Blood\u27s Concentration of Lead and Arsenic Associated with Anemia in Peruvian Children

This exploratory, descriptive cohort study (N = 60) determined lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) blood concentrations in Peruvian children and their association with hematological parameters of iron-deficient anemia (IDA) and anthropometric measurement. The mean age of children was 10.8 months (SD = 4.7) and ranged from 3 to 24 months old. Anemia (Hb levels below 10.5 g/dL) was found in 20% of this cohort. Additionally, microcytosis (MCV \u3c 70 fL) was present in 54%, and hypochromia (MCH \u3c 23 pg) in 42% of the group of children. Chi-square analysis showed that 88% of the children with anemia also had microcytosis and hypochromia (p \u3c 0.001). Pb and As were detected in 100% of the infants’ blood samples, and the concentrations were significantly higher in older infants than in younger ones. Pb and As were not associated with the sex, anthropomorphic parameters, or infant hemogram changes. Infants who received iron supplementation were 87% less likely to have low Hb compared with those who did not (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.02–0.88, p = 0.04). Herbal tea intake was significantly associated with microcytosis and hypochromia. Our finding uncovered that hematological parameters for anemia are modified in Peruvian children with high levels of microcytosis and hypochromia. Concentrations of Pb and As were above method detection limits in all Peruvian children, but these were not associated with IDA or anthropometric measurements. A large study, including other variables, would benefit from allowing a more complex model predicting anemia in Peruvian children

DNA multigene sequencing of topotypic specimens of the fascioliasis vector Lymnaea diaphana and phylogenetic analysis of the genus Pectinidens (Gastropoda)

Freshwater lymnaeid snails are crucial in defining transmission and epidemiology of fascioliasis. In South America, human endemic areas are related to high altitudes in Andean regions. The species Lymnaea diaphana has, however, been involved in low altitude areas of Chile, Argentina and Peru where human infection also occurs. Complete nuclear ribosomal DNA 18S, internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-2 and ITS-1 and fragments of mitochondrial DNA 16S and cytochrome c oxidase (cox)1 genes of L. diaphana specimens from its type locality offered 1,848, 495, 520, 424 and 672 bp long sequences. Comparisons with New and Old World Galba/Fossaria, Palaearctic stagnicolines, Nearctic stagnicolines, Old World Radix and Pseudosuccinea allowed to conclude that (i) L. diaphana shows sequences very different from all other lymnaeids, (ii) each marker allows its differentiation, except cox1 amino acid sequence, and (iii) L. diaphana is not a fossarine lymnaeid, but rather an archaic relict form derived from the oldest North American stagnicoline ancestors. Phylogeny and large genetic distances support the genus Pectinidens as the first stagnicoline representative in the southern hemisphere, including colonization of extreme world regions, as most southern Patagonia, long time ago. The phylogenetic link of L. diaphana with the stagnicoline group may give light to the aforementioned peculiar low altitude epidemiological scenario of fascioliasis

Blood’s Concentration of Lead and Arsenic Associated with Anemia in Peruvian Children

This exploratory, descriptive cohort study (N = 60) determined lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) blood concentrations in Peruvian children and their association with hematological parameters of iron-deficient anemia (IDA) and anthropometric measurement. The mean age of children was 10.8 months (SD = 4.7) and ranged from 3 to 24 months old. Anemia (Hb levels below 10.5 g/dL) was found in 20% of this cohort. Additionally, microcytosis (MCV &lt; 70 fL) was present in 54%, and hypochromia (MCH &lt; 23 pg) in 42% of the group of children. Chi-square analysis showed that 88% of the children with anemia also had microcytosis and hypochromia ( p &lt; 0.001 ). Pb and As were detected in 100% of the infants’ blood samples, and the concentrations were significantly higher in older infants than in younger ones. Pb and As were not associated with the sex, anthropomorphic parameters, or infant hemogram changes. Infants who received iron supplementation were 87% less likely to have low Hb compared with those who did not (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.02–0.88, p = 0.04 ). Herbal tea intake was significantly associated with microcytosis and hypochromia. Our finding uncovered that hematological parameters for anemia are modified in Peruvian children with high levels of microcytosis and hypochromia. Concentrations of Pb and As were above method detection limits in all Peruvian children, but these were not associated with IDA or anthropometric measurements. A large study, including other variables, would benefit from allowing a more complex model predicting anemia in Peruvian children.</jats:p

Paragonimosis in the Cajabamba and Condebamba districts, Cajamarca, Peru Paragonimíase nos distritos de Cajabamba e Condebamba, Cajamarca, Peru

