In spite of the efforts to control the spread of tuberculosis worldwide this disease remains one of the biggest problems in public health. Multiresistance has a dramatic effect in this scenario. Non compliance with treatment is directly related to disease spread and the appearance of multiresistance bacilli. Aiming to verify if it is possible to identify patients prone to non compliance from data obtained in the first visit we have studied a population enrolled in a prospective study. Among 257 consecutive patients evaluated between january 1991 and january 1994, we compared 87 patients that abandoned treatment before six months (group A) with 97 that completed six months of treatment (group C). The abandon rate in this group as 33.85% which is larger than 12.9% rate reported by the Health Ministry. Comparing A to C, only the prevalence of alcoholism (A 33.3% x C 22.5%, p = 0.015) and risk behavior for HIV infection (A 27.6% x C 10.2%, p = 0.046), as well as the frequency of non pulmonary disease (A 38.0% x C 24.5%, p = 0.034) were significantly different between both groups. Regarding the moment of abandon (0, 1st or 3rd month) there was no difference in the A group. We conclude that patients at high risk of abandoning tuberculosis treatment can be identified with data obtained at the first visit, allowing to establish a different policy such as supervised treatment for this population.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Ocular toxoplasmosis. Utilization of immunohistochemical reaction for diagnosis].

The diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis is based primarily on clinical presentation and laboratory tests described else where. Eventually, unusual clinical presentation, as well unusual pathologic findings occur, mainly in immunosuppressed individuals. The authors report a case of a female patient from Paraná with a progressive ocular disease, for at least three years, without definite diagnosis. After an exhaustive clinical and laboratory investigation, as well empiric medical treatment, without success, it was decided to enucleate the atrofic organ and to proceed to a histologic examination. It revealed a cronic and inspecific inflammatory process without any specific agent. However the immunohistochemical technique was able to detect Toxoplasma gondii antigens in the ocular tissue. This technique provides an alternative method for the diagnosis of unusual forms of toxoplasmosis.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the possible influence of Montenegro's intradermal reaction on a serological assay for the diagnosis of American cutaneous leishmaniasis].

Influence of Montenegro skin test for American tegumentar leishmaniasis was evaluated to verify possible interference in serological diagnosis for this disease, performed by immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA). If this interference could occur, it would hamper scientific, epidemiological and patient care; happily we did not find any interference on serological diagnosis by performance of skin testing.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Houses of Fire].

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Argentina↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the eventual activity of cyclosporin A in preventing the transmission, by blood transfusion, of Trypanosoma cruzi infection].

Cyclosporin A has activity "in vitro" against trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. We tried to evaluate, in an "in vitro" model, using variable concentrations in whole blood contaminated with known numbers of parasites and injecting this blood after a two hour incubation period in mice if it was possible to prevent infection. In this model the drug, in the concentrations used, was unable to prevent infection.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An alert to organ transplant centers.

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Brazil↗