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Gonzaga BMDS, Ferreira RR, Coelho LL, Carvalho ACC, Garzoni LR, Araujo-Jorge TC. Clinical trials for Chagas disease: etiological and pathophysiological treatment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1295017. [PMID: 38188583 PMCID: PMC10768561 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1295017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It is endemic in Latin America. Nowadays around 6 million people are affected worldwide, and 75 million are still at risk. CD has two evolutive phases, acute and chronic. The acute phase is mostly asymptomatic, or presenting unspecific symptoms which makes it hard to diagnose. At the chronic phase, patients can stay in the indeterminate form or develop cardiac and/or digestive manifestations. The two trypanocide drugs available for the treatment of CD are benznidazole (BZ) and nifurtimox (NFX), introduced in the clinic more than five decades ago. WHO recommends treatment for patients at the acute phase, at risk of congenital infection, for immunosuppressed patients and children with chronic infection. A high cure rate is seen at the CD acute phase but better treatment schemes still need to be investigated for the chronic phase. There are some limitations within the use of the trypanocide drugs, with side effects occurring in about 40% of the patients, that can lead patients to interrupt treatment. In addition, patients with advanced heart problems should not be treated with BZ. This is a neglected disease, discovered 114 years ago that still has no drug effective for their chronic phase. Multiple social economic and cultural barriers influence CD research. The high cost of the development of new drugs, in addition to the low economical return, results in the lack of investment. More economic support is required from governments and pharmaceutical companies on the development of more research for CD treatment. Two approaches stand out: repositioning and combination of drugs, witch drastically decrease the cost of this process, when compared to the development of a new drug. Here we discuss the progress of the clinical trials for the etiological and pathophysiological treatment for CD. In summary, more studies are needed to propose a new drug for CD. Therefore, BZ is still the best option for CD. The trials in course should clarify more about new treatment regimens, but it is already possible to indicate that dosage and time of treatment need to be adjusted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tania C. Araujo-Jorge
- Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos - Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Santos WS, Gurgel-Gonçalves R, Garcez LM, Abad-Franch F. Deforestation effects on Attalea palms and their resident Rhodnius, vectors of Chagas disease, in eastern Amazonia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252071. [PMID: 34015050 PMCID: PMC8136634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Attalea palms provide primary habitat to Rhodnius spp., vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi. Flying from palms, these blood-sucking bugs often invade houses and can infect people directly or via food contamination. Chagas disease (CD) risk may therefore increase when Attalea palms thrive near houses. For example, Attalea dominate many deforested landscapes of eastern Amazonia, where acute-CD outbreaks are disturbingly frequent. Despite this possible link between deforestation and CD risk, the population-level responses of Amazonian Attalea and their resident Rhodnius to anthropogenic landscape disturbance remain largely uncharted. We studied adult Attalea palms in old-growth forest (OGF), young secondary forest (YSF), and cattle pasture (CP) in two localities of eastern Amazonia. We recorded 1856 Attalea along 10 transects (153.6 ha), and detected infestation by Rhodnius spp. in 18 of 280 systematically-sampled palms (33 bugs caught). Distance-sampling models suggest that, relative to OGF, adult Attalea density declined by 70-80% in CP and then recovered in YSF. Site-occupancy models estimate a strong positive effect of deforestation on palm-infestation odds (βCP-infestation = 4.82±1.14 SE), with a moderate decline in recovering YSF (βYSF-infestation = 2.66±1.10 SE). Similarly, N-mixture models suggest that, relative to OGF, mean vector density sharply increased in CP palms (βCP-density = 3.20±0.62 SE) and then tapered in YSF (βYSF-density = 1.61±0.76 SE). Together, these results indicate that disturbed landscapes may support between ~2.5 (YSF) and ~5.1 (CP) times more Attalea-dwelling Rhodnius spp. per unit area than OGF. We provide evidence that deforestation may favor palm-dwelling CD vectors in eastern Amazonia. Importantly, our landscape-disturbance effect estimates explicitly take account of (i) imperfect palm and bug detection and (ii) the uncertainties about infestation and vector density arising from sparse bug data. These results suggest that incorporating landscape-disturbance metrics into the spatial stratification of transmission risk could help enhance CD surveillance and prevention in Amazonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Souza Santos
- Laboratório de Epidemiologia das Leishmanioses, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Parasitária na Amazônia, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves
- Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Lourdes Maria Garcez
- Laboratório de Epidemiologia das Leishmanioses, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Parasitária na Amazônia, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Departamento de Patologia, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Fernando Abad-Franch
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Parasitária na Amazônia, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- Grupo Triatomíneos, Instituto René Rachou–Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Mertzlufft CE, Madden M, Gottdenker NL, Velásquez Runk J, Saldaña A, Tanner S, Calzada JE, Yao X. Landscape disturbance impacts on Attalea butyracea palm distribution in central Panama. Int J Health Geogr 2020; 19:58. [PMID: 33298058 PMCID: PMC7724708 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-020-00244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased Attalea butyracea palm propagation, notable for its role as key habitat for the primary Chagas disease vector in Panama, has been linked to landscape disturbance in single-palm observations in this region. Close proximity of these palms to human dwellings is proposed to increase risk of Chagas disease transmission from sylvatic transmission cycles to domestic transmission involving human populations. This study examines the relationship between landscape disturbance and mature A. butyracea spatial distribution, density, and proximity to human populations and vector and reservoir species' movement corridors at a regional scale in a 300 km2 heterogeneous tropical landscape in central Panama. METHODS We remotely identified the locations of over 50,000 mature A. butyracea palms using high-resolution WorldView2 satellite imagery. A local Getis-Ord Gi* spatial analysis identified significant clusters of aggregated palms. Associations between palm and cluster abundance and a landscape disturbance gradient, derived from official Panama land cover data, were tested using Chi-square tests for Homogeneity and Z-test for proportions. Kruskall-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance tests were run to assess whether palm cluster area varied by disturbance level, or whether disturbance was associated with proximity of palms and palm clusters to susceptible populations or vector movement corridors. RESULTS Our findings indicate a regional relationship between landscape disturbance and A. butyracea occurrence. We observe a significant increase in both individual and clustered A. butyracea in secondary forest, but a reduction of palms in agricultural settings. We do not detect evidence of any reduction in abundance of palms in residential settings. The majority of residential and commercial buildings in our study area are within vector flight distance of potential vector habitat in palm crowns. CONCLUSIONS We observe probable anthropogenic elimination of A. butyracea palms in agricultural, but not residential, settings. Even in heavily deforested regions, significant concentrations of mature palms remain in close proximity to human establishments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E Mertzlufft
- Geospatial Research, Analysis, and Services Program, U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Susan Tanner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Xiaobai Yao
- Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Moraes MHDS, Jesus ACD, Madeira FP, Moresco GG, Oliveira JD, Rosa JAD, Camargo LMA, Bernarde PS, Meneguetti DUDO. Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in homes: Report of their occurrence in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, South Western Amazon. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2020; 54:e20200296. [PMID: 33206885 PMCID: PMC7670736 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0296-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triatomines are hematophagous insects that are important to public health since they are the vectors of American Trypanosomiasis. The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of triatomines in homes in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil. METHODS The specimens were collected by an active search inside homes and also by a passive search by the residents. RESULTS A total of 55 triatomines were captured comprising of 5 species each of the genera Rhodnius, Eratyrus, and Panstrongylus. No colonies were detected, ruling out the possibility of domiciliation. CONCLUSIONS Information on regional epidemiological dynamics contributes to the prevention and control of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madson Huilber da Silva Moraes
