RESUMO
Urolithiasis is a very frequent illness found in Argentina; however, stone analysis is not routinely performed. In this work, 86 renal calculi (from cities of Luján and San Antonio de Areco, State of Buenos Aires, Argentina) have been analyzed by infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and the results correlated with the main possible pathological conditions. Calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite) and mixtures of calcium oxalate monohydrate and carbonate apatite were the most frequent compounds found in our samples. In order to improve the identification of different phases present in calculi [particularly whewellite and weddellite (calcium oxalate dihydrate)], the second derivative spectra were used. The FTIR spectroscopy together with the second derivative analysis provides the urologist with a good method for calculi component determinations.
Assuntos
Cálculos Renais/química , Espectrofotometria Infravermelho , Análise Espectral RamanRESUMO
Chagas disease is a neglected parasitic disease endemic in the Americas. It mainly affects impoverished populations and the acute phase of the infection mostly affects children. Many cases have also been detected in nonendemic countries as a result of recent migratory trends. The chronic phase is relatively asymptomatic, but 30% of patients with chronic infection eventually develop cardiac and digestive complications that commonly lead to death or disability. Only two drugs are available for the treatment of Chagas disease, benznidazole and nifurtimox. These drugs have been shown to be effective in the treatment of both acute and early chronic phases in children, but the pharmacokinetics of these drugs have never been studied in this population. We have set out to conduct a pharmacokinetics study of benznidazole in a pediatric population with Chagas disease. The results of this study are expected to allow better estimation of the optimal doses and schedule of pharmacotherapy for Chagas disease in children.