ASSESSMENT OF BODY HYDRATION IN SUBJECTS WITH SCHISTOSOMIASIS

Total body water (TBW) was measured by deuterium oxide dilution (D 2 O) and predicted by bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) (Deurenberg, Schouten, Andreoli and De Lorenzo 1993) in 21 subjects with Schistosoma mansoni infection and 17 healthy controls of similar age (32·8 ± 13·7 years, n = 38). Patients were selected to have no visible fluid retention and no cardiac or renal abnormalities. Body hydration (TBW per kg of body weight) was significantly higher in patients with schistosomiasis than in controls (62·9 ± 3·6 vs 57·4 ± 4·3%, p