Serological response to nifurtimox in adult patients with chronic Chagas disease: An observational comparative study in Argentina.

Nifurtimox is indicated in Chagas disease but determining its effectiveness in chronic disease is hindered by the length of time needed to demonstrate negative serological conversion. We manually reviewed long-term follow-up data from hospital records of patients with chronic Chagas disease (N = 1,497) in Argentina diagnosed during 1967-1980. All patients were aged ≥18 years at diagnosis and were either treated with nifurtimox (n = 968) or received no antitrypanosomal treatment (n = 529).

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis in Santiago del Estero, Argentina: identification of parasites by monoclonal antibodies and isoenzymes.

Diagnostic and parasite characterization and identification studies were carried out in human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in Santiago del Estero, Northern Province of Argentina. Diagnostic procedures were biopsies of lesions for smears and inoculations in hamster, needle aspirations of material from ulcers for "in vitro" cultures. Immunodiagnostic techniques applied were IFAT-IgG and Montenegro skin test.

Lack of sensitivity of sister-chromatid exchange for lymphocyte chromosomal damage detection caused by antichagasic treatment.

No studies exist on sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) formation in chagasic patients therapeutically exposed to nifurtimox (NFX) or benznidazol (BZ). In the present study SCE was analyzed in cultures of peripheral lymphocytes of patients aged 11 months to 11 years treated with NFX 12-15 mg/kg/d for 60 days or with BZ 5 mg/kg/d for 30 days. Chagasic patients before treatment constituted a control group.

Thirteenfold increase of chromosomal aberrations non-randomly distributed in chagasic children treated with nifurtimox.

Chromosomal aberrations were analyzed from cultures of peripheral lymphocytes in 2 groups of chagasic children, before and after treatment with nifurtimox. The mean incidence of chromosomal aberrations increased from control values of 1.75 +/- 1.

Dynamics of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in a rural area of Argentina. IV. Serologic, parasitologic and electrocardiographic study of the human population.

A serologic and electrocardiographic study was carried out in people living in 18 households in La Invernada (LI), Departamento Figueroa, and in 20 houses in Amamá (A), Departamento Moreno, both in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Serological tests performed were indirect hemagglutination (IHAT) and indirect immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFAT). Complement fixation, direct agglutination and ELISA tests were also done for those sera, showing discordant results for either IHAT or IFAT.