Factors Associated with the Abandonment of Tuberculosis Treatment in Brazil: A Systematic Review.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In Brazil, TB is a public health problem, and the treatment dropout rate contributes to it.

Methods: This systematic review investigated the factors associated with TB treatment dropout in Brazil using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method.

Atypical clinical presentation of visceral leishmaniasis: a rare case without splenomegaly.

Clinical manifestations of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) usually include splenomegaly. We report a case of a woman from an endemic area with fever but normal splenic size. This is rare, especially in patients not immunocompromised.

Comprehensive candidate gene analysis for symptomatic or asymptomatic outcomes of Leishmania infantum infection in Brazil.

Genetic risk factors contribute to asymptomatic versus symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) outcomes following infection with Leishmania infantum. We therefore carried out a family-based (n = 918 post-quality control fully genotyped and phenotyped individuals) candidate gene study for symptomatic VL or asymptomatic delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test phenotypes in highly endemic neighborhoods of northeast Brazil. A total of 248 SNPs were genotyped in 42 genes selected as candidates on the basis of prior genetic, immunological, and transcriptional profiling studies.

Fine mapping under linkage peaks for symptomatic or asymptomatic outcomes of Leishmania infantum infection in Brazil.

Infection with the protozoan Leishmania infantum can lead to asymptomatic infection and protective immunity, or to the progressive and potentially fatal disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Published studies show host genetic background determines in part whether infected individuals will develop a symptomatic or asymptomatic outcome. The purpose of the current study was to fine map chromosome regions previously linked with risk for symptomatic (chromosome 9) or asymptomatic (chromosomes 15 and 19) manifestations of L.

Common variants in the HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 HLA class II region are associated with susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis.

To identify susceptibility loci for visceral leishmaniasis, we undertook genome-wide association studies in two populations: 989 cases and 1,089 controls from India and 357 cases in 308 Brazilian families (1,970 individuals). The HLA-DRB1-HLA-DQA1 locus was the only region to show strong evidence of association in both populations. Replication at this region was undertaken in a second Indian population comprising 941 cases and 990 controls, and combined analysis across the three cohorts for rs9271858 at this locus showed P(combined) = 2.

Leishmania infantum chagasi in northeastern Brazil: asymptomatic infection at the urban perimeter.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in large cities in Brazil, including Natal. We determined the prevalence of asymptomatic human infection with Leishmania infantum chagasi and associated environmental risks around Natal. Infection was detected by Leishmania skin test (LST) and anti-leishmanial antibodies in humans and anti-leishmanial antibodies in dogs.

Association of nutritional status with the response to infection with Leishmania chagasi.

Outcomes of infection with Leishmania chagasi range from self-resolving infection to visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Risk factors determining development of disease are not totally understood, but probably include environmental influences and host genetics. We assessed whether nutrition influenced the outcome of Leishmania infection by comparing relatives of children with VL with either self-resolving Leishmania spp.

Leptospirosis in a subsistence farming community in Brazil.

Leptospirosis has been reported in rural areas of Brazil. However, there is limited information about the exposure risk or the risk of Leptospira infection for rural-based populations. A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence and risk factors for prior Leptospira infection in a rural subsistence farming region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, an area in which outbreaks of leptospirosis have occurred.

Genetic predisposition to self-curing infection with the protozoan Leishmania chagasi: a genomewide scan.

The protozoan Leishmania chagasi can cause disseminated, fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or asymptomatic infection in humans. We hypothesized that host genetic factors contribute to this variable response to infection. A family study was performed in neighborhoods of endemicity for L.

Changing epidemiology of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in Brazil: a disease of the urban-rural interface.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) was first reported from the south-western region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte in 1987. São Miguel municipality and adjacent areas have accounted for 90% of the American cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in the region since then. A population survey conducted in São Miguel and adjacent areas was undertaken to identify individuals with a history of ACL.