RESUMO
Eosinophil responses in extraintestinal and intestinal tissues were examined in August and Sprague-Dawley rats infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis or Eimeria nieschulzi (or both), and in uninfected controls to test the hypothesis that E. nieschulzi suppresses the systemic N. brasiliensis-induced eosinophil response. Caudal vein blood, femoral bone marrow, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, peritoneal lavage fluid, and duodenal and jejunal samples were collected on day 8 postinfection (PI) with E. nieschulzi, on day 16 PI of the N. brasiliensis infection, when these days coincided in the concurrently infected rats, and from uninfected controls. Differential white blood cell counts were made from blood smears and cytocentrifuged preparations, and duodenal and jejunal eosinophils per villus crypt unit were quantified. Eimeria nieschulzi significantly reduced N. brasiliensis-induced eosinophil levels in peripheral blood, lavage fluids, and duodenal and jejunal tissues in both rat strains. August and Sprague-Dawley rats monospecifically infected with N. brasiliensis and concurrently with both parasites demonstrated elevated eosinopoiesis compared with uninfected controls and rats infected with only E. nieschulzi; however, despite this, concurrently infected rats had a significantly greater level of eosinopoiesis than those infected with only the nematode. In addition, E. nieschulzi induced elevated neutrophil levels in both monospecifically and concurrently infected rats in all extraintestinal tissues examined in both rat strains, whereas lymphocyte counts decreased concomitantly. This study suggests that the intestinal coccidian E. nieschulzi has the ability to modulate the systemic inflammatory response to N. brasiliensis and that this is not a rat strain-specific phenomenon.
Assuntos
Coccidiose/imunologia , Eimeria/fisiologia , Eosinofilia/imunologia , Nippostrongylus/imunologia , Infecções por Strongylida/imunologia , Animais , Doenças da Medula Óssea/imunologia , Doenças da Medula Óssea/parasitologia , Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/citologia , Coccidiose/parasitologia , Duodenopatias/imunologia , Duodenopatias/parasitologia , Eosinofilia/parasitologia , Feminino , Doenças do Jejuno/imunologia , Doenças do Jejuno/parasitologia , Contagem de Leucócitos , Pneumopatias/imunologia , Pneumopatias/parasitologia , Cavidade Peritoneal/citologia , Doenças Peritoneais/imunologia , Doenças Peritoneais/parasitologia , Lavagem Peritoneal , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Organismos Livres de Patógenos Específicos , Infecções por Strongylida/parasitologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: We aimed at studying the prevalence of infection by H. pylori along with the CagA status of the strain in two populations (Spain and Cuba) and the relationship with several gastroduodenal lesions. We also studied the role of the test-and-scope strategy in the decrease of unnecessary gastroscopies. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 100 dyspeptic patients from Spain and 100 from Cuba were included. At endoscopy, antrum biopsies were obtained and H. pylori status was evaluated by rapid urease test. CagA status of the strain was assessed by Western Blot. The test-and-scope strategy was evaluated according to H. pylori infection and CagA status. RESULTS: Mean age of Spanish and Cuban patients was 45 (16) and 46 (15) years, respectively. Dyspeptic symptoms were similar in both groups. Prevalence of infection by H. pylori was higher in Cuban (73%) than in Spaniards (40%) (p < 0.01). Prevalence of CagA+ strains was also higher in Cuban (81 vs. 27%) (p < 0.01). Among CagA+ Spanish patients, 11% had a duodenal ulcer, whereas this lesion was not found in any CagA patient (p < 0.05). Duodenal ulcer prevalence in CagA+ and CagA Cuban patients was 31 and 0%, respectively (p < 0.05). The test-and-scope strategy would have avoided endoscopy in only 24% Spanish and 15% Cuban patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection is higher in Cuban than in Spanish dyspeptic patients. H. pylori strains of Cuba seem to be more virulent than those of Spain. CagA protein is a marker of peptic ulcer in both populations. These differences could partly explain the variations in the prevalence of different gastroduodenal disorders between both countries. The test-and-scope strategy appears to avoid a low number of endoscopies.