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Adila Costa de Jesus
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Acre, Centro Multidisciplinar, Cruzeiro do Sul, Campus Floresta, AC, Brasil
| | - Fernanda Portela Madeira
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Acre, Centro Multidisciplinar, Cruzeiro do Sul, Campus Floresta, AC, Brasil
| | - Gilberto Gilmar Moresco
- Ministério da Saúde, Departamento de Vigilância das Doenças Transmissíveis, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Jader de Oliveira
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Araraquara, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Luís Marcelo Aranha Camargo
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.,Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.,Centro de Pesquisa em Medicina Tropical de Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.,Centro Universitário São Lucas, Departamento de Medicina, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil.,Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Monte Negro, RO, Brasil
| | - Paulo Sérgio Bernarde
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Acre, Centro Multidisciplinar, Cruzeiro do Sul, Campus Floresta, AC, Brasil
| | - Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Acre, Colégio de Aplicação, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
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Penados D, Pineda J, Catalan M, Avila M, Stevens L, Agreda E, Monroy C. Infestation dynamics of Triatoma dimidiata in highly deforested tropical dry forest regions of Guatemala. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2020; 115:e200203. [PMID: 33146245 PMCID: PMC7592497 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760200203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deforestation, driven by anthropogenic change in land use, influences the behaviour and abundance of vector-borne diseases. For various species of Chagas disease vectors, there is evidence that change in land use affects population density and abundance. Triatoma dimidiata is the most important Chagas vector in Guatemala, and at least one million people live in T. dimidiata endemic areas; however, infestation dynamics vary among regions, from high infestation with all life stages to low seasonal infestation by sylvatic adults. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate how land-use, combined with domiciliary risk factors, influences the infestation dynamics of T. dimidiata for four villages in a dry forest region with a strong deforestation history. METHODS Land use, measured with drone and satellite images, was classified into four categories (houses, monocultures and pastures, woodland and shrubland, and bare soil). Domiciliary risk factors and infestation were assessed through entomological surveys. Statistical analyses compared infestation indices and the ability of land use and domiciliary risk factors to explain infestation. FINDINGS Two villages had significantly higher infestation (26 and 30% vs. 5 and 6%), yet all villages had high colonisation (71-100% of infested houses had immature insects), with no significant difference among them. Because of the high level of deforestation across the study area, land use was not related to infestation; however, domiciliary risk factors were. A model based on four weighted domiciliary risk factors (adobe or bajareque walls, intradomicile animals, intradomicile clutter, and dirt floors) explains the infestation risk. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Because almost all infested houses have reproducing populations in this deforested dry forest region and statistical analysis identified the domiciliary risk factors for infestation, intermediate and long-term control of Chagas disease vectors in this region requires management of these risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Penados
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - José Pineda
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Michelle Catalan
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Escuela de Biología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Miguel Avila
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Centros de Estudios Conservacionistas, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Lori Stevens
- University of Vermont, Department of Biology, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Emmanuel Agreda
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Carlota Monroy
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
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Arias-Giraldo LM, Muñoz M, Hernández C, Herrera G, Velásquez-Ortiz N, Cantillo-Barraza O, Urbano P, Cuervo A, Ramírez JD. Identification of blood-feeding sources in Panstrongylus, Psammolestes, Rhodnius and Triatoma using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:434. [PMID: 32867816 PMCID: PMC7457505 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04310-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triatomines are hematophagous insects that play an important role as vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. These insects have adapted to multiple blood-feeding sources that can affect relevant aspects of their life-cycle and interactions, thereby influencing parasitic transmission dynamics. We conducted a characterization of the feeding sources of individuals from the primary circulating triatomine genera in Colombia using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS). METHODS We used 42 triatomines collected in different departments of Colombia. DNA was extracted from the gut. The presence of T. cruzi was identified using real-time PCR, and discrete typing units (DTUs) were determined by conventional PCR. For blood-feeding source identification, PCR products of the vertebrate 12S rRNA gene were obtained and sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Blood-meal sources were inferred using blastn against a curated reference dataset containing the 12S rRNA sequences belonging to vertebrates with a distribution in South America that represent a potential feeding source for triatomine bugs. Mean and median comparison tests were performed to evaluate differences in triatomine blood-feeding sources, infection state, and geographical regions. Lastly, the inverse Simpson's diversity index was calculated. RESULTS The overall frequency of T. cruzi infection was 83.3%. TcI was found as the most predominant DTU (65.7%). A total of 67 feeding sources were detected from the analyses of approximately 7 million reads. The predominant feeding source found was Homo sapiens (76.8%), followed by birds (10.5%), artiodactyls (4.4%), and non-human primates (3.9%). There were differences among numerous feeding sources of triatomines of different species. The diversity of feeding sources also differed depending on the presence of T. cruzi. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to employ amplicon-based NGS of the 12S rRNA gene to depict blood-feeding sources of multiple triatomine species collected in different regions of Colombia. Our findings report a striking read diversity that has not been reported previously. This is a powerful approach to unravel transmission dynamics at microgeographical levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa M Arias-Giraldo
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carolina Hernández
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Giovanny Herrera
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Natalia Velásquez-Ortiz
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Omar Cantillo-Barraza
- Grupo de Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Plutarco Urbano
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biológicas de la Orinoquia, Fundación Universitaria Internacional del Trópico Americano (Unitropico), Yopal, Colombia
| | - Andrés Cuervo
- Secretaría Departamental de Salud de Arauca, Arauca, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Monteiro WM, Barbosa MDGV, Guerra JADO, de Melo GC, Barbosa LRA, Machado KVA, de Abreu RL, de Lacerda MVG. Driving forces for strengthening the surveillance of Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon by "training the eyes" of malaria microscopists. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2020; 53:e20190423. [PMID: 32187340 PMCID: PMC7094040 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0423-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Maria das Graças Vale Barbosa
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Jorge Augusto de Oliveira Guerra
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Gisely Cardoso de Melo
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Layla Rowena Albuquerque Barbosa
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Kim Vinicius Amaral Machado
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Rebeca Linhares de Abreu
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Marcus Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda
- Gerência de malária da Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto de Pesquisas Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
