[Prevalence of infectious agents in indigenous women of childbearing age in Venezuela].

Introduction: The ToRCH syndrome includes the following infectious pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii, rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. In susceptible pregnant women, these pathogens can cause abortions and congenital malformation in the newborn babies.

Objective: The seroprevalence of infection by ToRCH agents was determined in women of childbearing age in several Venezuelan Yukpa indigenous communities.

Hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialysis patients in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Over a two year period, the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was evaluated in 29 hemodialysis patients, aged between 15 and 75 years (mean ± SD: 45 ± 39.5 years), from the University Hospital Hemodyalisis Unit, Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela. Anti-HCV antibodies were determined using a fourth generation ELISA (Innotest HCV Ab IV) kit and positive blood samples were tested using a recombinant assay kit (Inno-LIA HCV Ab III), both kits from Innogenetics N.

[Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in a prisoner population from Maracaibo, Venezuela].

Introduction: The high risk behaviors observed in prison centers have favored the transmission of hepatitis C virus infection. The main risk factor to acquire hepatitis C virus infection seems to be the use of intravenous drugs. In Venezuela, the prevalence of the infection in these centers is unknown since studies of the hepatitis C virus there are lacking.

[Viral loads in pediatric HIV patients with antiretroviral treatment].

Background: Viral load in pediatric patients with HIV infections can help to make therapeutic decisions to modify the evolution of the disease.

Aim: To evaluate viral load in positive HIV children with antiretroviral treatment.

Material And Methods: Viral load was measured every six months during three years in fifty pediatric patients chosen randomly in aged 1 to 12 years, using the Test Monitor HIV-1 AMPLICOR, version 1.

[High prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Amerindians in Japreira, Zulia State, Venezuela].

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the Japreira indigenous community, Venezuela, and its relationship to age and gender. An intentional, non-probabilistic sample of 149 individuals was selected from a total of 300. All samples were studied for the presence of total HBV antibodies (total anti-HBc), and the positive samples were tested for HBV surface and "e" antigens (HBsAg, HBeAg).