Quantitative PCR for parasitemia monitoring and preemptive therapy in patients with Chagas disease and autoimmune rheumatic disorders undergoing biologic treatment: a case series.
Noemia Barbosa Carvalho, Vera Lucia Teixeira de Freitas, Nadia Emi Aikawa, Lucas Teixeira Vieira, Rita Cristina Bezerra, Adriana Coraccini Tonácio de Proença, Karina Bonfiglioli, Érika Yoshie Shimoda Nakanishi, Hermes Ryoiti Higashino, Maria Aparecida Shikanai-Yasuda
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Patients with chronic Chagas disease (CD) and autoimmune rheumatic disorders (ARD) receiving immunosuppressive therapy are at risk for CD reactivation (CDR). This study monitored parasitemia over 9-121 months in six patients with CD and ARD using conventional and quantitative PCR and parasitology. Five patients showed parasitemia; two had elevated levels of parEq/mL (49-458.7). One patient received benznidazole with a marked decrease in parasitemia; in the other, treatment was discontinued after 12 days due to toxicity. No CDR occurred. These findings support the need for qPCR standardization for preemptive therapy and suggest that benznidazole may prevent CDR in patients with high parasitemia.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (JBSTM) isan official journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine) with open access. It is amultidisciplinary journal that publishes original researches related totropical diseases, preventive medicine, public health, infectious diseasesand related matters. Preference for publication will be given to articlesreporting original observations or researches. The journal has a peer-reviewsystem for articles acceptance and its periodicity is bimonthly. The Journalof the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine is published in English.The journal invites to publication Major Articles, Editorials, Reviewand Mini-Review Articles, Short Communications, Case Reports, TechnicalReports, Images in Infectious Diseases, Letters, Supplements and Obituaries.