[Immunocorrection in combined prevention of early postoperative complications in patients with systemic vasculitis].

The authors studied peculiarities of the immune status in angiosurgical patients with systemic vasculitis, as well as possibilities of immunodiagnosis and immunocorrection in prevention of early coagulopathic and reparative complications after angiosurgical interventions in this cohort of patients. A total of 172 angiosurgical patients presenting with systemic vasculitis were subdivided into two groups depending on the preoperative preparation methods used. In Group One (Study Group) comprising 81 patients preoperative preparation was carried out using immunosuppressive therapy with hormones and cytostatics according to the rheumatologist's indications.

Risk progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: influence of male sex and of parasitaemia detected by polymerase chain reaction.

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood throughout the course of Chagas' disease.

Objective: To determine whether T cruzi DNA detected by PCR is associated with progression to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

[Serum troponin T in patients with chronic Chagas disease].

High serum levels of T troponin (TnT) have been described in patients with nonischemic myocardiopathies as markers of myocardial damage. We aimed to determine whether a highly sensitive TnT assay could identify patients with early stage chronic Chagas disease cardiopathy. We studied 39 outpatients with a serologic diagnosis of Chagas disease by clinical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.