Efeitos de enteroparasitoses no desempenho físico de estudantes: repercurssões hormonais e imunológicas

Abstract

Introduction: Intestinal parasites are diseases whose main etiological agents are helminths or protozoa, which, in at least one of the stages of the evolutionary cycle, are located in the digestive tract of man and can cause several pathological changes. Objective: To evaluate the effects of enteroparasitoses on physical development and the hormonal and immunological repercussions among students from Jaboticatubas City of Minas Gerais State. Methodology: The research was carried out with the population composed of students of basic education (schoolchildren) of both sexes, in the age of 5 to 14 years, in course of public educational school. Tests for parasites were carried out - EPF using the HPJ and Kato-Katz method. According to the results of the parasitological examination the students were separated into two groups: non-parasitized and parasitized. An- thropometric evaluation (height, weight, BMI), hormonal dosages (melatonin and cortisol), cytokine (IL-1 IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17 andTNF-) and chemocine (IL-8) dosages and physical capacity measurement (aerobic capacity, upper and lower limb strength and abdominal performance). Results: In both groups (non-parasitized and parasitized), the students had a mean age of 9.8 ± 1.1 and 9.9 ± 0.8 respectively. There was no statistical difference in relation to body mass, height and BMI. The IL-8 presented lower concentration in the parasitized group, whereas IL-12, TNF and the hormone melatonin had a higher concentration. IL-1 and IL-6 showed negative correlation in the non-parasitized group and IL-12 with the melatonin positive correlation in the parasitized group. The parasitized group had lower abdominal performance and lower limb muscle strength compared with the non-parasitized group. There was a correlation between cytokines (IL-1, IL-8 and IL-12) with upper limb muscle strength, abdominal performance and lower limb strength, respectively, in the non-parasitized group, whereas IL-8, IL-17 and TNF- showed a positive correlation with the abdominal aerobic capacity and performance, respectively, in parasitized group. Conclusion: These data sgerem parasitic infections determine a profile of inflammatory cytokines, and that melatonin may act to control this process in order to minimize tissue damage. Also should be considered the care physical exercise, especially abdominal performance, which can probably be impaired as a result of parasitic infection.