Adverse events associated with benznidazole treatment for Chagas disease in children and adults.

Aims: Chagas disease (ChD) affects approximately 7 million people in Latin America, with benznidazole being the most commonly used treatment.

Methods: Data from a retrospective cohort study in Argentina, covering January 1980 to July 2019, was reanalysed to identify and characterize benznidazole-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Results: The study included 518 patients: 449 children and 69 adults (median age in children: 4 years; adults: 25 years; age ranges: 1 month-17.

Laboratory diagnosis of infection: a narrative review.

infection, currently endemic in 21 countries, is a public health problem not only in the Americas but also in countries with Latin American migrants. However, it is estimated that two-thirds of people with Chagas disease currently live in urban areas and that only 10% of them are aware of it. This review summarizes the most important aspects of the diagnosis of human infection by describing the following aspects of clinical laboratory diagnosis: the most widely used tests available in Latin America and those expected to improve access to diagnosis of the affected population with their implementation; the advantages, disadvantages, and sensitivity of the tests in the different phases of infection; and their usefulness in the acute or chronic phases of infection and in the context of immunosuppression.

The Trypanosoma cruzi Antigen and Epitope Atlas: antibody specificities in Chagas disease patients across the Americas.

During an infection the immune system produces pathogen-specific antibodies. These antibody repertoires become specific to the history of infections and represent a rich source of diagnostic markers. However, the specificities of these antibodies are mostly unknown.

Long-term cardiology outcomes in children after early treatment for Chagas disease, an observational study.

Background: Parasite persistence after acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is an important factor in the development of Chagas disease (CD) cardiomyopathy. Few studies have investigated the clinical effectiveness of CD treatment through the evaluation of cardiological events by long term follow-up of treated children. Cardiological evaluation in children is challenging since features that would be diagnosed as abnormal in an adult's ECG may be normal, age-related findings in a pediatric ECG trace.

Multilocus sequence typing of in children with acquired syphilis by nonsexual contact.

There are scarce data of subsp. (TPA) characterization in children with syphilis. Nonsexually acquired transmission (NSAT) of TPA is possible in infants through close contact.

Evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii recombinant antigens for early diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.

The performance of Toxoplasma rGra8, rMic1, and the chimeric rGra4-Gra7 antigens for early congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) diagnosis was evaluated. Sera from CT patients showed high IgG reactivity to rMic1, rGra8, and rGra4-Gra7. The seroreactivity of samples from uninfected infants was lost within 2 months of age.

Evaluation of the Chagas Western Blot IgG Assay for the Diagnosis of Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease is a debilitating and often fatal pathology resulting from infection by the protozoan parasite . In its recommendations, the World Health Organization states that the diagnosis of infection is usually based on the detection of antibodies against antigens and performed with two methodologically different assays. An inconclusive result can be resolved with a third "confirmatory" assay.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Two Molecular Tools for Diagnosis of Congenital Chagas Disease.

Background And Objective: The real prevalence of congenital Chagas disease is undefined because of difficulties in the detection of Trypanosoma cruzi by microscopic examination. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of two molecular diagnostic tools, qPCR and LAMP, in the diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease in a clinical setting.

Methods: To this end, we conducted a prospective cohort study in a tertiary care center, of infants under 9 months of age, born in Buenos Aires to women with Chagas disease.

Acquired Syphilis by Nonsexual Contact in Childhood.

Background: Children may acquire syphilis by nonsexual contact as a consequence of close and repetitive contact with mucosal or skin lesions of people with active syphilis.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of pediatric patients with acquired syphilis by nonsexual contact. Demographics, clinical findings, posttreatment serology development and general laboratory data were collected.

Prediction of parasitological cure in children infected with Trypanosoma cruzi using a novel multiplex serological approach: an observational, retrospective cohort study.

Background: Assessment of therapeutic response with standard serological diagnostic assays in patients with chronic Chagas disease is a major challenge due to the long persistence of parasite-specific antibodies. The current consensus for parasitological cure is to monitor conversion from positive to negative Trypanosoma cruzi serology (seroreversion). However, because of robust humoral immune response, seroreversion by standard serological tests can take years to decades.

Congenital syphilis in Argentina: Experience in a pediatric hospital.

