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Rios LE, Lokugamage N, Choudhuri S, Chowdhury IH, Garg NJ. Subunit nanovaccine elicited T cell functional activation controls Trypanosoma cruzi mediated maternal and placental tissue damage and improves pregnancy outcomes in mice. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:188. [PMID: 38104118 PMCID: PMC10725459 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00782-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated a candidate vaccine effect against maternal Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc) infection and improved pregnancy outcomes. For this, TcG2 and TcG4 were cloned in a nanoplasmid optimized for delivery, antigen expression, and regulatory compliance (nano2/4 vaccine). Female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with nano2/4, infected (Tc SylvioX10), and mated 7-days post-infection to enable fetal development during the maternal acute parasitemia phase. Females were euthanized at E12-E17 (gestation) days. Splenic and placental T-cell responses were monitored by flow cytometry. Maternal and placental/fetal tissues were examined for parasites by qPCR and inflammatory infiltrate by histology. Controls included age/immunization-matched non-pregnant females. Nano2/4 exhibited no toxicity and elicited protective IgG2a/IgG1 response in mice. Nano2/4 signaled a splenic expansion of functionally active CD4+ effector/effector memory (Tem) and central memory (Tcm) cells in pregnant mice. Upon challenge infection, nano2/4 increased the splenic CD4+ and CD8+T cells in all mice and increased the proliferation of CD4+Tem, CD4+Tcm, and CD8+Tcm subsets producing IFNγ and cytolytic molecules (PRF1, GZB) in pregnant mice. A balanced serum cytokines/chemokines response and placental immune characteristics indicated that pregnancy prevented the overwhelming damaging immune response in mice. Importantly, pregnancy itself resulted in a significant reduction of parasites in maternal and fetal tissues. Nano2/4 was effective in arresting the Tc-induced tissue inflammatory infiltrate, necrosis, and fibrosis in maternal and placental tissues and improving maternal fertility, placental efficiency, and fetal survival. In conclusion, we show that maternal nano2/4 vaccination is beneficial in controlling the adverse effects of Tc infection on maternal health, fetal survival, and pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizette Elaine Rios
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Nandadeva Lokugamage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Subhadip Choudhuri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Imran Hussain Chowdhury
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Nisha Jain Garg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA.
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity (IHII), UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences (SIVS), UTMB, Galveston, TX, USA.
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de Almeida EA, Mendes FDSNS, Ramos AN, de Sousa AS, Pavan TBS, Mediano MFF, Ostermayer AL, Hasslocher-Moreno AM, Britto CFDPDC, Novaes CG, Correia D, Santos FLN, da Silva GMS, Fernandez ML, Lima MM, de Carvalho NB, Moreira ODC, Albajar-Viñas P, Leite RM, Palmeira SL, da Costa VM, Yasuda MAS. Guidelines for Trypanosoma cruzi-HIV Co-infection and other Immunosuppressive Conditions: Diagnosis, Treatment, Monitoring, and Implementation from the International Network of Care and Studies - 2023. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2023; 56:0549. [PMID: 38088667 PMCID: PMC10706049 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0549-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eros Antonio de Almeida
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Grupo de Estudos em doença de Chagas, Campinas, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Alberto Novaes Ramos
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil
| | - Andréa Silvestre de Sousa
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Tycha Bianca Sabaini Pavan
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Laboratório Avançado de Saúde Pública, Bahia, BA, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | - Christina Gallafrio Novaes
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Dalmo Correia
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brasil
| | - Fred Luciano Neves Santos
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Laboratório Avançado de Saúde Pública, Bahia, BA, Brasil
| | | | - Marisa Liliana Fernandez
- Hospital de Infecciosas FJ Muñiz, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mayara Maia Lima
- Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Noêmia Barbosa de Carvalho
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Otacílio da Cruz Moreira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Virologia e Parasitologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Pedro Albajar-Viñas
- Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Moreira Leite
- Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica Professor Alexandre Vranjac. Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Swamy Lima Palmeira
- Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil
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Benizio E, Moreira-Espinoza MJ, Triquell MF, Mezzano L, Díaz-Luján CM, Fretes RE. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are modified during the multiplication of Trypanosoma cruzi within the placental chorionic villi and are associated with the level of infection via the signaling pathway NF-κB. Am J Reprod Immunol 2023; 90:e13777. [PMID: 37766400 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) infection has been associated with changes in the levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ during the pregnancy. Therefore, we propose to study the participation and dynamics of proinflammatory cytokines in the infection process of placental explants infected by T. cruzi in vitro. METHOD OF STUDY Chorionic villous explants (CVE) obtained of human term placentas (n = 8) from normal pregnancies were cultured with 105 trypomastigotes/mL of Tulahuen strain DTU VI for 0, 2, 4, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h. Explants were treated with sulfasalazine (SULF) (5 mM) and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) (15 mM), as inhibitors molecules of NF-κB pathway, or LPS (1 μg/mL) for 24 and 72 h p.i. Motile trypomastigotes were counted in culture supernatants. Immunohistochemistry and ELISA for TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, and IL-10 were performed in CVE and culture supernatants respectively. The parasite load was measured by RT-qPCR. RESULTS T. cruzi invades the chorionic villi from 4 h p.i. increasing significantly its DNA at 48 and 72 h p.i. of culture (parasite multiplication phase). They were detected in stromal cells, which was related to elevation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and IL-10. The inhibition of NF-κB activity in the explants decreased the production of the analyzed cytokines, showing elevated levels of T. cruzi DNA during the multiplication phase of the parasite. CONCLUSIONS Placental tissue modifies the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the phase of parasite multiplication, but not during the invasion phase, which in turns modifies the level of infection via the signaling pathway NF-κB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelina Benizio
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Académico Pedagógico de Ciencias Humanas (IAPCH), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María José Moreira-Espinoza
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Fernanda Triquell
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Académico Pedagógico de Ciencias Humanas (IAPCH), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Luciana Mezzano
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Cintia M Díaz-Luján
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Académico Pedagógico de Ciencias Humanas (IAPCH), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ricardo E Fretes
- Institute and Cathedra of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Health Science Faculty, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - INICSA (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Académico Pedagógico de Ciencias Humanas (IAPCH), Universidad Nacional de Villa María (UNVM), Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina
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Avalos-Borges EE, Jiménez-Coello M, Chan-Pérez JI, Cigarroa-Toledo N, Garg NJ, Guillermo-Cordero L, Segura-Correa JC, Ortega-Pacheco A. Congenital Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Naturally Infected Dogs. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2023; 23:465-474. [PMID: 37339451 PMCID: PMC10625467 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Congenital transmission (CT) of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs has not been clearly demonstrated, even though dogs are important reservoirs of this agent. Materials and Methods: Seventeen late pregnant dogs seropositive for T. cruzi were selected, and a total of 84 fetuses were obtained. Blood and heart tissues from the fetuses and dams, and placental tissue from dam were collected. All tissues were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for T. cruzi DNA (TcDNA) and inflammatory infiltrate and pathology by histological examination. CT was determined when physical, histological, or molecular evidence of T. cruzi was detected in blood or tissues of the fetuses. Results: A general transmission frequency of 59% was found, and 0.20 ± 0.24 of fetuses per litter were infected. Dams that were qPCR positive for TcDNA in cardiac tissue or blood displayed a transmission frequency of 100% and 67%, respectively. The highest parasite burden was noted in dams that were positive for TcDNA in both blood (82E-01 ± 1.54E-01) and cardiac (5.28E+03 ± 8.85E+03) tissues. In fetuses, higher parasitic burden in blood and cardiac tissue was found in those carried by dams that were seropositive and qPCR positive for TcDNA in cardiac tissue and blood. No amastigote nests were recorded in the cardiac tissue of fetuses in the histopathological studies, but typical lesions of T. cruzi infection were identified in all fetuses where CT occurred. Conclusions: CT of T. cruzi occurred at a high frequency in naturally infected pregnant dogs from the endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo E. Avalos-Borges
- Doctorado Institucional en Ciencias Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Matilde Jiménez-Coello
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Jose I. Chan-Pérez
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr Hideyo Noguchi,” Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr Hideyo Noguchi,” Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Nisha J. Garg
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Leonardo Guillermo-Cordero
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Jose C. Segura-Correa
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Antonio Ortega-Pacheco
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
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Flores A, Alonso-Vega C, Hermann E, Torrico MC, Montaño Villarroel NA, Torrico F, Carlier Y, Truyens C. Monocytes from Uninfected Neonates Born to Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected Mothers Display Upregulated Capacity to Produce TNF-α and to Control Infection in Association with Maternally Transferred Antibodies. Pathogens 2023; 12:1103. [PMID: 37764911 PMCID: PMC10536721 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Activated monocytes/macrophages that produce inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide are crucial for controlling Trypanosoma cruzi infection. We previously showed that uninfected newborns from T. cruzi infected mothers (M+B- newborns) were sensitized to produce higher levels of inflammatory cytokines than newborns from uninfected mothers (M-B- newborns), suggesting that their monocytes were more activated. Thus, we wondered whether these cells might help limit congenital infection. We investigated this possibility by studying the activation status of M+B- cord blood monocytes and their ability to control T. cruzi in vitro infection. We showed that M+B- monocytes have an upregulated capacity to produce the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and a better ability to control T. cruzi infection than M-B- monocytes. Our study also showed that T. cruzi-specific Abs transferred from the mother play a dual role by favoring trypomastigote entry into M+B- monocytes and inhibiting intracellular amastigote multiplication. These results support the possibility that some M+B- fetuses may eliminate the parasite transmitted in utero from their mothers, thus being uninfected at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar Flores
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (U.M.S.S.), Cochabamba 2500, Bolivia
| | - Cristina Alonso-Vega
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (U.M.S.S.), Cochabamba 2500, Bolivia
| | - Emmanuel Hermann
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mary-Cruz Torrico
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (U.M.S.S.), Cochabamba 2500, Bolivia
| | | | - Faustino Torrico
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (U.M.S.S.), Cochabamba 2500, Bolivia
| | - Yves Carlier
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
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Faral-Tello P, Greif G, Romero S, Cabrera A, Oviedo C, González T, Libisch G, Arévalo AP, Varela B, Verdes JM, Crispo M, Basmadjián Y, Robello C. Trypanosoma cruzi Isolates Naturally Adapted to Congenital Transmission Display a Unique Strategy of Transplacental Passage. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0250422. [PMID: 36786574 PMCID: PMC10100920 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02504-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is mainly transmitted by vertical transmission (VT) in nonendemic areas and in endemic areas where vector control programs have been successful. For the present study, we isolated natural Trypanosoma cruzi strains vertically transmitted through three generations and proceeded to study their molecular mechanism of VT using mice. No parasitemia was detected in immunocompetent mice, but the parasites were able to induce an immune response and colonize different organs. VT experiments revealed that infection with different strains did not affect mating, pregnancy, or resorption, but despite low parasitemia, VT strains reached the placenta and resulted in higher vertical transmission rates than strains of either moderate or high virulence. While the virulent strain modulated more than 2,500 placental genes, VT strains modulated 150, and only 29 genes are shared between them. VT strains downregulated genes associated with cell division and replication and upregulated immunomodulatory genes, leading to anti-inflammatory responses and tolerance. The virulent strain stimulated a strong proinflammatory immune response, and this molecular footprint correlated with histopathological analyses. We describe a unique placental response regarding the passage of T. cruzi VT isolates across the maternal-fetal interphase, challenging the current knowledge derived mainly from studies of laboratory-adapted or highly virulent strains. IMPORTANCE The main findings of this study are that we determined that there are Trypanosoma cruzi strains adapted to transplacental transmission and completely different from the commonly used laboratory reference strains. This implies a specific strategy for the vertical transmission of Chagas disease. It is impressive that the strains specialized for vertical transmission modify the gene expression of the placenta in a totally different way than the reference strains. In addition, we describe isolates of T. cruzi that cannot be transmitted transplacentally. Taken together, these results open up new insights into the molecular mechanisms of this insect vector-independent transmission form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Faral-Tello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gonzalo Greif
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Selva Romero
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Andrés Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Unidad de Microbiología, Instituto de Patobiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cristina Oviedo
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Telma González
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriela Libisch
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ana Paula Arévalo
- Laboratory Animal Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Belén Varela
- Unidad de Patología, Departamento de Patobiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - José Manuel Verdes
- Unidad de Patología, Departamento de Patobiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Martina Crispo
- Laboratory Animal Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Yester Basmadjián
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Family cluster of Chagas disease among Bolivian immigrants in Italy: High rate of materno-fetal transmission. Travel Med Infect Dis 2022; 49:102370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Shikanai Yasuda MA. Emerging and reemerging forms of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2022; 117:e210033. [PMID: 35584508 PMCID: PMC9113729 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This review aims to update and discuss the main challenges in controlling emergent and reemergent forms of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission through organ transplantation, blood products and vertical transmission in endemic and non-endemic areas as well as emergent forms of transmission in endemic countries through contaminated food, currently representing the major cause of acute illness in several countries. As a neglected tropical disease potentially controllable with a major impact on morbimortality and socioeconomic aspects, Chagas disease (CD) was approved at the WHO global plan to interrupt four transmission routes by 2030 (vector/blood transfusion/organ transplant/congenital). Implementation of universal or target screening for CD are highly recommended in blood banks of non-endemic regions; in organ transplants donors in endemic/non-endemic areas as well as in women at risk from endemic areas (reproductive age women/pregnant women-respective babies). Moreover, main challenges for surveillance are the application of molecular methods for identification of infected babies, donor transmitted infection and of live parasites in the food. In addition, the systematic recording of acute/non-acute cases and transmission sources is crucial to establish databases for control and surveillance purposes. Remarkably, antiparasitic treatment of infected reproductive age women and infected babies is essential for the elimination of congenital CD by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Aparecida Shikanai Yasuda
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Moléstias Infecciosas e Ptarasitárias, São Paulo, SP, Brasil,Universidade de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório de Imunologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil,WHO Technical Group IVb on Prevention and Control of Transmission and Case Management of Trypanosoma cruzi Infections, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland,+ Corresponding author:
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9
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Carlier Y, Truyens C, Muraille E. Is Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Contributing to Congenital/Neonatal Chagas Disease? Front Immunol 2021; 12:723516. [PMID: 34566981 PMCID: PMC8461104 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.723516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The newborns of women infected with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (the agent of Chagas disease) can be infected either before birth (congenitally), or after birth (as e.g., by vector route). Congenital Chagas disease can induce high levels of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Parasite-infected pregnant women transmit antibodies to their fetus. Antibodies, by opsonizing parasites, can promote phagocytosis and killing of T. cruzi by cells expressing FcγR, on the mandatory condition that such cells are sufficiently activated in an inflammatory context. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a mechanism well described in viral infections, by which antibodies enhance entry of infectious agents into host cells by exploiting the phagocytic FcγR pathway. Previously reported Chagas disease studies highlighted a severe reduction of the maternal-fetal/neonatal inflammatory context in parasite-transmitting pregnant women and their congenitally infected newborns. Otherwise, experimental observations brought to light ADE of T. cruzi infection (involving FcγR) in mouse pups displaying maternally transferred antibodies, out of an inflammatory context. Herein, based on such data, we discuss the previously unconsidered possibility of a role of ADE in the trans-placental parasite transmission, and/or the development of severe and mortal clinical forms of congenital/neonatal Chagas disease in newborns of T. cruzi-infected mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Carlier
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium.,Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Eric Muraille
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium
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10
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Volta BJ, Bustos PL, González C, Natale MA, Perrone AE, Milduberger N, Laucella SA, Bua J. Circulating Cytokine and Chemokine Profiles of Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected Women During Pregnancy and Its Association With Congenital Transmission. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:1086-1095. [PMID: 33528501 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, can be transmitted to the offspring of infected women, which constitutes an epidemiologically significant parasite transmission route in nonendemic areas. It is relevant to evaluate differentially expressed factors in T. cruzi-infected pregnant women as potential markers of Chagas congenital transmission. METHODS Circulating levels of 12 cytokines and chemokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or cytometric bead array in T. cruzi-infected and uninfected pregnant women in their second trimester of pregnancy and control groups of T. cruzi-infected and uninfected nonpregnant women. RESULTS Trypanosoma cruzi-infected women showed a proinflammatory Th1-biased profile, with increased levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-12p70, IL-15, and monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG). Uninfected pregnant women presented a biased response towards Th2/Th17/Treg profiles, with increased plasma levels of IL-5, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17A, and IL-10. Finally, we identified that high parasitemia together with low levels of TNF-α, IL-15, and IL-17, low TNF-α/IL-10 ratio, and high IL-12p70 levels are factors associated with an increased probability of Chagas congenital transmission. CONCLUSIONS Trypanosoma cruzi-infected pregnant women who did not transmit the infection to their babies exhibited a distinct proinflammatory cytokine profile that might serve as a potential predictive marker of congenital transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana J Volta
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia L Bustos
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina González
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Humanas y de la Salud, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Ailén Natale
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alina E Perrone
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Milduberger
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Susana A Laucella
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jacqueline Bua
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. M. Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C.G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Humanas y de la Salud, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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11
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Klein MD, Proaño A, Noazin S, Sciaudone M, Gilman RH, Bowman NM. Risk factors for vertical transmission of Chagas disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 105:357-373. [PMID: 33618005 PMCID: PMC8370023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection from mother to infant accounts for a growing proportion of new Chagas disease cases. However, no systematic reviews of risk factors for T. cruzi vertical transmission have been performed. METHODS We performed a systematic review of the literature in PubMed, LILACS, and Embase databases, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were not excluded based on language, country of origin, or publication date. RESULTS Our literature review yielded 27 relevant studies examining a wide variety of risk factors, including maternal age, parasitic load, immunologic factors and vector exposure. Several studies suggested that mothers with higher parasitic loads may have a greater risk of vertical transmission. A meta-analysis of 2 studies found a significantly higher parasitic load among transmitting than non-transmitting mothers with T. cruzi infection. A second meta-analysis of 10 studies demonstrated that maternal age was not significantly associated with vertical transmission risk. CONCLUSIONS The literature suggests that high maternal parasitic load may be a risk factor for congenital Chagas disease among infants of T. cruzi seropositive mothers. Given the considerable heterogeneity and risk of bias among current literature, additional studies are warranted to assess potential risk factors for vertical transmission of T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Klein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Alvaro Proaño
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sassan Noazin
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Sciaudone
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert H Gilman
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Natalie M Bowman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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12
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13
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Santana KH, Oliveira LGR, Barros de Castro D, Pereira M. Epidemiology of Chagas disease in pregnant women and congenital transmission of
Trypanosoma cruzi
in the Americas: systematic review and meta‐analysis. Trop Med Int Health 2020; 25:752-763. [DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaio Henrique Santana
- Center of Biological and Health Sciences Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia Barreiras Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcos Pereira
- Collective Health Institute Universidade Federal da Bahia Salvador Brazil
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14
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Danesi E, Fabbro DL, Segura EL, Sosa-Estani S. Higher congenital transmission rate of Trypanosoma cruzi associated with family history of congenital transmission. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2020; 53:e20190560. [PMID: 32348431 PMCID: PMC7198065 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0560-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Congenital transmission (CT) of Trypanosoma cruzi has led to globalization of Chagas disease and its growing relevance as a public health problem. Although the occurrence of CT has been associated with several factors, its mechanisms are still unknown. This study aimed to analyze the geographical and familiar variables of mothers and their association with CT of Chagas disease in a population living in non-endemic areas of Argentina for the last decades. METHODS: We developed a retrospective cohort study in a sample of 2120 mother-child pairs who attended three reference centers in the cities of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Salta between 2002 and 2015. RESULTS: The highest CT rates were observed in children born to Argentinean mothers (10.7%) and in children born to mothers from Buenos Aires (11.7%). Considering the areas of origin of the mothers, those from areas of null-low risk for vector-borne infection had higher CT rates than those from areas of medium-high risk (11.1% vs 8.2%). We also observed a significant intra-familiar “cluster effect,” with CT rates of 35.9% in children with an infected sibling, compared to 8.2% in children without infected siblings (RR=4.4 95% CI 2.3-8.4). CONCLUSIONS: The associations observed suggest a higher CT rate in children born to mothers who acquired the infection congenitally, with familiar antecedents, and from areas without the presence of vectors. These observations are considered new epidemiological evidence about Chagas disease in a contemporary urban population, which may contribute to the study of CT and may also be an interesting finding for healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmaría Danesi
- Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Institutos de Salud, Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-epidemias, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diana Lucrecia Fabbro
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Endemias Nacionales, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Elsa Leonor Segura
- Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Institutos de Salud, Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-epidemias, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Sosa-Estani
- Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Institutos de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Rios L, Campos EE, Menon R, Zago MP, Garg NJ. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of maternal-fetal transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi and a case for vaccine development against congenital Chagas disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165591. [PMID: 31678160 PMCID: PMC6954953 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.165591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Trypanos o ma cruzi (T. cruzi or Tc) is the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD). It is common for patients to suffer from non-specific symptoms or be clinically asymptomatic with acute and chronic conditions acquired through various routes of transmission. The expecting women and their fetuses are vulnerable to congenital transmission of Tc. Pregnant women face formidable health challenges because the frontline antiparasitic drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are contraindicated during pregnancy. However, it is worthwhile to highlight that newborns can be cured if they are diagnosed and given treatment in a timely manner. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of maternal-fetal transmission of Tc and provide a justification for the investment in the development of vaccines against congenital CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizette Rios
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - E Emanuel Campos
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Salta, Argentina
| | - Ramkumar Menon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - M Paola Zago
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Salta, Argentina.
| | - Nisha J Garg
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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16
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Bern C, Messenger LA, Whitman JD, Maguire JH. Chagas Disease in the United States: a Public Health Approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2019; 33:e00023-19. [PMID: 31776135 PMCID: PMC6927308 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00023-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, usually transmitted by triatomine vectors. An estimated 20 to 30% of infected individuals develop potentially lethal cardiac or gastrointestinal disease. Sylvatic transmission cycles exist in the southern United States, involving 11 triatomine vector species and infected mammals such as rodents, opossums, and dogs. Nevertheless, imported chronic T. cruzi infections in migrants from Latin America vastly outnumber locally acquired human cases. Benznidazole is now FDA approved, and clinical and public health efforts are under way by researchers and health departments in a number of states. Making progress will require efforts to improve awareness among providers and patients, data on diagnostic test performance and expanded availability of confirmatory testing, and evidence-based strategies to improve access to appropriate management of Chagas disease in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryn Bern
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey D Whitman
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James H Maguire
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Noazin S, Lee JA, Malaga ES, Valencia Ayala E, Condori BJ, Roca C, Lescano AG, Bern C, Castillo W, Mayta H, Menduiña MC, Verastegui MR, Tinajeros F, Gilman RH. Trypomastigote Excretory Secretory Antigen Blot Is Associated With Trypanosoma cruzi Load and Detects Congenital T. cruzi Infection in Neonates, Using Anti-Shed Acute Phase Antigen Immunoglobulin M. J Infect Dis 2019; 219:609-618. [PMID: 30252099 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi infection accounts for an estimated 22% of new cases of Chagas disease in Latin America. However, neonatal diagnosis is challenging, as 9-month follow-up for immunoglobulin G testing is poor, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis is not routinely performed, and the micromethod misses ≥40% of congenital infections. Methods Biorepository samples from new mothers and their infants from Piura, Peru, (an area of nonendemicity), and Santa Cruz, Bolivia (an area of endemicity) were accessed. Infant specimens were assessed using the micromethod, qPCR analysis, and a trypomastigote excretory secretory antigen (TESA) blot for detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM)-specific shed acute phase antigen (SAPA) bands, using qPCR as the gold standard. Results When compared to qPCR, IgM TESA blot was both sensitive and specific for congenital Chagas disease diagnosis. Cumulative sensitivity (whether only 4 bands or all 6 bands were present) was 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59%-92%). Specificity was 94% (95% CI, 92%-96%) in the area of endemicity and 100% in the area of nonendemicity. SAPA bands occurred sequentially and in pairs, and parasite loads correlated highly with the number of SAPA bands present. The micromethod detected infection in fewer than half of infected infants. Conclusions The IgM TESA blot for detection of SAPA bands is rapid, relatively inexpensive, and more sensitive than the micromethod and may be a useful point-of-care test for detection of congenital T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sassan Noazin
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jessica A Lee
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Edith S Malaga
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy
| | - Edward Valencia Ayala
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy
| | - Beth J Condori
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy
| | - Cristian Roca
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy
| | - Andres G Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
| | - Caryn Bern
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Walter Castillo
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy
| | - Holger Mayta
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.,Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy.,Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Manuela R Verastegui
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy.,Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Robert H Gilman
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.,Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Cellular Molecular Sciences, School of Science and Philosophy.,Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Lima, Peru
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18
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Edwards MS, Stimpert KK, Bialek SR, Montgomery SP. Evaluation and Management of Congenital Chagas Disease in the United States. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2019; 8:461-469. [PMID: 31016324 PMCID: PMC10186111 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piz018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is underappreciated as a health concern in the United States. Approximately 40 000 women of childbearing age living in the United States have chronic Chagas disease. Most of them are unaware that they have an infection that is transmissible to their offspring. The estimated US maternal-to-infant transmission rate of Trypanosoma cruzi is 1% to 5%. Ten percent to 40% of neonates with congenital T cruzi infection have clinical signs consistent with a congenital infection but no findings are unique to Chagas disease. If left untreated, 20% to 40% of infants with Chagas disease will later develop potentially fatal cardiac manifestations. Molecular testing can confirm the diagnosis in neonates. Treatment is well tolerated in infancy and usually results in cure. Screening of at-risk women during pregnancy can identify maternal infection and allow early assessment and treatment for congenital T cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morven S Edwards
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Kelly K Stimpert
- IHRC, Inc, Atlanta, Georgia.,Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stephanie R Bialek
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Susan P Montgomery
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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19
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Kemmerling U, Osuna A, Schijman AG, Truyens C. Congenital Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: A Review About the Interactions Between the Parasite, the Placenta, the Maternal and the Fetal/Neonatal Immune Responses. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1854. [PMID: 31474955 PMCID: PMC6702454 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is considered a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Congenital transmission of CD is an increasingly relevant public health problem. It progressively becomes the main transmission route over others and can occur in both endemic and non-endemic countries. Though most congenitally infected newborns are asymptomatic at birth, they display higher frequencies of prematurity, low birth weight, and lower Apgar scores compared to uninfected ones, and some suffer from severe symptoms. If not diagnosed and treated, infected newborns are at risk of developing disabling and life-threatening chronic pathologies later in life. The success or failure of congenital transmission depends on interactions between the parasite, the placenta, the mother, and the fetus. We review and discuss here the current knowledge about these parameters, including parasite virulence factors such as exovesicles, placental tropism, potential placental defense mechanisms, the placental transcriptome of infected women, gene polymorphism, and the maternal and fetal/neonatal immune responses, that might modulate the risk of T. cruzi congenital transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Kemmerling
- Programa de Anatomía y Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular, Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Alejandro Gabriel Schijman
- Molecular Biology of Chagas Disease Laboratory, Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology Research Institute Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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20
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Congenital Chagas disease: current diagnostics, limitations and future perspectives. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2019; 31:415-421. [PMID: 30095485 DOI: 10.1097/qco.0000000000000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Congenital transmission is an important route of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, both in Latin America and internationally, with considerable populations of infected women of child-bearing age residing in the United States and Europe. This review examines recent literature on congenital Chagas disease, with a focus on the changing clinical spectrum and potential new diagnostic tools. RECENT FINDINGS Vertical transmission occurs in approximately 5-10% of births from T. cruzi-infected mothers. Historically, congenital Chagas disease was associated with high levels of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Bolivian birth cohort data from the early 1990s to the present indicate that the incidence of symptomatic neonatal disease has declined. Treatment with trypanocides is greater than 90% effective and well tolerated in infants. Current programs face challenges from the multistep screening algorithm, low sensitivity of microscopy and high loss to follow-up. SUMMARY Congenital Chagas disease remains an important contributor to the global disease burden because of T. cruzi. PCR and related molecular techniques represent the most sensitive diagnostic modalities for early detection but require further optimization for resource-limited settings. Several novel diagnostic tests show promise for the future but further validation and adaptation to field settings are needed.
