Chronic Chagas Patients 3 Years After Nifurtimox Treatment
Chronic Chagas Patients 3 Years After Nifurtimox Treatment
Of the 44 eligible patients, 37 (84.1%) were enrolled in the study, while 3 (6.8%) refused to participate and 4 (9.1%) could not be reached. Table 1 shows the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the 37 participants. The 7 non participants had similar characteristics (data not shown).
All 37 post-treatment results were positive with the two ELISAs and the rapid immunochromatographic test (Table 2). Twenty-eight (75.7%) participants had decreased ELISA OD values in 2011 compared to 2008 with significantly lower OD values in both the Biokit Bioelisa Chagas (P < 0.001) and the in-house ELISA (P = 0.002). Agreement between the two tests was low (Kappa = 0.469). There was no significant association between the proportions of patients with reduced OD value in 2011 and gender (P = 0.66), age (P = 0.45), stage of disease (P = 1) and treatment duration (P = 0.69).
Conventional PCR testing was negative in all 37 patients, whereas real-time PCR was positive in 1 (2.7%) patient.
Results
Patients
Of the 44 eligible patients, 37 (84.1%) were enrolled in the study, while 3 (6.8%) refused to participate and 4 (9.1%) could not be reached. Table 1 shows the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the 37 participants. The 7 non participants had similar characteristics (data not shown).
ELISA and Rapid Immunochromatographic Tests
All 37 post-treatment results were positive with the two ELISAs and the rapid immunochromatographic test (Table 2). Twenty-eight (75.7%) participants had decreased ELISA OD values in 2011 compared to 2008 with significantly lower OD values in both the Biokit Bioelisa Chagas (P < 0.001) and the in-house ELISA (P = 0.002). Agreement between the two tests was low (Kappa = 0.469). There was no significant association between the proportions of patients with reduced OD value in 2011 and gender (P = 0.66), age (P = 0.45), stage of disease (P = 1) and treatment duration (P = 0.69).
PCR Testing
Conventional PCR testing was negative in all 37 patients, whereas real-time PCR was positive in 1 (2.7%) patient.
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