapeutic failures.The study showed that benznidazole therapy had limited effectiveness in treating chronic CD patients,thus emphasizing the importance of conducting continued research for developing more effective therapies and diagnosis for CD.展开更多
Due to recent population emigration movements,an epidemic of Chagas disease is currently menacing most developed countries.The authors report the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian woman living in Europe for the last 10 ...Due to recent population emigration movements,an epidemic of Chagas disease is currently menacing most developed countries.The authors report the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian woman living in Europe for the last 10 years who developed heart failure symptoms,having a previous symptomatic sinus node disease with a pacemaker implant at age of 40 years.The diagnosis was based on serology and myocardial biopsy and the patient was treated with nifurtimox.The authors emphasize the need of a high level of suspicion in patients with suggestive epidemiology and the needof populational screening of specific high risk groups.New treatment options are also discussed.展开更多
基金Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP.Process number 2016/08737-0TBSP received a Ph.D.scholarship from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(CAPES,Finance code 001).
文摘Objective:To evaluate parasitemia by qPCR in patients undergoing etiological treatment and followed in a Brazilian reference center.Methods:Parasite load was quantified by qPCR in 32 participants with chronic Chagas disease who were treated with benznidazole.Serological analyses were performed before and after the treatment and parasite loads were compared prior and 12/18 months post the treatment.Results:Thirty-two participants were recruited and treated with benznidazole,and 20 were followed-up.Adverse events(AE)were observed in 22 out of 29 participants that had safety data(76%),and dermatological alterations were the most frequently observed AE.Of the 20 participants analyzed,13 and 7 completed 12 and 18 months follow-up after the treatment,respectively.12 Months after the final treatment,Trypanosoma cruzi was detectable in 3 patients by qPCR;18 months after the final treatment,Trypanosoma cruzi was detectable per qPCR in 4 of the 7 participants.Thus,between 12 and 18 months,7 participants of the 20 initial follow-up cases showed positive qPCR,indicating treatment failures.Conclusions:qPCR can be used as an alternative method for evaluating the effectiveness of the etiological treatment of CD,and can be applied to analyze early therapeutic failures.The study showed that benznidazole therapy had limited effectiveness in treating chronic CD patients,thus emphasizing the importance of conducting continued research for developing more effective therapies and diagnosis for CD.
文摘Due to recent population emigration movements,an epidemic of Chagas disease is currently menacing most developed countries.The authors report the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian woman living in Europe for the last 10 years who developed heart failure symptoms,having a previous symptomatic sinus node disease with a pacemaker implant at age of 40 years.The diagnosis was based on serology and myocardial biopsy and the patient was treated with nifurtimox.The authors emphasize the need of a high level of suspicion in patients with suggestive epidemiology and the needof populational screening of specific high risk groups.New treatment options are also discussed.