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21
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Bustos PL, Milduberger N, Volta BJ, Perrone AE, Laucella SA, Bua J. Trypanosoma cruzi Infection at the Maternal-Fetal Interface: Implications of Parasite Load in the Congenital Transmission and Challenges in the Diagnosis of Infected Newborns. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1250. [PMID: 31231337 PMCID: PMC6568191 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the protozoan unicellular parasite that causes Chagas disease. It can be transmitted from infected mothers to their babies via the connatal route, thus being able to perpetuate even in the absence of Triatomine insect vectors. Chagas disease was originally endemic in Central and South America, but migration of infected women of childbearing age has spread the T. cruzi congenital infection to non-endemic areas like North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Currently, 7 million people are affected by this infection worldwide. This review focuses on the relevance of the T. cruzi parasite levels in different aspects of the congenital T. cruzi infection such as the mother-to-child transmission rate, the maternal and fetal immune response, and its impact on the diagnosis of infected newborns. Improvements in detection of this parasite, with tools that can be easily adapted to be used in remote rural areas, will make the early diagnosis of infected children possible, allowing a prompt trypanocidal treatment and avoiding the current loss of opportunities for the diagnosis of 100% of T. cruzi congenitally infected infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Bustos
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Milduberger
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Humanas y de la Salud (CAECIHS), Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bibiana J Volta
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alina E Perrone
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Susana A Laucella
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jacqueline Bua
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" - ANLIS C. G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Humanas y de la Salud (CAECIHS), Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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22
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Egui A, Lasso P, Pérez-Antón E, Thomas MC, López MC. Dynamics of T Cells Repertoire During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection and its Post-Treatment Modulation. Curr Med Chem 2018; 26:6519-6543. [PMID: 30381063 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666181101111819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease courses with different clinical phases and has a variable clinical presentation and progression. The acute infection phase mostly exhibits a non-specific symptomatology. In the absence of treatment, the acute phase is followed by a chronic phase, which is initially asymptomatic. This chronic asymptomatic phase of the disease is characterized by a fragile balance between the host's immune response and the parasite replication. The loss of this balance is crucial for the progression of the sickness. The virulence and tropism of the T. cruzi infecting strain together to the inflammation processes in the cardiac tissue are the main factors for the establishment and severity of the cardiomyopathy. The efficacy of treatment in chronic Chagas disease patients is controversial. However, several studies carried out in chronic patients demonstrated that antiparasitic treatment reduces parasite load in the bloodstream and leads to an improvement in the immune response against the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. The present review is mainly focused on the cellular patterns associated to the clinical status and the evolution of the disease in chronic patients, as well as the effectiveness of the treatment related to T. cruzi infection control. Therefore, an emphasis is placed on the dynamics of specific-antigens T cell subpopulations, their memory and activation phenotypes, their functionality and their contribution to pathogenesis or disease control, as well as their association with risk of congenital transmission of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Egui
- Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Granada, Spain
| | - Paola Lasso
- Grupo de Inmunobiologia y Biologia Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Bogota, Colombia
| | - Elena Pérez-Antón
- Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Granada, Spain
| | - M Carmen Thomas
- Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Granada, Spain
| | - Manuel Carlos López
- Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Granada, Spain
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Torres-Vargas J, Jiménez-Coello M, Guzmán-Marín E, Acosta-Viana KY, Yadon ZE, Gutiérrez-Blanco E, Guillermo-Cordero JL, Garg NJ, Ortega-Pacheco A. Quantitative and histological assessment of maternal-fetal transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in guinea pigs: An experimental model of congenital Chagas disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006222. [PMID: 29364882 PMCID: PMC5798842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effect of Trypanosoma cruzi infection on fertility, gestation outcome, and maternal-fetal transmission in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). METHODS Animals were infected with T. cruzi H4 strain (TcI lineage) before gestation (IBG) or during gestation (IDG). Tissue and sera samples of dams and fetuses were obtained near parturition. RESULTS All IBG and IDG dams were seropositive by two tests, and exhibited blood parasite load of 1.62±2.2 and 50.1±62 parasites/μl, respectively, by quantitative PCR. Histological evaluation showed muscle fiber degeneration and cellular necrosis in all infected dams. Parasite nests were not detected in infected dams by histology. However, qPCR analysis detected parasites-eq/g heart tissue of 153±104.7 and 169.3±129.4 in IBG and IDG dams, respectively. All fetuses of infected dams were positive for anti-parasite IgG antibodies and tissue parasites by qPCR, but presented a low level of tissue inflammatory infiltrate. Fetuses of IDG (vs. IBG) dams exhibited higher degree of muscle fiber degeneration and cellular necrosis in the heart and skeletal tissues. The placental tissue exhibited no inflammatory lesions and amastigote nests, yet parasites-eq/g of 381.2±34.3 and 79.2±84.9 were detected in IDG and IBG placentas, respectively. Fetal development was compromised, and evidenced by a decline in weight, crow-rump length, and abdominal width in both groups. CONCLUSIONS T. cruzi TcI has a high capacity of congenital transmission even when it was inoculated at a very low dose before or during gestation. Tissue lesions, parasite load, and fetal under development provide evidence for high virulence of the parasite during pregnancy. Despite finding of high parasite burden by qPCR, placentas were protected from cellular damage. Our studies offer an experimental model to study the efficacy of vaccines and drugs against congenital transmission of T. cruzi. These results also call for T. cruzi screening in pregnant women and adequate follow up of the newborns in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jatziri Torres-Vargas
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Matilde Jiménez-Coello
- C.A. Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Eugenia Guzmán-Marín
- C.A. Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Karla Y. Acosta-Viana
- C.A. Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Zaida E. Yadon
- Health Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, Pan American Health Organization, Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Gutiérrez-Blanco
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - José Leonardo Guillermo-Cordero
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Nisha J. Garg
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NJG); (AOP)
| | - Antonio Ortega-Pacheco
- Departamento de Salud Animal y Medicina Preventiva, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
- * E-mail: (NJG); (AOP)
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Prevention of congenital Chagas disease by Benznidazole treatment in reproductive-age women. An observational study. Acta Trop 2017; 174:149-152. [PMID: 28720492 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Since the decline in new cases of infection by insect/vector, congenital Chagas disease has become more relevant in the transmission of Chagas disease. Treatment with benznidazole significantly reduces the parasitemia, which constitutes an important factor linked to vertical transmission. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether treatment with benznidazole previously administered to women of childbearing age can prevent or reduce the incidence of new cases of congenital Chagas disease. An historical cohort study that included all women in reproductive age (15-45 years) assisted in our center was designed. We included 67 mothers with chronic Chagas disease; 35 women had not been treated prior to pregnancy, 15 had been treated prior to pregnancy and 17 gave birth prior and after treatment with benznidazole. Eight mothers gave birth to 16 children with congenital Chagas disease (8/67, 12%). The prevalence of congenital Chagas was 16/114 (14%) children born to untreated mothers and 0/42 (0%) children born to benznidazole- treated mothers, p=0.01. No significant differences were observed in clinical, serologic, epidemiological or socioeconomic baseline variables between mothers with and without children born with congenital Chagas. A 32% conversion rate to negative serology was observed in benznidazole-treated women after long-term follow up. Antiparasitic treatment administered to women in reproductive age can prevent the occurrence of congenital Chagas disease.