In spite of being preventable, Congenital syphilis (CS) is still an important, and growing health problem worldwide. Fetal infection can be particularly aggressive, but newborns can be asymptomatic at birth and, if left untreated, develop systemic compromise afterwards with poor prognosis. We analyzed 61 CS diagnosis cases between 1987-2019 presenting at the Buenos Aires Children' Hospital.

Congenital chagas disease: Development and assessment of a specific IgM capture-based assay for diagnosis of transmission.

Transplacental transmission by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) infection can be effectively treated if parasiticide drugs are administered as early as possible during childhood. Furthermore, an ideal situation would be to diagnose the infection near birth in order to avoid the loss of patients during the subsequent follow-up.

Longitudinal follow up of serological response in children treated for Chagas disease.

Background: Evaluation of therapeutic response in chronic Chagas disease is a major challenge, due to prolonged persistence of Trypanosoma cruzi-specific antibodies, lack of sensitivity of parasitological tests, and need for long-term follow-up to observe negative seroconversion of conventional serological tests (CS). The objective of this study was to evaluate F2/3-ELISA serology, a promising early biomarker of therapeutic response, and T.cruzi Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for T.

Negligible exposure to nifurtimox through breast milk during maternal treatment for Chagas Disease.

Background: Treatment with nifurtimox (NF) for Chagas disease is discouraged during breast-feeding because no information on NF transfer into breast milk is available. NF is safe and effective for paediatric and adult Chagas disease. We evaluated the degree of NF transfer into breast milk in lactating women with Chagas disease.

The Trypomastigote Small Surface Antigen from Trypanosoma cruzi Improves Treatment Evaluation and Diagnosis in Pediatric Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Assessment of parasitological cure upon treatment with available drugs relies on achieving consistent negative results in conventional parasitological and serological tests, which may take years to assess. Here, we evaluated the use of a recombinant antigen termed trypomastigote small surface antigen (TSSA) as an early serological marker of drug efficacy in -infected children. A cohort of 78 pediatric patients born to -infected mothers was included in this study.

Abdominal Cystic Echinococcosis Treated with Albendazole. A Pediatric Cohort Study.

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis is endemic in Argentina. The standard pharmacological treatment for the disease is albendazole, but surgery is a common alternative. Even though primary infection occurs mainly in the pediatric population, the optimal therapeutic option in pediatrics is not clearly defined and few pediatric cohorts with cystic echinococcosis treated with albendazole have been described to date.

Urban Chagas disease in children and women in primary care centres in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of this disease in women of childbearing age and children treated at health centres in underserviced areas of the city of Buenos Aires. Demographic and Chagas disease status data were collected. Samples for Chagas disease serology were obtained on filter paper and the reactive results were confirmed with conventional samples.

Prevention of congenital Chagas through treatment of girls and women of childbearing age.

It is currently unknown whether treatment of Chagas disease decreases the risk of congenital transmission from previously treated mothers to their infants. In a cohort of women with Chagas disease previously treated with benznidazole, no congenital transmission of the disease was observed in their newborns. This finding provides support for the treatment of Chagas disease as early as possible.

Limited infant exposure to benznidazole through breast milk during maternal treatment for Chagas disease.

Background: Benznidazole (BNZ) is safe and effective for the treatment of paediatric Chagas disease. Treatment of adults is also effective in many cases, but discouraged in breastfeeding women because no information on BNZ transfer into breast milk is available. We aimed to evaluate the degree of BNZ transfer into breast milk in lactating women with Chagas disease.

Population pharmacokinetic study of benznidazole in pediatric Chagas disease suggests efficacy despite lower plasma concentrations than in adults.

Introduction: Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, can lead to long term cardiac morbidity. Treatment of children with benznidazole is effective, but no pediatric pharmacokinetics data are available and clinical pharmacology information on the drug is scarce.

Patients And Methods: Prospective population pharmacokinetic (PK) cohort study in children 2-12 years old with Chagas disease treated with oral benznidazole 5-8 mg/kg/day BID for 60 days.

Urbanization of congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: prospective polymerase chain reaction study in pregnancy.

Chagas disease ranks among the world's most neglected tropical diseases and congenital transmission is increasingly responsible for urbanization of Chagas disease in non-endemic areas. Molecular assays for amplification and profiling of parasite minicircle DNA (kDNA) and identification of discrete typing units (DTUs) were prospectively conducted in bloodstream and placental samples from pregnant women cursing chronic Chagas disease residing in Buenos Aires city. Sensitivity of kDNA-PCR increased from 75.