Although treatment of visceral leishmaniasis with pentavalent antimony is usually successful, some patients require second-line drug therapy, most commonly with amphotericin B. To identify the clinical characteristics that predict an inadequate response to pentavalent antimony, a case-control study was undertaken in Teresina, Piaui, Brazil. Over a two-year period, there were 19 cases of VL in which the staff physicians of a hospital prescribed second-line therapy with amphotericin B after determining that treatment with pentavalent antimony had failed. The control group consisted of 97 patients that were successfully treated with pentavalent antimony. A chart review using univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. The cure rate was 90% with amphotericin B. The odds ratio for the prescription of amphotericin B was 10.2 for children less than one year old, compared with individuals aged over 10 years. Patients who presented coinfection had an OR of 7.1 while those on antibiotics had an OR of 2.8. These data support either undertaking a longer course of therapy with pentavalent antimony for children or using amphotericin B as a first-line agent for children and individuals with coinfections. It also suggests that chemoprophylaxis directed toward bacterial coinfection in small children with VL may be indicated. Key-words: Visceral leishmaniasis. Antimony. Amphotericin B. Therapy.Resumo Embora o tratamento da leishmaniose visceral com antimoniato pentavalente seja normalmente bem sucedido, alguns pacientes requerem uma terapêutica de segunda linha, habitualmente com anfotericina B. Para identificar as características clínicas que possam indicar uma resposta inadequada ao antimônio pentavalente, realizou-se um estudo caso-controle em Teresina, Piauí, Brasil. Em um período de dois anos ocorreram 19 casos de LV para quem os médicos de um hospital prescreveram o tratamento de segunda linha com anfotericina B após determinarem falha com o uso de antimônio pentavalente. O grupo controle foi constituído por 97 pacientes que tiveram o tratamento com antimônio bem sucedido. Foi feita uma análise de prontuários, utilizando-se análise univariada e multivariada. A porporção de cura após o uso de anfotericina B foi 90%. A razão de odds para a prescrição de anfotericina B foi 10,2 para crianças com menos de um ano, quando comparadas com pessoas com mais de 10 anos. Pacientes que tinham tido co-infecção tinham uma RO de 7,1 e aqueles que tinham utilizado antibióticos tinham uma razão de odds de 2,8. Estes dados estão de acordo com o uso mais prolongado de antimônio pentavalente para crianças ou com a recomendação de anfotericina B como droga de primeira escolha para crianças e para pessoas com co-infecções. Sugerem também que se pode indicar a quimioprofilaxia para infecções bacterianas em crianças menores com LV. Palavras-chaves: Leishmaniose visceral. Antimônio. Anfotericina B. Terapêutica.
Studies have evidenced that zinc metabolism is altered in presence of Down syndrome, and zinc seems to have a relationship with the metabolic alterations usually present in this syndrome. In this work, the Zn-related nutritional status of adolescents with Down syndrome was evaluated by means of biochemical parameters and diet. A case-control study was performed in a group of adolescents with Down syndrome (n=30) and a control group (n=32), of both sexes, aged 10 to 19 years. Diet evaluation was accomplished by using a 3-day dietary record, and the analysis was performed by the NutWin program, version 1.5. Antropometric measurements were performed for evaluation of body composition. The Znrelated nutritional status of the groups was evaluated by means of zinc concentration determinations in plasma and erythrocytes, and 24-h urinary zinc excretion, by using the Biol Trace Elem Res (method of atomic absorption spectroscopy. The diet of both groups presented adequate concentrations of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and zinc. The mean values found for zinc concentration in erythrocytes were 49.2±8.5 μg Zn/g Hb for the Down syndrome group and 35.9±6.1 μg Zn/g Hb for the control group (p=0.001). The average values found for zinc concentration in plasma were 67.6±25.6 μg/dL for the Down syndrome group and 68.9± 22.3 μg/dL for the control group. The mean values found for zinc concentration in urine were 244.3±194.9 μg Zn/24 h for the Down syndrome group and 200.3±236.4 μg Zn/24 h for the control group. Assessment of body composition revealed overweight (26.7%) and obesity (6.6%) in the Down syndrome group. In this study, patients with Down syndrome presented altered zinc levels for some cellular compartments, and the average zinc concentrations were low in plasma and urine and elevated in erythrocytes.
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