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Murcia L, Simón M, Carrilero B, Roig M, Segovia M. Treatment of Infected Women of Childbearing Age Prevents Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi Infection by Eliminating the Parasitemia Detected by PCR. J Infect Dis 2017; 215:1452-1458. [PMID: 28201741 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We evaluated the effectiveness of treating women of childbearing age with benznidazole to prevent congenital Chagas disease (CCD), as well as the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a tool to predict the risk of transmission. Methods Prospective study involving 144 T. cruzi seropositive pregnant women. The parasitological status was studied by PCR in 159 pregnancies, 38 of which involved a cohort of previously treated mothers. One hundred sixty children were examined by PCR and serologically studied at 0-6, 9 and 12 months and annually after treatment. Results PCR was seen to be useful for predicting the risk of congenital transmission: 18.8% of mothers with a positive PCR result transmitted the infection (16 infected children out of 85 pregnancies). No infected infants were detected among 74 pregnancies when PCR was negative. Of the treated mothers, 92.1% had negative PCR results, compared with 32.2% of untreated mothers. No infected infants were detected from previously treated mothers, compared with 13.2% among untreated mothers (P = .019; χ2). All infants treated before the first year of life were cured. Conclusions Treating infected women of childbearing age prevents congenital Chagas disease. Polymerase chain reaction screening of T. cruzi-infected pregnant women is a useful tool for predicting the risk of congenital transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Murcia
- Unidad Regional de Medicina Tropical, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, and.,Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, Espinardo Murcia, Spain
| | - Marina Simón
- Unidad Regional de Medicina Tropical, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca,El Palmar, and
| | - Bartolomé Carrilero
- Unidad Regional de Medicina Tropical, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca,El Palmar, and
| | - Mercedes Roig
- Unidad Regional de Medicina Tropical, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca,El Palmar, and
| | - Manuel Segovia
- Unidad Regional de Medicina Tropical, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, and.,Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Murcia, Espinardo Murcia, Spain
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Expression of inhibitory receptors and polyfunctional responses of T cells are linked to the risk of congenital transmission of T. cruzi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005627. [PMID: 28598971 PMCID: PMC5479596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital T. cruzi infections involve multiple factors in which complex interactions between the parasite and the immune system of pregnant women play important roles. In this study, we used an experimental murine model of chronic infection with T. cruzi to evaluate the changes in the expression of inhibitory receptors and the polyfunctionality of T cells during gestation and their association with congenital transmission rate of T. cruzi infection. The results showed that pregnant naïve mice had a higher percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that expressed inhibitory receptors than cells from non-pregnant naïve mice. However, in mice chronically infected with T. cruzi, gestation induced a significant decrease in the frequency of T cells that expressed or co-expressed inhibitory receptors, as well as an increase in the frequency of polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This different behavior may be due to the breakdown in the infected mice of the gestation-induced immune homeostasis, probably to control the parasite load. Remarkably, it was observed that the mothers that transmitted the parasite had a higher frequency of T cells that expressed and co-expressed inhibitory receptors as well as a lower frequency of polyfunctional parasite-specific T cells than those that did not transmit it, even though the parasitemia load was similar in both groups. All together these data suggest that the maternal immune profile of the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells could be a determining factor in the congenital transmission of T. cruzi. Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis is a complex parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. This disease that affects approximately 10 million people worldwide may be mother-to-child transmitted which is an important public health problem with great relevance in endemic and non-endemic areas and regions where the vector transmission has been controlled. During gestation, the maternal immune system must defend both the mother and the fetus from infections, while, at the same time, it must tolerate a semiallogenic fetus. This immune homeostasis is characterized by a natural process of immunosuppression that in T. cruzi-infected pregnant women can lead to an increase in the mother´s parasite load that favors the risk of congenital transmission. In this study, it was determined the immunological modifications induced by gestation in an experimental model of T. cruzi chronic infection and their influence in the parasite congenital transmission. The results indicate that a T. cruzi infection induces a reversion of the pregnancy-associated homeostasis. Furthermore, it is shown that females who are not able to reverse the biological profile induced by pregnancy are those that transmit the parasite.
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Juiz NA, Cayo NM, Burgos M, Salvo ME, Nasser JR, Búa J, Longhi SA, Schijman AG. Human Polymorphisms in Placentally Expressed Genes and Their Association With Susceptibility to Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. J Infect Dis 2015; 213:1299-306. [PMID: 26597259 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is currently unclear why only a proportion of children born to Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mothers acquire the infection. We have examined the association of 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in genes coding for placental expression enzymes as genetic markers of susceptibility to congenital T. cruzi infection (hereafter, "congenital infection"): rs2014683 and rs1048988 in ALPP; rs11244787 and rs1871054 in ADAM12; rs243866, rs243865, rs17859821, rs243864, and rs2285053 in MMP2; and rs3918242 and rs2234681 in MMP9. METHODS Two groups of children born to mothers seropositive for T. cruzi were compared: 101 had congenital infection, and 116 were uninfected. Novel high-resolution melting and capillary electrophoresis genotyping techniques were designed and used. RESULTS Logistic regression analysis showed that mutations in rs11244787 and rs1871054 (in ADAM12) and rs243866, rs17859821, and rs2285053 (in MMP2) were associated with susceptibility to congenital infection. Multifactor dimensionality reduction revealed that genotyping results for rs11244787, rs1871054, rs243866, rs17859821 and rs243864 sites would be a good predictor of congenital infection. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest an important role of human polymorphisms in proteins involved in extracellular matrix remodeling and the immune response during congenital infection. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the association between mutations in placentally expressed genes and susceptibility to congenital infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A Juiz
- Grupo de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular Dr Héctor N. Torres
| | - Nelly M Cayo
- Instituto de Biología de la Altura, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy
| | - Marianela Burgos
- Servicio de Obstetricia, Departamento Materno Infantil, Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas
| | - Miriam E Salvo
- Servicio de Obstetricia, Departamento Materno Infantil, Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas
| | - Julio R Nasser
- Laboratorio de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Argentina
| | - Jacqueline Búa
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr Mario Fatala Chaben, ANLIS, Buenos Aires
| | - Silvia A Longhi
- Grupo de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular Dr Héctor N. Torres
| | - Alejandro G Schijman
- Grupo de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular Dr Héctor N. Torres
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Carlier Y, Truyens C. Congenital Chagas disease as an ecological model of interactions between Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, pregnant women, placenta and fetuses. Acta Trop 2015; 151:103-15. [PMID: 26293886 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss the main ecological interactions between the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and its hosts, the mother and the fetus, leading to the transmission and development of congenital Chagas disease. One or several infecting strains of T. cruzi (with specific features) interact with: (i) the immune system of a pregnant woman whom responses depend on genetic and environmental factors, (ii) the placenta harboring its own defenses, and, finally, (iii) the fetal immune system displaying responses also susceptible to be modulated by maternal and environmental factors, as well as his own genetic background which is different from her mother. The severity of congenital Chagas disease depends on the magnitude of such final responses. The paper is mainly based on human data, but integrates also complementary observations obtained in experimental infections. It also focuses on important gaps in our knowledge of this congenital infection, such as the role of parasite diversity vs host genetic factors, as well as that of the maternal and placental microbiomes and the microbiome acquisition by infant in the control of infection. Investigations on these topics are needed in order to improve the programs aiming to diagnose, manage and control congenital Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Carlier
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP 616, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium; Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, Suite 2210, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112-2797, USA.
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP 616, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium.
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Messenger LA, Miles MA, Bern C. Between a bug and a hard place: Trypanosoma cruzi genetic diversity and the clinical outcomes of Chagas disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2015; 13:995-1029. [PMID: 26162928 PMCID: PMC4784490 DOI: 10.1586/14787210.2015.1056158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 30 years, concomitant with successful transnational disease control programs across Latin America, Chagas disease has expanded from a neglected, endemic parasitic infection of the rural poor to an urbanized chronic disease, and now a potentially emergent global health problem. Trypanosoma cruzi infection has a highly variable clinical course, ranging from complete absence of symptoms to severe and often fatal cardiovascular and/or gastrointestinal manifestations. To date, few correlates of clinical disease progression have been identified. Elucidating a putative role for T. cruzi strain diversity in Chagas disease pathogenesis is complicated by the scarcity of parasites in clinical specimens and the limitations of our contemporary genotyping techniques. This article systematically reviews the historical literature, given our current understanding of parasite genetic diversity, to evaluate the evidence for any association between T. cruzi genotype and chronic clinical outcome, risk of congenital transmission or reactivation and orally transmitted outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa A Messenger
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Michael A Miles
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Caryn Bern
- Global Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Kaplinski M, Jois M, Galdos-Cardenas G, Rendell VR, Shah V, Do RQ, Marcus R, Pena MSB, Abastoflor MDC, LaFuente C, Bozo R, Valencia E, Verastegui M, Colanzi R, Gilman RH, Bern C. Sustained Domestic Vector Exposure Is Associated With Increased Chagas Cardiomyopathy Risk but Decreased Parasitemia and Congenital Transmission Risk Among Young Women in Bolivia. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 61:918-26. [PMID: 26063720 DOI: 10.1093/cid/civ446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We studied women and their infants to evaluate risk factors for congenital transmission and cardiomyopathy in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected women. METHODS Women provided data and blood for serology and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Infants of infected women had blood tested at 0 and 1 month by microscopy, PCR and immunoblot, and serology at 6 and 9 months. Women underwent electrocardiography (ECG). RESULTS Of 1696 women, 456 (26.9%) were infected; 31 (6.8%) transmitted T. cruzi to their infants. Women who transmitted had higher parasite loads than those who did not (median, 62.0 [interquartile range {IQR}, 25.8-204.8] vs 0.05 [IQR, 0-29.6]; P < .0001). Transmission was higher in twin than in singleton births (27.3% vs 6.4%; P = .04). Women who had not lived in infested houses transmitted more frequently (9.7% vs 4.6%; P = .04), were more likely to have positive results by PCR (65.5% vs 33.9%; P < .001), and had higher parasite loads than those who had lived in infested houses (median, 25.8 [IQR, 0-64.1] vs 0 [IQR, 0-12.3]; P < .001). Of 302 infected women, 28 (9.3%) had ECG abnormalities consistent with Chagas cardiomyopathy; risk was higher for older women (odds ratio [OR], 1.06 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01-1.12] per year) and those with vector exposure (OR, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.4-10.2]). We observed a strong dose-response relationship between ECG abnormalities and reported years of living in an infested house. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that repeated vector-borne infection sustains antigen exposure and the consequent inflammatory response at a higher chronic level, increasing cardiac morbidity, but possibly enabling exposed women to control parasitemia in the face of pregnancy-induced Th2 polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Kaplinski
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Malasa Jois
- Division of Internal Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Gerson Galdos-Cardenas
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland Universidad Católica Boliviana, Santa Cruz, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | | | - Vishal Shah
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri
| | - Rose Q Do
- Department of Cardiology, University of Colorado, Denver
| | - Rachel Marcus
- Department of Cardiology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | | | | | - Ricardo Bozo
- Camiri Municipal Hospital, Camiri, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | - Edward Valencia
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Manuela Verastegui
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Rony Colanzi
- Universidad Católica Boliviana, Santa Cruz, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | - Robert H Gilman
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Caryn Bern
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
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Moscatelli G, Moroni S, García-Bournissen F, Ballering G, Bisio M, Freilij H, Altcheh J. Prevention of congenital Chagas through treatment of girls and women of childbearing age. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015; 110:507-9. [PMID: 25993401 PMCID: PMC4501414 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760140347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is currently unknown whether treatment of Chagas disease decreases the risk of congenital transmission from previously treated mothers to their infants. In a cohort of women with Chagas disease previously treated with benznidazole, no congenital transmission of the disease was observed in their newborns. This finding provides support for the treatment of Chagas disease as early as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Moscatelli
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Samanta Moroni
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo García-Bournissen
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Griselda Ballering
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Margarita Bisio
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Héctor Freilij
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jaime Altcheh
- Department of Parasitology and Chagas, Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Rendell VR, Gilman RH, Valencia E, Galdos-Cardenas G, Verastegui M, Sanchez L, Acosta J, Sanchez G, Ferrufino L, LaFuente C, Abastoflor MDC, Colanzi R, Bern C. Trypanosoma cruzi-infected pregnant women without vector exposure have higher parasitemia levels: implications for congenital transmission risk. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119527. [PMID: 25807498 PMCID: PMC4373803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital transmission is a major source of new Trypanosoma cruzi infections, and as vector and blood bank control continue to improve, the proportion due to congenital infection will grow. A major unanswered question is why reported transmission rates from T. cruzi-infected mothers vary so widely among study populations. Women with high parasite loads during pregnancy are more likely to transmit to their infants, but the factors that govern maternal parasite load are largely unknown. Better understanding of these factors could enable prioritization of screening programs to target women most at risk of transmission to their infants. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We screened pregnant women presenting for delivery in a large urban hospital in Bolivia and followed infants of infected women for congenital Chagas disease. Of 596 women screened, 128 (21.5%) had confirmed T. cruzi infection; transmission occurred from 15 (11.7%) infected women to their infants. Parasite loads were significantly higher among women who transmitted compared to those who did not. Congenital transmission occurred from 31.3% (9/29), 15.4% (4/26) and 0% (0/62) of women with high, moderate and low parasite load, respectively (χx2 for trend 18.2; p<0.0001). Twin births were associated with higher transmission risk and higher maternal parasite loads. Infected women without reported vector exposure had significantly higher parasite loads than those who had lived in an infested house (median 26.4 vs 0 parasites/mL; p<0.001) with an inverse relationship between years of living in an infested house and parasite load. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We hypothesize that sustained vector-borne parasite exposure and repeated superinfection by T. cruzi may act as an immune booster, allowing women to maintain effective control of the parasite despite the down-regulation of late pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R. Rendell
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Gilman
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Edward Valencia
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gerson Galdos-Cardenas
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Manuela Verastegui
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Leny Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Janet Acosta
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gerardo Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Lisbeth Ferrufino
- Universidad Catolica Boliviana, Santa Cruz, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | - Carlos LaFuente
- Hospital Universitario Japones, Santa Cruz, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | | | - Rony Colanzi
- Universidad Catolica Boliviana, Santa Cruz, Plurinational State of Bolivia
| | - Caryn Bern
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Carlier Y, Sosa-Estani S, Luquetti AO, Buekens P. Congenital Chagas disease: an update. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015; 110:363-8. [PMID: 25760448 PMCID: PMC4489473 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760140405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is a global problem, occurring on average
in 5% of children born from chronically infected mothers in endemic areas, with
variations depending on the region. This presentation aims to focus on and update
epidemiological data, research methods, involved factors, control strategy and
possible prevention of congenital infection with T. cruzi. Considering that
etiological treatment of the child is always effective if performed before one year
of age, the diagnosis of infection in pregnant women and their newborns has to become
the standard of care and integrated into the surveillance programs of syphilis and
human immunodeficiency virus. In addition to the standard tests, polymerase chain
reaction performed on blood of neonates of infected mothers one month after birth
might improve the diagnosis of congenital infection. Recent data bring out that its
transmission can be prevented through treatment of infected women before they become
pregnant. The role of parasite genotypes and host genetic factors in parasite
transmission and development of infection in foetuses/neonates has to be more
investigated in order to better estimate the risk factors and impact on health of
congenital infection with T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Carlier
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - Sergio Sosa-Estani
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr Mario Fatala Chaben, Ministry of Health, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Pierre Buekens
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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Trypanocide treatment of women infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and its effect on preventing congenital Chagas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3312. [PMID: 25411847 PMCID: PMC4239005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With the control of the vectorial and transfusional routes of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, congenital transmission has become an important source of new cases. This study evaluated the efficacy of trypanocidal therapy to prevent congenital Chagas disease and compared the clinical and serological evolution between treated and untreated infected mothers. We conducted a multicenter, observational study on a cohort of mothers infected with T. cruzi, with and without trypanocidal treatment before pregnancy. Their children were studied to detect congenital infection. Among 354 "chronically infected mother-biological child" pairs, 132 were treated women and 222 were untreated women. Among the children born to untreated women, we detected 34 infected with T. cruzi (15.3%), whose only antecedent was maternal infection. Among the 132 children of previously treated women, no infection with T. cruzi was found (0.0%) (p<0.05). Among 117 mothers with clinical and serological follow up, 71 had been treated and 46 were untreated. The women were grouped into three groups. Group A: 25 treated before 15 years of age; Group B: 46 treated at 15 or more years of age; Group C: untreated, average age of 29.2 ± 6.2 years at study entry. Follow-up for Groups A, B and C was 16.3 ± 5.8, 17.5 ± 9.2 and 18.6 ± 8.6 years respectively. Negative seroconversion: Group A, 64.0% (16/25); Group B, 32.6% (15/46); Group C, no seronegativity was observed. Clinical electrocardiographic alterations compatible with chagasic cardiomyopathy: Group A 0.0% (0/25); B 2.2% (1/46) and C 15.2% (7/46). The trypanocidal treatment of women with chronic Chagas infection was effective in preventing the congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to their children; it had also a protective effect on the women's clinical evolution and deparasitation could be demonstrated in many treated women after over 10 years of follow up.
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Abstract
Among the world's most neglected tropical diseases, Chagas disease is vector-borne and caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. T cruzi infection is endemic to South and Central America as well as Mexico. Due to population migration, T cruzi is increasingly becoming a public health problem in nonendemic settings. Success with vector control strategies has led to a relative increase in the burden attributable to congenital transmission of T cruzi. In endemic settings, approximately 5% of infected pregnant women transmit to their offspring. Congenital T cruzi infection is generally asymptomatic and parasitological and serological testing is required for diagnosis. This review highlights research gaps with a focus on (1) improving screening, diagnostic, and treatment options and (2) designing epidemiologic studies to understand risk factors for congenital T cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirut T. Gebrekristos
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Pierre Buekens
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Chagas' disease: pregnancy and congenital transmission. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:401864. [PMID: 24949443 PMCID: PMC4052072 DOI: 10.1155/2014/401864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a chronic infection that kills approximately 12,000 people a year. Mass migration of chronically infected and asymptomatic persons has caused globalization of Chagas disease and has made nonvectorial infection, including vertical and blood-borne transmission, more of a threat to human communities than vectorial infection. To control transmission, it is essential to test all pregnant women living in endemic countries and all pregnant women having migrated from, or having lived in, endemic countries. All children born to seropositive mothers should be tested not only within the first month of life but also at ~6 months and ~12 months of age. The diagnosis is made by identification of the parasite in blood before the age of 6 months and by identification of the parasite in blood and/or positive serology after 10 months of age. Follow up for a year is essential as a significant proportion of cases are initially negative and are only detected at a later stage. If the condition is diagnosed and treated early, the clinical response is excellent and the majority of cases are cured.
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Martins-Melo FR, Lima MDS, Ramos AN, Alencar CH, Heukelbach J. Prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women and congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trop Med Int Health 2014; 19:943-57. [PMID: 24815954 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women and the risk of congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Brazil, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS We searched electronic databases, grey literature and reference lists of included publications to identify epidemiological studies on the prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women and on the congenital transmission rate of T. cruzi infection in Brazil published between January 1980 and June 2013. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using fixed- and random-effects models. RESULTS Sixteen articles were included - 12 studies on the prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women (549,359 pregnant women) and nine on congenital transmission rates (1687 children born to infected mothers). Prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women ranged from 0.1% to 8.5%, and congenital transmission rates from 0% to 5.2%. The pooled prevalence of Chagas disease among pregnant women across studies was 1.1% (95% CI: 0.6-2.0); the pooled congenital transmission rate was 1.7% (95% CI: 0.9-3.1). In 2010, 34,629 pregnant women were estimated to be infected with T. cruzi, and 312-1073 children born (mean: 589 cases) with congenital infection. CONCLUSION Congenital Chagas disease is a neglected public health problem in Brazil. Systematic congenital Chagas disease control programs through routine prenatal screening for T. cruzi should be widely implemented in Brazil's endemic areas, to identify infected pregnant women and newborns at risk of congenital infection.
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Oliveira I, Torrico F, Muñoz J, Gascon J. Congenital transmission of Chagas disease: a clinical approach. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 8:945-56. [DOI: 10.1586/eri.10.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Howard EJ, Xiong X, Carlier Y, Sosa-Estani S, Buekens P. Frequency of the congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BJOG 2014; 121:22-33. [PMID: 23924273 PMCID: PMC3914719 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is endemic in much of Latin America. With increased globalisation and immigration, it is a risk in any country, partly through congenital transmission. The frequency of congenital transmission is unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency of congenital transmission of T. cruzi. SEARCH STRATEGY PubMed, Journals@Ovid Full Text, EMBASE, CINAHL, Fuente Academica and BIREME databases were searched using seven search terms related to Chagas disease or T. cruzi and congenital transmission. SELECTION CRITERIA The inclusion criteria were the following: Dutch, English, French, Portuguese or Spanish language; case report, case series or observational study; original data on congenital T. cruzi infection in humans; congenital infection rate reported or it could be derived. This systematic review included 13 case reports/series and 51 observational studies. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two investigators independently collected data on study characteristics, diagnosis and congenital infection rate. The principal summary measure--the congenital transmission rate--is defined as the number of congenitally infected infants divided by the number of infants born to infected mothers. A random effects model was used. MAIN RESULTS The pooled congenital transmission rate was 4.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.9-5.6%). Countries where T. cruzi is endemic had a higher rate of congenital transmission compared with countries where it is not endemic (5.0% versus 2.7%). CONCLUSIONS Congenital transmission of Chagas disease is a global problem. Overall risk of congenital infection in infants born to infected mothers is about 5%. The congenital mode of transmission requires targeted screening to prevent future cases of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J. Howard
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Xu Xiong
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2022, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Yves Carlier
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine (CP 616), Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., Suite 2210, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Sergio Sosa-Estani
- National Institute of Parasitology "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben" Av. Paseo Colón 568, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pierre Buekens
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2430, New Orleans, LA 70112
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Ebert D. The Epidemiology and Evolution of Symbionts with Mixed-Mode Transmission. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2013. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-032513-100555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Ebert
- Universität Basel, Zoologisches Institut, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, 14193 Berlin, Germany;
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Viotti R, Alarcón de Noya B, Araujo-Jorge T, Grijalva MJ, Guhl F, López MC, Ramsey JM, Ribeiro I, Schijman AG, Sosa-Estani S, Torrico F, Gascon J. Towards a paradigm shift in the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 58:635-9. [PMID: 24247135 PMCID: PMC3910900 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01662-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment for Chagas disease with currently available medications is recommended universally only for acute cases (all ages) and for children up to 14 years old. The World Health Organization, however, also recommends specific antiparasite treatment for all chronic-phase Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals, even though in current medical practice this remains controversial, and most physicians only prescribe palliative treatment for adult Chagas patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The present opinion, prepared by members of the NHEPACHA network (Nuevas Herramientas para el Diagnóstico y la Evaluación del Paciente con Enfermedad de Chagas/New Tools for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Chagas Disease Patients), reviews the paradigm shift based on clinical and immunological evidence and argues in favor of antiparasitic treatment for all chronic patients. We review the tools needed to monitor therapeutic efficacy and the potential criteria for evaluation of treatment efficacy beyond parasitological cure. Etiological treatment should now be mandatory for all adult chronic Chagas disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Viotti
- Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos (HIGA) Eva Perón, Sección Chagas, Servicio de Cardiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - B. Alarcón de Noya
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela (IMT-UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - T. Araujo-Jorge
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-IOC), Programa Integrado de Doença de Chagas, Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Río de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M. J. Grijalva
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (CIEI-PUCE), Quito, Ecuador, and Tropical Disease Institute, Ohio University (TDI-OU), Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - F. Guhl
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical, Universidad de los Andes (UA-CIMPAT), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - M. C. López
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - J. M. Ramsey
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (CRISP-INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - I. Ribeiro
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - A. G. Schijman
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - S. Sosa-Estani
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben (INP)-ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbran, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - F. Torrico
- Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - J. Gascon
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Buekens P, Cafferata ML, Alger J, Althabe F, Belizán JM, Carlier Y, Ciganda A, Dumonteil E, Gamboa-Leon R, Howard E, Matute ML, Sosa-Estani S, Truyens C, Wesson D, Zuniga C. Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Argentina, Honduras, and Mexico: study protocol. Reprod Health 2013; 10:55. [PMID: 24119247 PMCID: PMC3852796 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4755-10-55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi has been divided into Discrete Typing Units I and non-I (II-VI). T. cruzi I is predominant in Mexico and Central America, while non-I is predominant in most of South America, including Argentina. Little is known about congenital transmission of T. cruzi I. The specific aim of this study is to determine the rate of congenital transmission of T. cruzi I compared to non-I. METHODS/DESIGN We are conducting a prospective study to enroll at delivery, 10,000 women in Argentina, 7,500 women in Honduras, and 13,000 women in Mexico. We are measuring transmitted maternal T. cruzi antibodies by performing two rapid tests in cord blood (Stat-Pak, Chembio, Medford, New York, and Trypanosoma Detect, InBios, Seattle, Washington). If at least one of the results is positive, we are identifying infants who are congenitally infected by performing parasitological examinations on cord blood and at 4-8 weeks, and serological follow-up at 10 months. Serological confirmation by ELISA (Wiener, Rosario, Argentina) is performed in cord and maternal blood, and at 10 months. We also are performing T. cruzi standard PCR, real-time quantitative PCR and genotyping on maternal venous blood and on cord blood, and serological examinations on siblings. Data are managed by a Data Center in Montevideo, Uruguay. Data are entered online at the sites in an OpenClinica data management system, and digital pictures of data forms are sent to the Data Center for quality control. Weekly reports allow for rapid feedback to the sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Buekens
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Ste, 2430, New Orleans, Louisiana LA 70112, USA.
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Cencig S, Coltel N, Truyens C, Carlier Y. Fertility, gestation outcome and parasite congenital transmissibility in mice infected with TcI, TcII and TcVI genotypes of Trypanosoma cruzi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2271. [PMID: 23785533 PMCID: PMC3681732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This work aims to compare the effects of acute or chronic infections with the T. cruzi genotypes TcI (X10 strain), TcII (Y strain) and TcVI (Tulahuen strain) on fertility, gestation, pup growth and the possible vertical transmission of parasites in BALB/c mice. The occurrence of congenital infection was evaluated by microscopic examination of blood and/or qPCR on blood and heart in newborn pups and/or older offspring submitted to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in order to detect possible cryptic congenital infection. Altogether, the results show that: i) for the three strains tested, acute infection occurring after the embryo implantation in the uterus (parasite inoculation 4 days before mating), or close to delivery (parasite inoculation on day 13 of gestation), prevents or severely jeopardizes gestation outcome (inducing pup mortality and intra-uterine growth retardation); ii) for the three strains tested, gestation during chronic infection results in intra-uterine growth retardation, whereas re-inoculation of TcVI parasites during gestation in such chronically infected mice, in addition, strongly increases pup mortality; iii) congenital infection remains a rare consequence of infection (occurring in approximately 4% of living pups born to acutely infected dams); iv) PCR, detecting parasitic DNA and not living parasites, is not convenient to detect congenial infection close to delivery; v) transmission of parasites by breast milk is unlikely. This study should encourage further investigations using other parasite strains and genotypes to explore the role of virulence and other factors, as well as the mechanisms of such effects on gestation and on the establishment of congenital infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Cencig
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Coltel
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yves Carlier
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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Sesti-Costa R, Silva JS, Gutierrez FRS. Congenital Chagas disease: time to screen pregnant women? Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2013; 10:1279-82. [PMID: 23241184 DOI: 10.1586/eri.12.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Evaluation of: Bua J, Volta BJ, Velazquez EB et al. Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection: quantification of parasite burden in mothers and their children by parasite DNA amplification. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 106(10), 623-628 (2012). The congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi has gained epidemiological importance because it is partially responsible for the spread of Chagas disease worldwide. The feasibility of a cure when infected children are treated early makes the detection of congenital infection a valuable goal toward the control of the disease. Here, the authors review and discuss the findings of Bua et al., who quantified the parasitemia of infected women and their newborns by quantitative PCR. The authors demonstrate that the maternal parasite burden is directly related to the risk of neonatal infection. This study points out the importance of a quantitative screen for T. cruzi in pregnant women who live in, or have traveled to, endemic areas for improving the diagnosis of infected newborns and providing prompt treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Sesti-Costa
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Central and South America. Initial infection and ensuing chronic infection often go undetected in the human host. High seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection is well documented in endemic areas. Designated as “a neglected tropical disease” by the World Health Organization, rural economically disadvantaged and marginalized populations in endemic countries traditionally have the highest rates of infection. As economic hardship, political instability, and the search for opportunity spur migration of infected humans from endemic to non-endemic areas of the world, blood bank data have documented rising seroprevalence of T. cruzi in traditionally nonendemic areas. In these areas, T. cruzi is transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and maternal-fetal mechanisms. Increasing awareness of large numbers of infected immigrants in nonendemic countries, and the medical care they require, has focused attention on the need for strategic programs for screening affected populations, education of healthcare providers, and provision of necessary medical services for those infected. Physicians in nonendemic countries should be able to recognize signs and symptoms of acute and chronic Chagas disease as migration and globalization increase the burden of disease in non-endemic areas.
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Ortiz S, Zulantay I, Solari A, Bisio M, Schijman A, Carlier Y, Apt W. Presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women and typing of lineages in congenital cases. Acta Trop 2012; 124:243-6. [PMID: 22906640 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Revised: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood samples of mothers with chronic Chagas disease and their newborn by conventional PCR targeted to minicircle kinetoplastidic DNA (kDNA), and to determine the lineages in mother/newborn pairs of the congenital cases by hybridization assays with probes belonging to the TcII, TcI and TcV Discrete Typing Units (DTU). In 63 (57.2%) of the mothers the presence of circulating T. cruzi was demonstrated by PCR immediately before delivery and in three newborn (3%) congenital transmission was confirmed by serial PCR and conventional serology between 1 and 16 months of life, at which point treatment was started. The hybridization signals showed that two of the newborn had the same DTU as their mother (TcI, TcII and TcV), whilst in the third congenital case only TcV was detected in the cord blood, suggesting that in this infant TcI and TcII did not cross the placenta or the parasite was not present at a detectable level. Levels T. cruzi DNA was determined by TaqMan Probe based Real Time PCR assay targeted to nuclear satellite sequences in these three pairs of samples.
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Trypanosoma cruzi experimental congenital transmission associated with TcV and TcI subpatent maternal parasitemia. Parasitol Res 2012; 112:671-8. [PMID: 23160891 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-3184-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The congenital transmission of Chagas disease is associated with an increase in parasitemia during pregnancy, maternal and fetal immunity, and populations of Trypanosoma cruzi. In this study, the biological behavior of TcI and TcV (isolated from a human congenital case) strains and their potential for experimental congenital transmission were evaluated in female BALB/C mice. Parasitemia was estimated by fresh blood examination, semiquantitative microhematocrit, and hemoculture, while congenital transmission was evaluated by culture in the liver infusion tryptose medium and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the pups' tissues on postnatal day 7 and of the pups' blood sample at 30 days after birth. Infection was detected in 100 % of the females. Both strains showed subpatent parasitemia, which was higher for TcV infection. The presence of amastigote nest was detected only in an animal infected with TcI. The inflammatory process was more frequent (p = 0.001) in the tissues of the animals infected with TcV (58.6 %) than TcI (31.1 %). The fertility rates of females mated after 35 days postinfection were similar (90 % for TcV, 88.9 % for TcI; p = 0.938). Parasitemia did not change during pregnancy. The average number of pups/female was greater (p = 0.03) in mice with TcV infection (8.30) than in those with TcI infection (4.78). Congenital transmission was detected exclusively by PCR in 50.9 % of the pups, 46.6 % for TcV and 58.1 % for TcI. The PCR positivity for TcI was higher in the blood than in the tissue (p = 0.003). These results demonstrate the T. cruzi experimental congenital infection associated with subpatent maternal parasitemia of TcI and TcV.
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Salas Clavijo N, Postigo J, Schneider D, Santalla J, Brutus L, Chippaux JP. Prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women and incidence of congenital transmission in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Acta Trop 2012; 124:87-91. [PMID: 22772023 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Revised: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Congenital transmission of Chagas disease stand out as a major public health problem since the vector control was performed in all endemic areas and has shown its effectiveness. An epidemiological study was performed in three maternity hospitals of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia from 2006 to 2008. The serological screening for Trypanosoma cruzi infection was carried out in 15,767 pregnant women. Chagas infection was detected in 3725 women (23.6%), who gave birth to 125 newborns infected by T. cruzi at birth, representing an incidence of 790 per 100,000 births during a period of 16 months and a vertical transmission rate by 3.4%. There was a significant difference between hospitals that might be explained by socio-economic origins of mothers and diagnostic constraints.
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Bua J, Volta BJ, Velazquez EB, Ruiz AM, Rissio AMD, Cardoni RL. Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection: quantification of parasite burden in mothers and their children by parasite DNA amplification. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2012; 106:623-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2012.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 03/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Congenital and oral transmission of American trypanosomiasis: an overview of physiopathogenic aspects. Parasitology 2012; 140:147-59. [PMID: 23010131 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012001394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis is a pathology affecting about 8-11 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America, more than 300 000 persons in the United States as well as an indeterminate number of people in other non-endemic countries such as USA, Spain, Canada and Switzerland. The aetiological agent is Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan transmitted by multiple routes; among them, congenital route emerges as one of the most important mechanisms of spreading Chagas disease worldwide even in non-endemic countries and the oral route as the responsible of multiple outbreaks of acute Chagas disease in regions where the vectorial route has been interrupted. The aim of this review is to illustrate the recent research and advances in host-pathogen interaction making a model of how the virulence factors of the parasite would interact with the physiology and immune system components of the placental barrier and gastrointestinal tract in order to establish a response against T. cruzi infection. This review also presents the epidemiological, clinical and diagnostic features of congenital and oral Chagas disease in order to update the reader about the emerging scenarios of Chagas disease transmission.
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