title: [Clinical study of measure of parasitemia in patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Atacama, Chile].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional de Copiapó. mcarrasco@hospitalcopiapo.cl
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Jercic
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramírez
mesh_terms: 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