22 research outputs found
Related factors to human toxocariasis in a rural community of Argentina
The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between toxocariasis frequency and demographic, environmental, sanitary variables, eosinophylia, and other intestinal parasites in a rural population of Argentina. Serological examination of 100 individuals was carried out by using ELISA technique for the detection of antitoxocara antibodies. Eosinophiles in peripheral blood, presence of intestinal parasites, and demographic, environmental, and socio-cultural data were evaluated. Eighty-one feces samples of dogs belonging to the studied people were analyzed to detect eggs of Toxocara canis. Thirty of them were from 30 dogs and 51 were pools from dog feces. Samples of dirt from around the homes (n: 47) and from public park (n: 4) were taken. To determine the associations, the X2 and Fisher tests were used. The seroprevalence was 23%. Eosinophilia in peripheral blood was detected in 86.95% seropositive individuals and in 37.66% seronegative individuals (p < 0.001, OR = 11.03). Of the 23 people with positive serology, 69.56% had at least one intestinal parasite. All individuals with positive serology had dogs in their homes. Among the dog owners there was a significant association between the presence of anti-toxocara antibodies and home flooding. Eggs of T. canis were detected in the feces of 5/81 dogs and three of these dogs belonged to individuals with positive serology. Eggs of Toxocara spp. were found in 41.17% of the dirt samples, eight of which came from the area surrounding the homes of individuals with positive serology (p = 0.032; OR = 4.36). Taking into account all the variables influencing the frequency of toxocariasis in this population, the implementation of Public Health programs specifically focused on anti-parasitic treatment of dogs is recommended
Parasitosis intestinales y factores ambientales en una población rural de Argentina, 2002-2003
We evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites in 504 people and the degree of association between environmental variables and parasites found in population, soil and water in a rural area of Argentina during 2002-2003. A structured survey was used to evaluate the environmental variables and fecal-human, soil and water samples were analyzed. The prevalence of parasites was 45.4%. Most prevalent protozoa were Blastocystis hominis (27.2%) and Giardia lamblia (6.9%), while the most prevalent helminth was Ascaris lumbricoides (3.8%). The analyzed environmental variables showing association (p < 0.05) with presence of parasites in population were: cardboard-tin or wooden house, dirt floor, home or communal water pump, faucet outside the house or public faucet and cesspool or latrine. Parasite forms were found in 82.3% of the soil samples and in 84.2% of the water samples. In both samples we found parasites that were also found in people. In this study we have found deficient sanitary conditions associated with presence of parasites in population and we have evidenced that contaminated soil and water were the source of these parasites.Hemos evaluado la prevalencia de parásitos intestinales en 504 personas y el grado de asociación entre las variables ambientales y los parásitos intestinales hallados en la población, el suelo y el agua de una zona rural de Argentina durante 2002-2003. Se utilizó una encuesta estructurada para relevar las variables ambientales y se examinaron muestras fecales humanas, de agua y de suelo. La prevalencia parasitaria fue de 45,4%. Los protozoos prevalentes fueron Blastocystis hominis (27,2%) y Giardia lamblia (6,9%), mientras que el helminto mas prevalente fue Ascaris lumbricoides (3,8%). Las variables ambientales analizadas que mostraron asociación (p < 0,05) con la presencia de parásitos en la población fueron: casa de cartón-chapa o de madera con piso de tierra, bomba de agua domiciliaria o comunitaria, canilla fuera de la casa o pública y pozo ciego o letrina. Elementos parasitarios fueron hallados en el 82,3% de las muestras de suelo y en el 84,2% de las muestras de agua. En ambas muestras fueron hallados parásitos que también se encontraron en las personas. En este trabajo hemos hallado deficientes condiciones sanitarias asociadas con la presencia de parásitos en las personas y hemos evidenciado que el suelo y el agua contaminada fueron la fuente de esos parasitos
High prevalences of infection with Giardia intestinalis genotype B among children in urban and rural areas of Argentina
The protozoan parasite most frequently associated with diarrhoea worldwide is Giardia intestinalis. In 2005, a study was initiated to identify the genotypes of this parasite infecting children in the Argentinian provinces of Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Chaco, and to explore the associations between the genotype detected in a child, the characteristics of the child’s household and the child’s clinical presentation. Overall, 998 children (504 boys and 494 girls) aged between 2–14 years, with or without symptoms, were enrolled. The G. intestinalis in 94 of the 117 stool samples found positive for the parasite by microscopy were successfully genotyped by PCR. Seventy-seven of the children were found to be infected with genotype B only and 14 with genotype AII only, three children being found to have mixed (AII and B) infections.
Only genotype B was detected in children from rural areas (P<0·05) and most Giardia detected in children from households with a piped water supply were also of this genotype (P<0·05). The other household characteristics investigated (quality of building, history of flooding, type of sanitation, level of overcrowding, and presence/absence of pet dogs) had no significant effect on the genotype distribution. Children infected with genotype AII were significantly younger than those infected with genotype B (P<0·05) and there was a significant positive association between infection with genotype B and abdominal pain (P<0·05). Diarrhoea was not, however, found to be significantly associated with genotype-AII or genotype-B infection.
This is the first published report on the Giardia genotypes circulating in the provinces of Mendoza and Chaco. The results indicate the importance of asymptomatic children in the transmission of Giardia among the young.Facultad de Ciencias Médica
Experiencias de estudiantes voluntarios en PROCOPIN (Programa de Control de las Parasitosis Intestinales y Nutrición)
En Argentina, la frecuencia de parasitosis intestinales en asentamientos precarios varía entre 60–70%. Los parásitos producen anemia, desnutrición proteica-energética y diarreas graves, entre otras. Estas patologías suelen ser de evolución crónica, y van deteriorando lentamente al individuo parasitado, de tal manera que no percibe la afectación de su organismo hasta que se llega a un estado irreversible. Como estudiantes voluntarios integrantes de PROCOPIN, este proyecto nos forma y nos entrena para lograr un reconocimiento “en terreno” de las enfermedades parasitarias que conocemos por los libros. El programa es sistemático y secuenciado, orientado a un diagnóstico situacional y a una posterior intervención que revierta la realidad desfavorable de diversas comunidades.Facultad de Ciencias Médica
Evaluación del estado nutricional y presencia de enfermedades parasitarias en escolares rurales de Berisso
Las alteraciones de la nutrición y las enfermedades parasitarias muestran interacciones complejas que se retroalimentan generando un detrimento de la salud, afectando principalmente a niños de países en desarrollo.Facultad de Ciencias Médica
Anemia en escolares de una comunidad suburbana de La Plata
Las alteraciones nutricionales reconocen causas que abarcan desde factores ambientales y productivos hasta la influencia de la enfermedad e inadecuaciones en la ingesta, que conducen a la malnutrición y sus consecuencias. La Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría define anemia como la “disminución de la masa de glóbulos rojos o de la concentración de hemoglobina por debajo del segundo desvío Standard respecto de la media para edad y sexo. La anemia por deficiencia de hierro es la deficiencia nutricional más común en el mundo. A pesar de tratarse de un problema común durante la niñez, e incluso la adolescencia; las principales investigaciones en nuestro país se han realizado en niños menores de 2 años de edad y en embarazadas.Facultad de Ciencias Médica
Biological and prognostic impact of apobec-induced mutations in the spectrum of plasma cell dyscrasias
In multiple myeloma (MM), whole exome sequencing (WES) studies have revealed four mutational signatures: two associated with aberrant activities of APOBEC cytidine deaminases (Signatures #2 and #13) and two clock-like signatures associated with "cancer age" (Signatures #1 and #5). Mutational signatures have not been investigated systematically in larger series, nor in other primary plasma cell dyscrasias such as monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) or primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL). Finally, while APOBEC activity has been correlated to increased mutational burden and poor-prognosis MAF/MAFB translocations in MM at diagnosis, this has never been confirmed in multivariate analysis in an independent series.
To answer these questions, we mined 1151 MM samples from public WES datasets, including samples from the IA9 public release of the CoMMpass trial. The CoMMpass data were generated as part of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Personalized Medicine Initiatives. We also analyzed 6 MGUS/Smoldering MM as well as 5 previously published pPCLs. Extraction of mutational signatures was performed using the NNMF algorithm as previously described (Alexandrov et al. Nature 2013).
