Table 3. Association of heart disease and the presence of bacteria in the blood of patients.

Groups	No. of subjects	Positive PCR	Negative PCR	OR	95%CI	P
Without heart disease, total	56	1	55
Heart disease, total	148	60	88	37.50	5.4-748.7	<0.001*
Chagas disease, total	73	34	39	47.95	6.5-981.0	<0.001*
Brazilian subjects
Controls	56	1	55
Endocarditis	46	13	33	21.67	2.7-463.8	<0.001*
Arrhythmias	29	13	16	44.69	5.3-986.2	<0.001*
Chagas cardiomyopathy	52	22	30	40.33	5.3-842.8	<0.001*
Argentinean subjects
Chagas cardiomyopathy	21	12	9
Chagas asymptomatic	32	11	21	2.55	0.71-9.28	0.17#
Chagas cardiomyopathy
Brazilian patients	52	22	30
Argentinean patients	21	12	9	0.55	0.17-1.72	0.37##

OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval.

^*Compared to control.

^#Compared to Argentinean subjects with Chagas cardiomyopathy;

^##compared to Brazilian subjects with Chagas cardiomyopathy.