Stool samples from 409 pre-school and school students, living in six villages of the Cajabamba and Condebamba districts, Cajamarca, Perú, were examined using wet preparations and Lumbreras' method, looking for Paragonimus eggs. Fecal and sputum samples from two children (0.5%) of 6 and 8 year-old showed eggs of Paragonimus. One hundred and twenty freshwater crabs, Hypolobocera chilensis eigenmanni, were collected from the Condebamba valley and 21 (17.5%) of them were infected with P. mexicanus (syn. P. peruvianus) metacercariae. Our results show the persistence of Paragonimus in human beings and in the main source of infection, the crabs.<br>As amostras de fezes de 409 pré-escolares e escolares de 6 localidades dos distritos de Cajabamba e de Condebamba, departamento de Cajamarca, Peru, foram avaliados pelo método de Lumbreras na busca de ovos de Paragonimus sp. Dois meninos (0,5%), de 6 a 8 anos de idade, revelaram ovos de Paragonimus sp. nas suas fezes, bem como nas amostras de escarro. O exame radiográfico de tórax mostrou lesões pulmonares. Foram coletados 120 caranguejos de rio, Hypolobocera chilensis eigenmanni, no vale de Condebamba , encontrando-se 21 (17,5%) infectados com metacercárias de P. mexicanus (sin. P. peruvianus). Nossos resultados revelam a persistencia de Paragonimus sp. na população na sua principal fonte de infecção, os caranguejos

LA HIDATIDOSIS EN EL PERU: IMPORTANCIA DEL INMUNODIAGNOSTICO Y DE LOS ESTUDIOS SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICOS

En el presente estudio se describe la aplicación de pruebas estandarizadas para el diagnóstico inmunológico de la hidatidosis humana en el Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Daniel A. Carrión", Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. Estas se emplearon para obtener la confirmación prequirúrgica de la parasitosis en situaciones clínicas, y para la detección de portadores asintomáticos de quistes hidatídicos mediante encuestas. Los resultados se utilizaron como fuente de datos para evaluar la calidad de la información que sobre el número de casos de la afección en distintas áreas ecológicas, se obtiene a partir de los casos hospitalarios notificados a los niveles oficiales. Los resultados demuestran la utilidad que puede brindar la extensión de la cobertura de los servicios para el inmunodiagnóstico de la hidatidosis a las áreas endémicas del país con fines de atención primaria y vigilancia epidemiológica. Esto permitiría obtener mejor información sobre el impacto que la contaminación ambiental por los huevos del Echinococcus granulosus produce en la población humana y medir los cambios que resultarían de la efectiva aplicación de medidas de control

Occurrence of infection by Platynosomum illiciens (Braun, 1901) in captive neotropical primates

Platynosomum illiciens (Trematoda, Plagiorchida) is a trematode parasite reported in felids and falconiforms. It was identified in the gall bladder of eight captive neotropical necropsied primates from the National Primate Center (CENP), Ananindeua, State of Para, Brazil. This is the first description of Platynosomum illiciens as a parasite of primates.IEC CENP SVS MS, Ctr Nacl Primatas, Inst Evandro Chagas, BR-67030000 Ananindeua, Para, BrazilUNESP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Parasitol, Botucatu, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Rural Amazonia, Inst Saúde & Prod Anim, BR-66077530 Belem, Para, BrazilUNESP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Parasitol, Botucatu, SP, Brazi

Genomes of Endotrypanum monterogeii from Panama and Zelonia costaricensis from Brazil: Expansion of Multigene Families in Leishmaniinae Parasites That Are Close Relatives of Leishmania spp.

The Leishmaniinae subfamily of the Trypanosomatidae contains both genus Zelonia (monoxenous) and Endotrypanum (dixenous). They are amongst the nearest known relatives of Leishmania, which comprises many human pathogens widespread in the developing world. These closely related lineages are models for the genomic biology of monoxenous and dixenous parasites. Herein, we used comparative genomics to identify the orthologous groups (OGs) shared among 26 Leishmaniinae species to investigate gene family expansion/contraction and applied two phylogenomic approaches to confirm relationships within the subfamily. The Endotrypanum monterogeii and Zelonia costaricensis genomes were assembled, with sizes of 29.9 Mb and 38.0 Mb and 9.711 and 12.201 predicted protein-coding genes, respectively. The genome of E. monterogeii displayed a higher number of multicopy cell surface protein families, including glycoprotein 63 and glycoprotein 46, compared to Leishmania spp. The genome of Z. costaricensis presents expansions of BT1 and amino acid transporters and proteins containing leucine-rich repeat domains, as well as a loss of ABC-type transporters. In total, 415 and 85 lineage-specific OGs were identified in Z. costaricensis and E. monterogeii. The evolutionary relationships within the subfamily were confirmed using the supermatrix (3384 protein-coding genes) and supertree methods. Overall, this study showed new expansions of multigene families in monoxenous and dixenous parasites of the subfamily Leishmaniinae