NNMF in the whole cohort extracted the known 4 signatures pertaining to distinct mutational processes: the two clock-like processes (signatures #1 and #5) and aberrant APOBEC deaminase activity (signatures #2 and #13). While the clock-like processes were more prominent in the cohort as a whole (median 70%, range 0-100%), the APOBEC showed a heterogeneous contribution, more visible in samples with the highest mutation burden. In fact, the absolute and relative contribution of APOBEC activity to the mutational repertoire correlated with the overall number of mutations (r=0.71, p= < 0.0001). As previously described, APOBEC contribution was significantly enriched among MM patients with t(14;16) and with t(14;20) (p<0.001), but the association between relative APOBEC contribution and mutational load remained significant across all cytogenetic subgroups with the exception of t(11;14). In the MGUS/SMM series, APOBEC contribution was generally low. Conversely, APOBEC activity was preponderant in three out of five pPCL samples, all of them characterized by the t(14;16)( IGH / MAF); in the remaining two pPCL the absolute number of APOBEC mutations was similar to MM. Overall, the APOBEC contribution was characterized by a progressive increment from MGUS/SMM to MM and pPCL.
We next went on to investigate the prognostic impact of APOBEC signatures at diagnosis. Patients with APOBEC contribution in the 4th quartile had shorter PFS (2-y PFS 47% vs 66%, p<0.0001) and OS (2-y OS 70% vs 85%, p=0.0033) than patients in quartiles 1-3 (Figure 1a-b). This was independent from the association of APOBEC activity with MAF translocations and higher mutational burden, as shown by multivariate analysis with Cox regression (Figure 1c-d). ISS stage III was the only other variable that retained its independent prognostic value for both PFS and OS. We therefore combined both variables and found that co-occurrence of ISS III and APOBEC 4th quartile identifies a fraction of high-risk patients with 2-y OS of 53.8% (95% CI 36.6%-79%), while their simultaneous absence identifies long term survivors with 2-y OS of 93.3% (95% CI 89.6-97.2%).
In this study, we provided a global overview on the contribution of mutational processes in the largest whole exome series of plasma cell dyscrasias investigated to date by NNMF. We propose that cases with high APOBEC activity may represent a novel prognostic subgroup that is transversal to conventional cytogenetic subgroups, advocating for closer integration of next-generation sequencing studies and clinical annotation to confirm this finding in independent series
Control de patologías transmisibles y nutricionales en escolares de Berisso y La Plata; provincia de Buenos Aires
El control y erradicación de enfermedades son objetivos de la Salud Pública; disciplina de carácter multidisciplinario. La OMS define tres niveles de prevención como objetivo de la Salud Pública; primaria: evita la adquisición de la enfermedad, secundaria: detecta la enfermedad en estadios precoces y terciaria: comprende medidas dirigidas al tratamiento y rehabilitación de una enfermedad para mejorar la calidad de vida del paciente. Teniendo en cuenta estos conceptos, el equipo de trabajo desarrolla los siguientes proyectos: 1- Estudios poblacionales en patologías transmisibles y nutrición; 2- Programa de Control de las parasitosis intestinales y nutrición y 3- Chau Parásito. Objetivo general: mejorar la salud y calidad de vida de las personas de comunidades vulnerables de La Plata y Berisso.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria
Relevamiento parasitario y estado nutricional en escolares de La Plata
En países en vía de desarrollo aún persisten problemas de malnutrición, anemia e infecciones parasitarias que afectan el desarrollo físico e intelectual de los niños.
En este trabajo evaluamos la presencia de infección parasitaria intestinal y el estado nutricional en niños asistentes a un establecimiento escolar del barrio suburbano Malvinas de La Plata, provincia de Buenos Aires.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria
Control de patologías transmisibles y nutricionales en escolares de Berisso y La Plata; provincia de Buenos Aires
El control y erradicación de enfermedades son objetivos de la Salud Pública; disciplina de carácter multidisciplinario. La OMS define tres niveles de prevención como objetivo de la Salud Pública; primaria: evita la adquisición de la enfermedad, secundaria: detecta la enfermedad en estadios precoces y terciaria: comprende medidas dirigidas al tratamiento y rehabilitación de una enfermedad para mejorar la calidad de vida del paciente. Teniendo en cuenta estos conceptos, el equipo de trabajo desarrolla los siguientes proyectos: 1- Estudios poblacionales en patologías transmisibles y nutrición; 2- Programa de Control de las parasitosis intestinales y nutrición y 3- Chau Parásito. Objetivo general: mejorar la salud y calidad de vida de las personas de comunidades vulnerables de La Plata y Berisso.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria