[Clinical study of measure of parasitemia in patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Atacama, Chile].
BACKGROUND
Trypanosoma cruzi infection is endemic in Northern/Central Chile.


OBJECTIVE
To perform a clinical assessment of patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.


METHODS
Two hundred sixty three subjects with a positive serology for Trypanosoma cruzi, were invited by mail to a clinical assessment in a Regional Hospital. In a subsample of these, a polymerase chain reaction for Trypanosoma cruzi, was done.


RESULTS
Of all the invited subjects, 183 responded and were assessed at the hospital. Of these, 60 had cardiac affections, 52 had colon problems and 17, esophageal disease. Seventy four were asymptomatic. Of the 64 patients in whom polymerase chain reaction was done, 35 had a positive result.


CONCLUSIONS
A high percentage of subjects infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, had clinical consequences of the infection. Polymerase chain reaction showed persistency of the parasite in more than half of the infected patients.
Carrasco
Mauricio
M
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional de Copiapó. mcarrasco@hospitalcopiapo.cl
Andrade
Winston
W
Jercic
María Isabel
MI
Fernández
Jorge
J
Miranda
Claudio
C
Rivera
Juan
J
González
Jorge
J
González
Luis
L
Ramírez
Eugenio
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification