Oral Manifestation in HIV Positive Patients Attended at Amazonas Tropical Medicine Foundation (FMT-AM)

Foram analisados através de um estudo de coorte observacional descritivo, 100 pacientes HIV/AIDS na Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas (FMT-AM) no período de dezembro de 2007 a abril de 2008 com o objetivo de identificar as manifestações bucais desta doença. Setenta pacientes eram do gênero masculino, com média de idade de 36,78 anos, e trinta do gênero feminino, com média de idade de 32,36 anos. As manifestações bucais mais freqüentes foram a candidíase (54%), nas formas pseudomembranosa, eritematosa e queilite angular, a gengivite (25%), a periodontite (18%), estomatite aftosa recorrente (7%), a leucoplasia pilosa (5%), o sarcoma de Kaposi (5%), citomegalovírus (3%), o herpes simples (2%) e o herpes zoster (2%). Apenas 13% dos pacientes não apresentaram qualquer manifestação bucal. Esses dados apresentados mostram a importância do conhecimento das lesões mais comumente encontradas no paciente HIV positivo, do exame clínico bucal minucioso para o diagnóstico precoce e assim poder planejar um tratamento bucal adequado.One hundred HIV positive patients were evaluated using a descriptive observational cohort study at the Foundation of Tropical Medicine in the State of Amazon (FMT-AM), from December 2007 to April 2008, in order to assess the occurrence of oral manifestations. Seventy patients were male (average age was 36.78 years) and thirty females (average age was 32.36 years). The most frequent oral manifestations of HIV were: oral candidiasis (54%) in its clinical types – pseudomembranous, eritematous and angular queilitis; gingivitis (25%); periodontitis (18%); recurrent aphthous stomatitis (7%); hairy leukoplakia (5%); Kaposi's sarcoma (5%); cytomegalovirus (3%); herpes simplex (2%); Herpes Zoster (2%). Only 13% patients had no oral manifestations. These results indicate the importance of the knowledge on the most common oral lesions found in HIV positive patients and the importance of a thorough oral clinical examination in the course of HIV infection for early diagnosis and adequate treatment

Characterization of clinical isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans-Cryptococcus gattii species complex from the Amazonas State in Brazil

Background: The differentiation and classification of pathogenic Cryptococcus species provides useful data for epidemiological studies and for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients. Aims: The aim of this study was to characterise 40 clinical Cryptococcus isolates obtained from patients at the Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas (FMTAM) from 2006 to 2008. Methods: It was used phenotypic (i.e., enzyme production and antifungal resistance) and molecular biological (URA5-RFLP) experiments. Results: Patients with HIV/AIDS were most affected with cryptococcosis. Thirty-one (75.5%) of the clinical isolates were classified as Cryptococcus neoformans and 9 (22.5%) as Cryptococcus gattii. High amounts of protease and phospholipase enzymes were produced by most of the isolates. Using the disk diffusion test (CLSI M44-A), 81, 35 and 100% of the C. neoformans isolates were characterized as susceptible to fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B, respectively, whereas 78, 56 and 100% of the C. gattii isolates were susceptible to these antimicrobial agents. The average of Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for C. neoformans and C. gattii isolates was 0.26 and 0.58 μg/mL, respectively. The 9 isolates of C. gattii had a fingerprint pattern comparable with the VGII molecular type, while all 31 isolates of C. neoformans presented with a pattern consistent with the VNI type. Conclusions: This study confirms the importance of HIV/AIDS for the cryptococcosis epidemiology, the susceptibility of the isolates to amphotericin B and the high prevalence of the molecular genotypes VNI and VGII in the north of Brazil. © 2010 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología

Simultaneous circulation of all four dengue serotypes in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil in 2011

INTRODUCTION: Manaus, the capital city of the state of Amazon with nearly 2 million inhabitants, is located in the middle of the Amazon rain forest and has suffered dengue outbreaks since 1998. METHODS: In this study, blood samples were investigated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), aimed at identifying dengue virus serotypes. RESULTS: Acute phase sera from 432 patients were tested for the presence of dengue virus. Out of the 432 patients, 137 (31.3%) were found to be positive. All the four dengue virus serotypes were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The simultaneous circulation of the four dengue serotypes is described for the first time in Manaus and in Brazil

Temporal distribution of tuberculosis in the State of Amazonas, Brazil

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the infectious diseases that contributes most to the morbidity and mortality of millions of people worldwide. Brazil is one of 22 countries that accounts for 80% of the tuberculosis global burden. The highest incidence rates in Brazil occur in the States of Amazonas and Rio de Janeiro. The aim of this study was to describe the temporal distribution of TB in the State of Amazonas. Between 2001 and 2011, 28,198 cases of tuberculosis were reported in Amazonas, distributed among 62 municipalities, with the capital Manaus reporting the highest (68.7%) concentration of cases. Tuberculosis was more prevalent among males (59.3%) aged 15 to 34 years old (45.5%), whose race/color was predominantly pardo (64.7%) and who had pulmonary TB (84.3%). During this period, 81 cases of multidrug-resistant TB were registered, of which the highest concentration was reported from 2008 onward (p = 0.002). The municipalities with the largest numbers of indigenous individuals affected were São Gabriel da Cachoeira (93%), Itamarati (78.1%), and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro (70.1%). The future outlook for this region includes strengthening the TB control at the primary care level, by expanding diagnostic capabilities, access to treatment, research projects developed in collaboration with the Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation .;Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD).; and financing institutions, such as the project for the expansion of the Clinical Research Center and the creation of a hospital ward for individuals with transmissible respiratory diseases, including TB