Trypanosoma cruzi infection may be caused by different strains with distinct discrete typing units (DTUs) that can result in variable clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease. The present study evaluates the immune response and cardiac lesions in dogs experimentally infected with different T. cruzi strains with distinct DTUs, namely, the Colombian (Col) and Y strains of TcI and TcII DTU, respectively. During infection with the Col strain, increased levels of alanine aminotransferase, erythrocytes, haematocrit and haemoglobin were observed. In addition, CD8+ T-lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood produced higher levels of interleukin (IL)-4. The latter suggests that during the acute phase, infection with the Col strain may remain unnoticed by circulating mononuclear cells. In the chronic phase, a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells was detected in the right atrium. Conversely, infection with the Y strain led to leucopoenia, thrombopoenia, inversion of the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T-lymphocytes and alterations in monocyte number. The Y strain stimulated the production of interferon-γ by CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes and IL-4 by CD8+ T-cells. In the chronic phase, significant heart inflammation and fibrosis were observed, demonstrating that strains of different DTUs interact differently with the host.

OBJETIVOS: avaliar os fatores de risco associados à recidiva das lesões intra-epiteliais, após conização do colo com cirurgia de alta freqüência. MÉTODOS: estudo caso-controle aninhado em coorte de 201 pacientes que se submeteram à conização com cirurgia de alta freqüência por apresentarem lesão intra-epitelial cervical, acompanhadas, em média, por dois anos. Participaram 94 portadoras do HIV e 107 não-portadoras do vírus. A conização cervical foi realizada por cirurgia de alta freqüência e a peça cirúrgica encaminhada para exame histopatológico, que avaliou o grau da lesão, as margens e a ocupação glandular. Após a cirurgia, as pacientes foram examinadas a cada seis meses com citologia oncótica e colposcopia. Foram consideradas recidivas as lesões que, após a cirurgia, foram confirmadas novamente por biópsia. Neste estudo, foram considerados casos as pacientes com recidiva e controles as sem recidiva. As comparações entre os grupos foram realizadas pelo teste do chi2 e a análise multivariada pela regressão logística. Para a análise de sobrevida foi utilizado o método de Kaplan-Meier (teste log-rank). RESULTADOS: houve recidiva das lesões em 40 pacientes. As variáveis que inicialmente apresentaram significância estatística foram: número de parceiros, soropositividade, margens do cone e envolvimento glandular, como indicadores do risco para recidiva. A ocorrência simultânea de ocupação glandular e margens comprometidas apresentou as recidivas mais freqüentes. Após análise pela regressão logística, permaneceram significativamente associados à recorrência das lesões: ocupação glandular (OR=9,1; IC a 95%:13,0-27,5); presença do HIV (OR=4,6; IC a 95%:1,1-6,3); margens comprometidas (OR-2,6; IC a 95%:1,9-11,2). CONCLUSÕES: os fatores de risco associados à recidiva das lesões intra-epiteliais cervicais foram: soropositividade, ocupação glandular e margens comprometidas.

PURPOSE: to evaluate risk factors associated with cervical intraepithelial lesion recurrence after LEEP conization. METHODS: nested case-control study in a cohort of 201 patients with cervical intraepithelial lesion, that were submitted to LEEP conization. Average follow-up of these patients was 2 years. Ninety-four HIV-infected women and 107 non-infected were enrolled. Cervical conization was achieved by the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). Evaluated surgical biopsy histopathological characteristics were lesion grade, lesion borders and glandular involvement. After surgery all patients were submitted to a colposcopy and cytological evaluation every six months. Recurrent lesions were defined it confirmed by biopsy after surgery. Cases were patients with and controls patients without recurrence. chi2 test and multivariable analysis by logistic regression were used for group comparisons. Kaplan Meier's method was performed for the survival analyses (log-rank test). RESULTS: 40 patients had lesion recurrence. Initially, significant variables were: partner number, HIV-infection, lesion borders and glandular involvement. The most frequent recurrence occurred when there were simultaneous association between positive margins and glandular involvement as indicator for recurrence risk. After logistic regression analysis the main factors associated with lesion recurrence were: glandular involvement (OR-9.1; 95% CI:13.0- 27.5); HIV-infection (OR-4.6; 95% IC:1.1-6.3); compromised margins (OR-2.6; 95% IC:1.9-11.2). CONCLUSIONS: risk factors associated with cervical intraepitelial lesion recurrence were HIV-infection, glandular involvement and compromised margins.

Caso raro de forma tumoral da esquistossomose mansoni cerebelar diagnosticada pela biópsia, em um paciente de 15 anos, que apresentou sinais e sintomas neurológicos 60 dias antes da cirurgia. A tomografia computadorizada revelou lesão expansiva, hiperdensa, localizada no cerebelo, sugestiva de glioma. O exame histopatológico mostrou numerosos ovos de S. mansoni envolvidos por reação inflamatória granulomatosa na fase necrótico-exsudativa, confluentes, localizados principalmente na camada interna, granular, do cerebelo, formando pseudotumor no verme cerebelar e hemorragia recente na ponte. Foram medidas as áreas dos granulomas.

An unusual case of the tumoral form of cerebellar Schistosomiasis mansoni, in a 15 year-old male diagnosed by biopsy, with neurological signs and symptoms 60 days prior to surgery. Computerized tomography show a hyperdense expanding lesion located in cerebellum, suggesting glioma. Histopathological examination showed numerous S. mansoni ova involved by granulomatous inflammation in necrotic-exudative phase, located mainly in the internal, granular layer of the cerebellum, creating a pseudotumor in the cerebellar vermis and a recent hemorrhage in the trunk. The areas of granulomas were measured.

Relatamos um caso raro de linfoma maligno não-Hodgkin, nodular e de baixo grau, tipo MALT, com aspecto morfológico e imuno-histoquímico linfoplasmocitóide (classificação de REAL), de imunofenótipo de linfócitos B e monoclonalidade para a cadeia leve de imunoglobulina Kappa, com índice de proliferação < 10% (baixo grau). O tumor era primitivo da dura-máter parietal esquerda, em mulher de 36 anos de idade, cujos sintomas neurológicos surgiram quatro meses antes da cirurgia. Após a cirurgia, foi tratada com quimioterapia e radioterapia, com bom resultado.

We describe a rare case of nodular and low grade non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma, MALT type, with morphological and immunohistochemical features of lymphoplasmocytic (REAL classification), of immunophenotype of B lymphocytes and detecded monoclonal of immunoglobulin kappa light chains, with low proliferation grade (<10%). The tumor was primitive of the left parietal duramater in a 36 years old woman, who presented neurological clinical symptoms four months before the surgery. After surgery, she was submitted to chemotherapy and radiotherapy with good results.