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Erazo D, Gottdenker NL, González C, Guhl F, Cuellar M, Kieran TJ, Glenn TC, Umaña JD, Cordovez J. Generalist host species drive Trypanosoma cruzi vector infection in oil palm plantations in the Orinoco region, Colombia. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:274. [PMID: 31138275 PMCID: PMC6540391 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oil palm plantation establishment in Colombia has the potential to impact Chagas disease transmission by increasing the distribution range of Rhodnius prolixus. In fact, previous studies have reported Trypanosoma cruzi natural infection in R. prolixus captured in oil palms (Elaeis guineensis) in the Orinoco region, Colombia. The aim of this study is to understand T. cruzi infection in vectors in oil palm plantations relative to community composition and host dietary specialization by analyzing vector blood meals and comparing these results to vectors captured in a native palm tree species, Attalea butyracea. METHODS Rhodnius prolixus nymphs (n = 316) were collected from A. butyracea and E. guineensis palms in Tauramena, Casanare, Colombia. Vector blood meals from these nymphs were determined by amplifying and sequencing a vertebrate-specific 12S rRNA gene fragment. RESULTS Eighteen vertebrate species were identified and pigs (Sus scrofa) made up the highest proportion of blood meals in both habitats, followed by house mouse (Mus musculus) and opossum (Didelphis marsupialis). Individual bugs feeding only from generalist mammal species had the highest predicted vector infection rate, suggesting that generalist mammalian species are more competent hosts for T. cruzi infection . CONCLUSIONS Oil palm plantations and A. butyracea palms found in altered areas provide a similar quality habitat for R. prolixus populations in terms of blood meal availability. Both habitats showed similarities in vector infection rate and potential host species, representing a single T. cruzi transmission scenario at the introduced oil palm plantation and native Attalea palm interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Erazo
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología Matemática y Computacional (BIOMAC), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Nicole L. Gottdenker
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Camila González
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Felipe Guhl
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Monica Cuellar
- Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería Biomédica (GIB), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Troy J. Kieran
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Travis C. Glenn
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Juan D. Umaña
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología Matemática y Computacional (BIOMAC), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Juan Cordovez
- Grupo de Investigación en Biología Matemática y Computacional (BIOMAC), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
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Nevoa JC, Mendes MT, da Silva MV, Soares SC, Oliveira CJF, Ribeiro JMC. An insight into the salivary gland and fat body transcriptome of Panstrongylus lignarius (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), the main vector of Chagas disease in Peru. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006243. [PMID: 29462134 PMCID: PMC5834209 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Triatomines are hematophagous arthropod vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas Disease. Panstrongylus lignarius, also known as Panstrongylus herreri, is considered one of the most versatile triatomines because it can parasitize different hosts, it is found in different habitats and countries, it has sylvatic, peridomestic and domestic behavior and it is a very important vector of Chagas disease, especially in Peru. Molecules produced and secreted by salivary glands and fat body are considered of important adaptational value for triatomines because, among other functions, they subvert the host haemostatic, inflammatory and immune systems and detoxify or protect them against environmental aggressors. In this context, the elucidation of the molecules produced by these tissues is highly valuable to understanding the ability of this species to adapt and transmit pathogens. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing techniques to assemble and describe the coding sequences resulting from the transcriptome of the fat body and salivary glands of P. lignarius. The final assembly of both transcriptomes together resulted in a total of 11,507 coding sequences (CDS), which were mapped from a total of 164,676,091 reads. The CDS were subdivided according to their 10 folds overexpression on salivary glands (513 CDS) or fat body (2073 CDS). Among the families of proteins found in the salivary glands, lipocalins were the most abundant. Other ubiquitous families of proteins present in other sialomes were also present in P. lignarius, including serine protease inhibitors, apyrase and antigen-5. The unique transcriptome of fat body showed proteins related to the metabolic function of this organ. Remarkably, nearly 20% of all reads mapped to transcripts coded by Triatoma virus. The data presented in this study improve the understanding on triatomines' salivary glands and fat body function and reveal important molecules used in the interplay between vectors and vertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C. Nevoa
- Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maria T. Mendes
- University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Marcos V. da Silva
- Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Siomar C. Soares
- Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carlo J. F. Oliveira
- Institute of Natural and Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research (LMVR), Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Rios A, Ribeiro M, Sousa A, Pimentel F, Hagström L, Andrade R, Alves RM, Rosa ADC, Teixeira AR, Nitz N, Hecht MM. Can sexual transmission support the enzootic cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi? Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:3-8. [PMID: 29211102 PMCID: PMC5719536 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi circulates in sylvatic habitats, mainly through blood-feeding triatomines, although other routes also contribute to its dispersion. Sexual transmission of T. cruzi is an understudied topic, especially among wild mammals. Because of the difficulties inherent to field work, experimentally infected mice are frequently used to evaluate the transmission of T. cruzi. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the sexual transmission of T. cruzi in acutely infected mice. METHODS Male and female mice in the acute phase of Chagas disease were mated with naïve partners. Then, parasitological tests, immunohistochemistry, serological assays, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used to detect infection. FINDINGS Parasitological analysis showed trypomastigotes in the blood of 20% of the naïve mice after mating with infected partners. Serological assays detected anti-T. cruzi antibodies in all naïve females mated with infected males and in 60% of naïve males mated with infected females. PCR showed T. cruzi nDNA bands for all naïve mice mated with infected partners. The possibility of sexual transmission was also confirmed by visualisation of amastigotes in the testes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that sexual transmission of T. cruzi is an ordinary event that may contribute to maintenance of the parasite's enzootic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Rios
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Marcelle Ribeiro
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Alessandro Sousa
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Fernando Pimentel
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Luciana Hagström
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Rafael Andrade
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Rozeneide M Alves
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Ana de Cássia Rosa
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Antônio Rl Teixeira
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Nadjar Nitz
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Mariana M Hecht
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Brasília, DF, Brasil
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11
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Araujo PF, Almeida AB, Pimentel CF, Silva AR, Sousa A, Valente SA, Valente VC, Britto MM, Rosa AC, Alves RM, Hagström L, Teixeira AR. Sexual transmission of American trypanosomiasis in humans: a new potential pandemic route for Chagas parasites. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2017; 112:437-446. [PMID: 28591404 PMCID: PMC5446233 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Trypanosoma cruzi infection endemic in Latin America has now spread to several countries across four continents; this endemic involves triatomine vector-free protists. We hypothesised that the sexual transmission of T. cruzi contributes to the ongoing spread of Chagas disease. OBJECTIVES A short-term longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate this hypothesis. METHODS The study population comprised 109 subjects from four families, among whom 21 had been diagnosed with acute Chagas disease by direct parasitological analysis. Blood mononuclear cells and serum samples were obtained from each study subject once per year for three consecutive years. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence serological examinations were used to detect specific T. cruzi antibodies. Polymerase chain reaction of T. cruzi DNA revealed 188-nucleotide bands, which hybridised to a specific radiolabelled probe and were confirmed by cloning and sequencing. RESULTS Three independent assessments at different time points revealed T. cruzi nuclear DNA footprints in 76% (83/109) of the study population with active infection. In contrast, the ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence assays detected the T. cruzi antibody in 28.4% (31/109) of the study samples. Moreover, the semen from 82.6% (19/23) of subjects people revealed harboured the 188- bp base pair T. cruzi footprint. Interestingly, the ejaculates of nuclear DNA-positive Chagas patient transmitted the T. cruzi upon peritoneal injection or infusion in the vagina of mice, and amastigotes were detected in the skeletal muscle, myocardium, vas deferens, and uterine tube. MAIN CONCLUSIONS T. cruzi infections can be transmitted from females or males to naïve mates through intercourse, and progeny showed discrepancies between the ratios of nuclear DNA footprints and specific antibody that can be explained by the tolerance attained during early embryo growth. Additional studies are needed to develop drugs to eradicate the infections. Additionally, the importance of a vigorous education, information, and communication program to prevent sexually transmitted Chagas disease in humans cannot be underemphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla F Araujo
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Adriana B Almeida
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Carlos F Pimentel
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Adriano R Silva
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Alessandro Sousa
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | | | | | - Manuela M Britto
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Ana C Rosa
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Rozeneide M Alves
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Luciana Hagström
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Antonio Rl Teixeira
- Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Doença de Chagas, Brasília, DF, Brasil
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12
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Péneau J, Nguyen A, Flores-Ferrer A, Blanchet D, Gourbière S. Amazonian Triatomine Biodiversity and the Transmission of Chagas Disease in French Guiana: In Medio Stat Sanitas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004427. [PMID: 26867025 PMCID: PMC4750908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of biodiversity on the transmission of infectious diseases now stand as a cornerstone of many public health policies. The upper Amazonia and Guyana shield are hot-spots of biodiversity that offer genuine opportunities to explore the relationship between the risk of transmission of Chagas disease and the diversity of its triatomine vectors. Over 730 triatomines were light-trapped in four geomorphological landscapes shaping French-Guiana, and we determined their taxonomic status and infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. We used a model selection approach to unravel the spatial and temporal variations in species abundance, diversity and infection. The vector community in French-Guiana is typically made of one key species (Panstrongylus geniculatus) that is more abundant than three secondary species combined (Rhodnius pictipes, Panstrongylus lignarius and Eratyrus mucronatus), and four other species that complete the assemblage. Although the overall abundance of adult triatomines does not vary across French-Guiana, their diversity increases along a coastal-inland gradient. These variations unravelled a non-monotonic relationship between vector biodiversity and the risk of transmission of Chagas disease, so that intermediate biodiversity levels are associated with the lowest risks. We also observed biannual variations in triatomine abundance, representing the first report of a biannual pattern in the risk of Chagas disease transmission. Those variations were highly and negatively correlated with the average monthly rainfall. We discuss the implications of these patterns for the transmission of T. cruzi by assemblages of triatomine species, and for the dual challenge of controlling Amazonian vector communities that are made of both highly diverse and mostly intrusive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Péneau
- UMR 228 ESPACE-DEV-IMAGES, ‘Institut de Modélisation et d'Analyses en Géo-Environnement et Santé’, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne and Faculté de Médecine, Equipe « Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale » (EA3593), Université de Antilles et de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Anne Nguyen
- UMR 228 ESPACE-DEV-IMAGES, ‘Institut de Modélisation et d'Analyses en Géo-Environnement et Santé’, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Alheli Flores-Ferrer
- UMR 228 ESPACE-DEV-IMAGES, ‘Institut de Modélisation et d'Analyses en Géo-Environnement et Santé’, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Denis Blanchet
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne and Faculté de Médecine, Equipe « Ecosystèmes Amazoniens et Pathologie Tropicale » (EA3593), Université de Antilles et de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Sébastien Gourbière
- UMR 228 ESPACE-DEV-IMAGES, ‘Institut de Modélisation et d'Analyses en Géo-Environnement et Santé’, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
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13
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Ferreira LDL, Pereira MH, Guarneri AA. Revisiting Trypanosoma rangeli Transmission Involving Susceptible and Non-Susceptible Hosts. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140575. [PMID: 26469403 PMCID: PMC4607475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma rangeli infects several triatomine and mammal species in South America. Its transmission is known to occur when a healthy insect feeds on an infected mammal or when an infected insect bites a healthy mammal. In the present study we evaluated the classic way of T. rangeli transmission started by the bite of a single infected triatomine, as well as alternative ways of circulation of this parasite among invertebrate hosts. The number of metacyclic trypomastigotes eliminated from salivary glands during a blood meal was quantified for unfed and recently fed nymphs. The quantification showed that ~50,000 parasites can be liberated during a single blood meal. The transmission of T. rangeli from mice to R. prolixus was evaluated using infections started through the bite of a single infected nymph. The mice that served as the blood source for single infected nymphs showed a high percentage of infection and efficiently transmitted the infection to new insects. Parasites were recovered by xenodiagnosis in insects fed on mice with infections that lasted approximately four months. Hemolymphagy and co-feeding were tested to evaluate insect-insect T. rangeli transmission. T. rangeli was not transmitted during hemolymphagy. However, insects that had co-fed on mice with infected conspecifics exhibited infection rates of approximately 80%. Surprisingly, 16% of the recipient nymphs became infected when pigeons were used as hosts. Our results show that T. rangeli is efficiently transmitted between the evaluated hosts. Not only are the insect-mouse-insect transmission rates high, but parasites can also be transmitted between insects while co-feeding on a living host. We show for the first time that birds can be part of the T. rangeli transmission cycle as we proved that insect-insect transmission is feasible during a co-feeding on these hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana de Lima Ferreira
- Vector Behavior and Pathogen Interaction Group, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Marcos Horácio Pereira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Aparecida Guarneri
- Vector Behavior and Pathogen Interaction Group, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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14
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Urbano P, Poveda C, Molina J. Effect of the physiognomy of Attalea butyracea (Arecoideae) on population density and age distribution of Rhodnius prolixus (Triatominae). Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:199. [PMID: 25889617 PMCID: PMC4389994 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0813-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhodnius prolixus Stål, 1859 is one of the main vectors of Trypanosoma (Schyzotrypanum) cruzi Chagas, 1909. In its natural forest environment, this triatomine is mainly found in palm tree crowns, where it easily establishes and develops dense populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the physiognomy and reproductive status of Attalea butyracea on the population relative density and age structure of R. prolixus and to determine the vector's population stratification according to the vertical and horizontal profile of an A. butyracea forest. METHODS Using live bait traps, 150 individuals of A. butyracea with different physiognomy and 40 individuals with similar physiognomy (crown size, number of leaves, palm tree height, diameter at breast height, reproductive status) were sampled for triatomines in Yopal, Casanare-Colombia. Temperature and relative humidity were measured in the crown of the palm tree. Entomological indices and natural infection rates were also determined. RESULTS The relative population density of R. prolixus on natural A. butyracea groves is associated with the palm's height, number of leaves and crown volume. The young immature stages were present mostly at the crown's base and the advanced immature stages and adults were present mostly at the crown of the palm tree. This distribution correlates with the temperature stability and relative humidity in the base and the fluctuation of both environmental variables in the palm's crown. A higher density of R. prolixus was found as the palm tree height increased and as the distance of the palm with respect to the forest border decreased, especially towards anthropically intervened areas. A density index of 12.6 individuals per palm tree with an infestation index of 88.9% and a colonization index of 98.7% was observed. 85.2% was the infection index with T. cruzi. CONCLUSION The physiognomy of palm trees affects the relative population density and the distribution of developmental stages of R. prolixus. Therefore, they constitute a risk factor for the potential migration of infected insects from wild environments towards residential environments and the subsequent epidemiological risk of transmission of T. cruzi to people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Plutarco Urbano
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-10, Bloque A, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-10, Bloque A, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Jorge Molina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No. 18A-10, Bloque A, Bogotá, Colombia.
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15
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Rendón LM, Guhl F, Cordovez JM, Erazo D. New scenarios of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in the Orinoco region of Colombia. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015; 110:283-8. [PMID: 25830543 PMCID: PMC4489465 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760140403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodnius prolixus, a blood-sucking triatomine with domiciliary anthropophilic habits,
is the main vector of Chagas disease. The current paradigm of Trypanosoma cruzi
transmission in Columbia includes a sylvatic and domiciliary cycle co-existing with
domestic and sylvatic populations of reservoirs. The aim of this study is to evaluate
the population densities and relative abundance of triatomines and mammals that may
be involved in the sylvatic cycle of Chagas disease to clarify the epidemiological
scenario in an endemic area in the province of Casanare. Insect vectors on Attalea
butyracea palms were captured using both manual searches and bait traps. The capture
of mammals was performed using Sherman and Tomahawk traps. We report an infestation
index of 88.5% in 148 palms and an index of T. cruzi natural infection of 60.2% in
269 dissected insects and 11.9% in 160 captured mammals. High population densities of
triatomines were observed in the sylvatic environment and there was a high relative
abundance of reservoirs in the area, suggesting a stable enzootic cycle. We found no
evidence of insect domiciliation. Taken together, these observations suggest that
eco-epidemiological factors shape the transmission dynamics of T. cruzi, creating
diverse scenarios of disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina María Rendón
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Felipe Guhl
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan Manuel Cordovez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diana Erazo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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Urdaneta-Morales S. Chagas' disease: an emergent urban zoonosis. The caracas valley (Venezuela) as an epidemiological model. Front Public Health 2014; 2:265. [PMID: 25520950 PMCID: PMC4252636 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented emergence of important public health and veterinary zoonoses is usually a result of exponential population growth and globalization of human activities. I characterized Chagas’ disease as an emergent zoonosis in the Caracas Valley (Venezuela) due to the following findings: the presence of reservoirs (Didelphis marsupialis, Rattus rattus) and vectors (Panstrongylus geniculatus, Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus) infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in urbanized or marginalized areas; the elevated contact between P. geniculatus and human beings detected by parasitological and molecular examinations of triatomine feces demonstrated the possibility of transmission risks; a study of outbreaks of urban Chagas’ disease reported the first proven case of oral transmission of T. cruzi to human beings; the risk of transmission of glandular metacyclic stages from marsupials by experimental ocular and oral instillation; mice genitalia infected with T. cruzi contaminated blood resulted in the formation of amastigotes very close to the lumen suggesting that there may be a possibility of infection via their release into the urine and thence to the exterior; the ubiquitous histotropism and histopathology of T. cruzi was demonstrated using a mouse model; the presence of experimental T. cruzi pseudocysts in adipose, bone-cartilage, and eye tissue indicated a potential risk for transplants. Socio-sanitary programs that include improvements in housing, vector control, and access to medical treatment, as well as strategies aimed at combating social inequalities, poverty, and underdevelopment should be undertaken in those areas where zoonoses are most prevalent. Disciplines, such as Ecology, Epidemiology, Medical Entomology, Human and Veterinary Medicine, Environmental Studies, Public Health, Social and Political Studies, Immunology, Microbiology, and Pharmacology could all provide important contributions that aim to reduce the occurrence of factors governing the spread of emergent diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servio Urdaneta-Morales
- Laboratory for the Biology of Vectors and Parasites, Tropical Zoology and Ecology Institute, Central University of Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela
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17
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Herrera L. Trypanosoma cruzi, the Causal Agent of Chagas Disease: Boundaries between Wild and Domestic Cycles in Venezuela. Front Public Health 2014; 2:259. [PMID: 25506587 PMCID: PMC4246568 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi the etiological agent of American Trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease (ChD) is transmitted by triatomines vectors between mammals including man. T. cruzi has existed for circa 150 Ma in the Americas and nearly 10 million people are currently infected. The overlap between wild and domestic ecotopes where T. cruzi circulates is increasing. Host–parasite interactions have been determined by infection patterns in these cycles, all under natural or laboratorial conditions. This mini-review describes specific parasite niches, such as plant communities or biological corridors between domestic and wild landscapes, in order to help identify risk factors for ChD and define the boundaries between wild and domestic transmission cycles, with an emphasis on research undertaken in Venezuela.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leidi Herrera
- Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Institute of Tropical Zoology and Ecology, Science Faculty, Central University of Venezuela , Caracas , Venezuela
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18
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Villacís AG, Ocaña-Mayorga S, Lascano MS, Yumiseva CA, Baus EG, Grijalva MJ. Abundance, natural infection with trypanosomes, and food source of an endemic species of triatomine, Panstrongylus howardi (Neiva 1911), on the Ecuadorian Central Coast. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 92:187-92. [PMID: 25385867 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The elimination of domestic triatomines is the foundation of Chagas disease control. Regional initiatives are eliminating introduced triatomine species. In this scenario, endemic triatomines can occupy the ecological niches left open and become a threat to long-term Chagas disease control efforts. This study determined the abundance, colonization, and Trypanosoma cruzi infection rate of the endemic Panstrongylus howardi in 10 rural communities located in Ecuador's Manabí Province. In total, 518 individuals of P. howardi were collected. Infestation indices of 1.4% and 6.6% were found in the domestic and peridomestic environments, respectively. We determined a T. cruzi infection rate of 53.2% (N = 47) in this species. P. howardi has a high capacity to adapt to different habitats, especially in the peridomicile. This implies a considerable risk of transmission because of the frequency of intradomicile invasion. Therefore, this species needs to be taken into account in Chagas control and surveillance efforts in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita G Villacís
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Sofía Ocaña-Mayorga
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Mauricio S Lascano
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - César A Yumiseva
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Esteban G Baus
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Mario J Grijalva
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador; Tropical Disease Institute, Biomedical Sciences Department, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
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Santana RAG, Magalhães LKC, Magalhães LKC, Prestes SR, Maciel MG, da Silva GAV, Monteiro WM, de Brito FR, de Aguiar Raposo Câmara Coelho LI, Barbosa-Ferreira JM, Guerra JAO, Silveira H, das Graças Vale Barbosa M. Trypanosoma cruzi strain TcI is associated with chronic Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:267. [PMID: 24916362 PMCID: PMC4072607 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease in the Amazon region is considered an emerging anthropozoonosis with a predominance of the discrete typing units (DTUs) TcI and TcIV. These DTUs are responsible for cases of acute disease associated with oral transmission. Chronic disease cases have been detected through serological surveys. However, the mode of transmission could not be determined, or any association of chronic disease with a specific T. cruzi DTU’s. The aim of this study was to characterize Trypanosoma cruzi in patients with chronic Chagas disease in the State of Amazonas, Brazil. Methods Blood culture and xenodiagnosis were performed in 36 patients with positive serology for Chagas disease who participated in a serological survey performed in urban and rural areas of Manaus, Amazonas. DNA samples were extracted from the feces of triatomines used for xenodiagnosis, and the nontranscribed spacer of the mini-exon gene and the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Results Blood culture and xenodiagnosis were negative in 100% of samples; however, molecular techniques revealed that in 13 out of 36 (36%) fecal samples from xenodiagnosis, T. cruzi was characterized as the DTU TcI, and different haplotypes were identified within the same DTU. Conclusion The DTU TcI, which is mainly associated with acute cases of Chagas disease in the Amazon region, is also responsible for chronic infection in patients from a region in the State of Amazonas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Henrique Silveira
- Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical), New University of Lisbon (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), Lisbon, Portugal.
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Dias FBS, Quartier M, Diotaiuti L, Mejía G, Harry M, Lima ACL, Davidson R, Mertens F, Lucotte M, Romaña CA. Ecology of Rhodnius robustus Larrousse, 1927 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) in Attalea palm trees of the Tapajós River Region (Pará State, Brazilian Amazon). Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:154. [PMID: 24690302 PMCID: PMC3974420 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rising number of acute cases of Chagas disease in the State of Pará, reported in the past two decades, has been associated, in part, with the ingestion of juice of local palm tree fruits, mainly açaí berry and bacaba. Near the study area, in Santarém, Pará State, an outbreak of Chagas disease has been notified and investigations suggest the consumption of bacaba juice as the main source of infection with T. cruzi. The purpose of this study is to assess the aspects associated to the ecology of Rhodnius robustus in palm trees of three communities of the Tapajós region, in the State of Pará, Brazil. METHODS Palm trees were cut down and dissected to search for triatomines. DNA from triatomines was extracted to investigate natural infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli. For statistical analyzes, data from infestation of palm trees, as well as the rates of natural infection by T. cruzi and T. rangeli were compared by Chi-square test. Triatomine density values were analyzed by the nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test and then comparisons between each pair of variables were made by the Mann-Whitney test assuming a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS We dissected 136 palm trees, 60 at the end of the rainy period and 76 at the end of the dry period. Seventy-three of them (53.7%) were infested with triatomines and three species were found, namely: Rhodnius robustus, Rhodnius pictipes and Panstrongylus lignarius. We collected 743 triatomines, and R. robustus was predominant (n = 739). The identification of natural infection of the insects by trypanosomatids revealed that 125 triatomines were infected by T. cruzi, 69 by T. rangeli and 14 presented both parasites, indicating the presence of mixed infection in the same vector. CONCLUSION The results suggest that São Tomé is the community with greater density of triatomines and infestation of palm trees; also, it demonstrates the existence of an intense sylvatic cycle in the region, which demands intensive surveillance to prevent human transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Braga Stehling Dias
- Laboratório de Triatomíneos e Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Av Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-002, Brazil
- LEGS, Laboratoire Evolution Génome et Spéciation UPR 9034, DEEIT - Diversité, Ecologie et Evolution des Insectes Tropicaux, CNRS, Avenue de la Terrasse, Bâtiment 13, Boîte Postale, 191198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marion Quartier
- LEGS, Laboratoire Evolution Génome et Spéciation UPR 9034, DEEIT - Diversité, Ecologie et Evolution des Insectes Tropicaux, CNRS, Avenue de la Terrasse, Bâtiment 13, Boîte Postale, 191198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Evolution des Parasites, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Emile Argand 11 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Liléia Diotaiuti
- Laboratório de Triatomíneos e Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Av Augusto de Lima, 1715 Barro Preto, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Guy Mejía
- Centro de Investigaciones Médicas - CIBM, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Carrera 59 No. 59-92, A.A. 50595, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Myriam Harry
- LEGS, UPR9034 CNRS-IRD-Paris Sud, Av de la Terasse, BP1, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette/Université Paris Sud, UFR de Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Anna Carolina Lustosa Lima
- Centro de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia, Rua Juramento, 1464, Unidade Antônio Mourão, 3º andar Saudade, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30.285-000, Brazil
| | - Robert Davidson
- GÉOTOP & Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, H3C 3P8 Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Biodôme de Montréal, Canada, 4777, Avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, Montréal H1V 1B3, Québec, Canada
| | - Frédéric Mertens
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro - L3 Norte / Gleba A, Bloco C, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Marc Lucotte
- Biodôme de Montréal, Canada, 4777, Avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, Montréal H1V 1B3, Québec, Canada
| | - Christine A Romaña
- Université Paris Descartes/PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité. 19 rue de Dantzig, Paris 75015, France
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Trypanosoma cruzi I and IV stocks from Brazilian Amazon are divergent in terms of biological and medical properties in mice. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2069. [PMID: 23437410 PMCID: PMC3578774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the Brazilian Amazon, clinical and epidemiological frameworks of Chagas disease are very dissimilar in relation to the endemic classical areas of transmission, possibly due to genetic and biological characteristics of the circulating Trypanosoma cruzi stocks. Twenty six T. cruzi stocks from Western Amazon Region attributed to the TcI and TcIV DTUs were comparatively studied in Swiss mice to test the hypothesis that T. cruzi clonal structure has a major impact on its biological and medical properties. Methodology/Principal Findings Seventeen parameters were assayed in mice infected with 14 T. cruzi strains belonging to DTU TcI and 11 strains typed as TcIV. In comparison with TcI, TcIV stocks promoted a significantly shorter pre-patent period (p<0.001), a longer patent period (p<0.001), higher values of mean daily parasitemia (p = 0.009) and maximum of parasitemia (p = 0.015), earlier days of maximum parasitemia (p<0.001) and mortality (p = 0.018), higher mortality rates in the acute phase (p = 0.047), higher infectivity rates (p = 0.002), higher positivity in the fresh blood examination (p<0.001), higher positivity in the ELISA at the early chronic phase (p = 0.022), and a higher positivity in the ELISA at the late chronic phase (p = 0.003). On the other hand TcI showed higher values of mortality rates in the early chronic phase (p = 0.014), higher frequency of mice with inflammatory process in any organ (p = 0.005), higher frequency of mice with tissue parasitism in any organ (p = 0.027) and a higher susceptibility to benznidazole (p = 0.002) than TcIV. Survival analysis showing the time elapsed from the day of inoculation to the beginning of the patent period was significantly shorter for TcIV strains and the death episodes triggered following the infection with TcI occurred significantly later in relation to TcIV. The notable exceptions come from positivity in the hemocultures and PCR, for which the results were similar. Conclusion/Significance T. cruzi stocks belonging to TcI and TcIV DTUs from Brazilian Amazon are divergent in terms of biological and medical properties in mice. Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, constituting an important health problem in the American Continent. In the Brazilian Amazon, Chagas disease has been recognized as an emerging problem. There are few studies exploring the genetic and biological framework of stocks of T. cruzi from the Western Brazilian Amazon, where Chagas disease has a profile of lower morbidity and mortality, appearing mainly in the chronic latent form. Here, we carried out the biological characterization in mice of T. cruzi isolates belonging to TcI and TcIV DTUs from the State of Amazonas, Western Brazilian Amazon. T. cruzi stocks belonging to TcI and TcIV DTUs from Brazilian Amazon are divergent in terms of biological and medical properties in mice, with a higher virulence for the latter DTU as revealed by several biological parameters. Results strongly support the working hypothesis that biological differences are proportional to the evolutionary divergence among the DTUs, and highlight the need to take into account the phylogenetic diversity of T. cruzi natural stocks circulating in the emergent areas for Chagas disease in all applied studies dealing with clinical diversity of Chagas disease, immunology, diagnosis, prognosis, and drug and vaccine trials.
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Gottdenker NL, Chaves LF, Calzada JE, Saldaña A, Carroll CR. Host life history strategy, species diversity, and habitat influence Trypanosoma cruzi vector infection in Changing landscapes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2012; 6:e1884. [PMID: 23166846 PMCID: PMC3499412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic land use may influence transmission of multi-host vector-borne pathogens by changing diversity, relative abundance, and community composition of reservoir hosts. These reservoir hosts may have varying competence for vector-borne pathogens depending on species-specific characteristics, such as life history strategy. The objective of this study is to evaluate how anthropogenic land use change influences blood meal species composition and the effects of changing blood meal species composition on the parasite infection rate of the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius pallescens in Panama. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS R. pallescens vectors (N = 643) were collected in different habitat types across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance. Blood meal species in DNA extracted from these vectors was identified in 243 (40.3%) vectors by amplification and sequencing of a vertebrate-specific fragment of the 12SrRNA gene, and T. cruzi vector infection was determined by pcr. Vector infection rate was significantly greater in deforested habitats as compared to contiguous forests. Forty-two different species of blood meal were identified in R. pallescens, and species composition of blood meals varied across habitat types. Mammals (88.3%) dominated R. pallescens blood meals. Xenarthrans (sloths and tamanduas) were the most frequently identified species in blood meals across all habitat types. A regression tree analysis indicated that blood meal species diversity, host life history strategy (measured as r(max), the maximum intrinsic rate of population increase), and habitat type (forest fragments and peridomiciliary sites) were important determinants of vector infection with T. cruzi. The mean intrinsic rate of increase and the skewness and variability of r(max) were positively associated with higher vector infection rate at a site. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE In this study, anthropogenic landscape disturbance increased vector infection with T. cruzi, potentially by changing host community structure to favor hosts that are short-lived with high reproductive rates. Study results apply to potential environmental management strategies for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA.
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Monteiro WM, Magalhães LKC, de Sá ARN, Gomes ML, Toledo MJDO, Borges L, Pires I, de Oliveira Guerra JA, Silveira H, Barbosa MDGV. Trypanosoma cruzi IV causing outbreaks of acute Chagas disease and infections by different haplotypes in the Western Brazilian Amazonia. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41284. [PMID: 22848457 PMCID: PMC3405119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease is an emergent tropical disease in the Brazilian Amazon Region, with an increasing number of cases in recent decades. In this region, the sylvatic cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, which constitutes a reservoir of parasites that might be associated with specific molecular, epidemiological and clinical traits, has been little explored. The objective of this work is to genetically characterize stocks of T. cruzi from human cases, triatomines and reservoir mammals in the State of Amazonas, in the Western Brazilian Amazon. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We analyzed 96 T. cruzi samples from four municipalities in distant locations of the State of Amazonas. Molecular characterization of isolated parasites from cultures in LIT medium or directly from vectors or whole human blood was performed by PCR of the non-transcribed spacer of the mini-exon and of the 24 S alfa ribosomal RNA gene, RFLP and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII) gene, and by sequencing of the glucose-phosphate isomerase gene. The T. cruzi parasites from two outbreaks of acute disease were all typed as TcIV. One of the outbreaks was triggered by several haplotypes of the same DTU. TcIV also occurred in isolated cases and in Rhodnius robustus. Incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies is likely to be indicative of historical genetic exchange events resulting in mitochondrial introgression between TcIII and TcIV DTUs from Western Brazilian Amazon. TcI predominated among triatomines and was the unique DTU infecting marsupials. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE DTU TcIV, rarely associated with human Chagas disease in other areas of the Amazon basin, is the major strain responsible for the human infections in the Western Brazilian Amazon, occurring in outbreaks as single or mixed infections by different haplotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro
- Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- University of the State of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Laylah Kelre Costa Magalhães
- Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- University of the State of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Lara Borges
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Center for Malaria Studies, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isa Pires
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Center for Malaria Studies, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Augusto de Oliveira Guerra
- Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- University of the State of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Henrique Silveira
- Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Center for Malaria Studies, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria das Graças Vale Barbosa
- Tropical Medicine Foundation Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- University of the State of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Nilton Lins University Center, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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Sarquis O, Carvalho-Costa FA, Toma HK, Georg I, Burgoa MR, Lima MM. Eco-epidemiology of Chagas disease in northeastern Brazil: Triatoma brasiliensis, T. pseudomaculata and Rhodnius nasutus in the sylvatic, peridomestic and domestic environments. Parasitol Res 2011; 110:1481-5. [PMID: 21979785 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
An entomological survey was carried out in four rural localities situated in the state of Ceará, assessing Chagas disease seroprevalence in man, focusing on the presence of vectors in natural foci contiguous to the domestic and peridomestic environments. Fifty-three Triatoma brasiliensis, nine T. pseudomaculata and 71 Rhodnius nasutus were collected in their natural habitats as far as 10 m from the houses, and 663, 59 and 8 respectively were captured in peridomestic artificial structures, adjacent to the houses, including henhouses, pigpens, corrals, perches and piles of bricks, tiles and wood. Within the households, 37 T. brasiliensis, one specimen of T. pseudomaculata and one of R. nasutus were captured. Overall, Trypanosoma cruzi infection rates were 2.3% for T. brasiliensis and 11.3% for R. nasutus. Despite that the seroprevalence survey in man did not reveal positive results using two serological techniques, natural triatomine habitats are juxtaposed to man-made artificial ecotopes, resulting in overlapping habitats. The contiguity between natural ecotopes and human dwellings increases the interaction between vectors and humans, challenging continuous surveillance and vector control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otília Sarquis
- Laboratório de Ecoepidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Teixeira ARL, Hecht MM, Guimaro MC, Sousa AO, Nitz N. Pathogenesis of chagas' disease: parasite persistence and autoimmunity. Clin Microbiol Rev 2011; 24:592-630. [PMID: 21734249 PMCID: PMC3131057 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00063-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute Trypanosoma cruzi infections can be asymptomatic, but chronically infected individuals can die of Chagas' disease. The transfer of the parasite mitochondrial kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircle to the genome of chagasic patients can explain the pathogenesis of the disease; in cases of Chagas' disease with evident cardiomyopathy, the kDNA minicircles integrate mainly into retrotransposons at several chromosomes, but the minicircles are also detected in coding regions of genes that regulate cell growth, differentiation, and immune responses. An accurate evaluation of the role played by the genotype alterations in the autoimmune rejection of self-tissues in Chagas' disease is achieved with the cross-kingdom chicken model system, which is refractory to T. cruzi infections. The inoculation of T. cruzi into embryonated eggs prior to incubation generates parasite-free chicks, which retain the kDNA minicircle sequence mainly in the macrochromosome coding genes. Crossbreeding transfers the kDNA mutations to the chicken progeny. The kDNA-mutated chickens develop severe cardiomyopathy in adult life and die of heart failure. The phenotyping of the lesions revealed that cytotoxic CD45, CD8(+) γδ, and CD8α(+) T lymphocytes carry out the rejection of the chicken heart. These results suggest that the inflammatory cardiomyopathy of Chagas' disease is a genetically driven autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio R L Teixeira
- Chagas Disease Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory, University of Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil.
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Gottdenker NL, Calzada JE, Saldaña A, Carroll CR. Association of anthropogenic land use change and increased abundance of the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius pallescens in a rural landscape of Panama. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2011; 84:70-7. [PMID: 21212205 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance is associated with increased vector-borne infectious disease transmission in wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate how disturbance of a tropical forest landscape impacts abundance of the triatomine bug Rhodnius pallescens, a vector of Chagas disease, in the region of the Panama Canal in Panama. Rhodnius pallescens was collected (n = 1,186) from its primary habitat, the palm Attalea butyracea, in five habitat types reflecting a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance. There was a high proportion of palms infested with R. pallescens across all habitat types (range = 77.1-91.4%). Results show that disturbed habitats are associated with increased vector abundance compared with relatively undisturbed habitats. Bugs collected in disturbed sites, although in higher abundance, tended to be in poor body condition compared with bugs captured in protected forest sites. Abundance data suggests that forest remnants may be sources for R. pallescens populations within highly disturbed areas of the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Gottdenker
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
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Brenière SF, Bosseno MF, Gastélum EM, Soto Gutiérrez MM, de Jesús Kasten Monges M, Barraza Salas JH, Romero Paredes JJ, de Jesús Lozano Kasten F. Community participation and domiciliary occurrence of infected Meccus longipennis in two Mexican villages in Jalisco state. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 83:382-7. [PMID: 20682887 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.10-0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The entomological features of Chagas disease in two western Mexican villages were analyzed through triatomines collection by the inhabitants and active research in the peridomicile. The inhabitant collections have the following comparable characteristics: 1) Meccus longipennis was the dominant species (> 91%), 2) around 43% of the insects were collected indoors, 3) about 70% of triatomines were adults, 4) cumulated rates of infestation of the dwellings reached 40-50%, 5) the triatomine infection rate by Trypanosoma cruzi was > 50%, and 6) the indoor triatomines frequently feed on humans (range 38.5-56.2%). However, the collection was twice as abundant in the first village and the peridomicile infestation, evaluated by the active collection, reached up to 60% and only 4.9% in the other village. Furthermore, females predominated in the first village, whereas males in the other. The current results allow discussing the course of action to prevent Chagas disease in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Frédérique Brenière
- Département Sociétés et Santé, UR 016 Caractérisation et Contrôle des Populations de Vecteurs, Montpellier, France.
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Inheritance of DNA transferred from American trypanosomes to human hosts. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9181. [PMID: 20169193 PMCID: PMC2820539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2009] [Accepted: 01/04/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Interspecies DNA transfer is a major biological process leading to the accumulation of mutations inherited by sexual reproduction among eukaryotes. Lateral DNA transfer events and their inheritance has been challenging to document. In this study we modified a thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR by using additional targeted primers, along with Southern blots, fluorescence techniques, and bioinformatics, to identify lateral DNA transfer events from parasite to host. Instances of naturally occurring human infections by Trypanosoma cruzi are documented, where mitochondrial minicircles integrated mainly into retrotransposable LINE-1 of various chromosomes. The founders of five families show minicircle integrations that were transferred vertically to their progeny. Microhomology end-joining of 6 to 22 AC-rich nucleotide repeats in the minicircles and host DNA mediates foreign DNA integration. Heterogeneous minicircle sequences were distributed randomly among families, with diversity increasing due to subsequent rearrangement of inserted fragments. Mosaic recombination and hitchhiking on retrotransposition events to different loci were more prevalent in germ line as compared to somatic cells. Potential new genes, pseudogenes, and knockouts were identified. A pathway of minicircle integration and maintenance in the host genome is suggested. Thus, infection by T. cruzi has the unexpected consequence of increasing human genetic diversity, and Chagas disease may be a fortuitous share of negative selection. This demonstration of contemporary transfer of eukaryotic DNA to the human genome and its subsequent inheritance by descendants introduces a significant change in the scientific concept of evolutionary biology and medicine.
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Parra ZE, Baker ML, Hathaway J, Lopez AM, Trujillo J, Sharp A, Miller RD. Comparative genomic analysis and evolution of the T cell receptor loci in the opossum Monodelphis domestica. BMC Genomics 2008; 9:111. [PMID: 18312668 PMCID: PMC2275272 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-9-111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2007] [Accepted: 02/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND All jawed-vertebrates have four T cell receptor (TCR) chains: alpha (TRA), beta (TRB), gamma (TRG) and delta (TRD). Marsupials appear unique by having an additional TCR: mu (TRM). The evolutionary origin of TRM and its relationship to other TCR remain obscure, and is confounded by previous results that support TRM being a hybrid between a TCR and immunoglobulin locus. The availability of the first marsupial genome sequence allows investigation of these evolutionary relationships. RESULTS The organization of the conventional TCR loci, encoding the TRA, TRB, TRG and TRD chains, in the opossum Monodelphis domestica are highly conserved with and of similar complexity to that of eutherians (placental mammals). There is a high degree of conserved synteny in the genomic regions encoding the conventional TCR across mammals and birds. In contrast the chromosomal region containing TRM is not well conserved across mammals. None of the conventional TCR loci contain variable region gene segments with homology to those found in TRM; rather TRM variable genes are most similar to that of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes. CONCLUSION Complete genomic analyses of the opossum TCR loci continue to support an origin of TRM as a hybrid between a TCR and immunoglobulin locus. None of the conventional TCR loci contain evidence that such a recombination event occurred, rather they demonstrate a high degree of stability across distantly related mammals. TRM, therefore, appears to be derived from receptor genes no longer extant in placental mammals. These analyses provide the first genomic scale structural detail of marsupial TCR genes, a lineage of mammals used as models of early development and human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuly E Parra
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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30
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Monteiro RV, Dietz JM, Raboy B, Beck B, De Vleeschouwer K, Vleeschouwer KD, Baker A, Martins A, Jansen AM. Parasite community interactions: Trypanosoma cruzi and intestinal helminths infecting wild golden lion tamarins Leontopithecus rosalia and golden-headed lion tamarins L. chrysomelas (Callitrichidae, L., 1766). Parasitol Res 2007; 101:1689-98. [PMID: 17676342 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-007-0652-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2007] [Revised: 06/20/2007] [Accepted: 06/25/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The parasite prevalence and infection intensity in primate wild populations can be affected by many variables linked to host and/or parasite ecology or either to interparasite competition/mutualism. In this study, we tested how host sex, age, and place of origin, as well parasitic concomitant infections affect the structure of golden lion and golden-headed lion tamarins parasite community, considering Trypanosoma cruzi and intestinal helminths infection in these primates. A total of 206 tamarins from two Atlantic Coastal rain forest areas in Brazil were tested during 4 years for prevalence of T. cruzi infection and helminth prevalence. Three intestinal helminth groups showed high prevalences in both tamarin species: Prosthenorchis sp., Spiruridae, and Trichostrongylidae. An association between presence of T. cruzi infection and higher intestinal helminth prevalence was found in both tamarin species. Two explanations for this association seem to be plausible: (1) lower helminth-linked mortality rates in T. cruzi-infected tamarins and (2) lower elimination rates of helminths in such tamarins. A higher frequency of T. cruzi-positive blood cultures was significantly correlated to female tamarins and to the presence of Trichostrongylidae infection. The possibility of an increase in the transmissibility of T. cruzi and the three analyzed helminths in lion tamarins with concomitant infections is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael V Monteiro
- Lab. Biologia de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21040-360, Brazil
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31
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Teixeira ARL, Nitz N, Guimaro MC, Gomes C, Santos-Buch CA. Chagas disease. Postgrad Med J 2006; 82:788-98. [PMID: 17148699 PMCID: PMC2653922 DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.2006.047357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2006] [Accepted: 07/13/2006] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is the clinical condition triggered by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The infection is transmitted by triatomine insects while blood feeding on a human host. Field studies predict that one third of an estimated 18 million T cruzi-infected humans in Latin America will die of Chagas disease. Acute infections are usually asymptomatic, but the ensuing chronic T cruzi infections have been associated with high ratios of morbidity and mortality: Chagas heart disease leads to unexpected death in 37.5% of patients, 58% develop heart failure and die and megacolon or megaoesophagus has been associated with death in 4.5%. The pathogenesis of Chagas disease appears to be related to a parasite-induced mutation of the vertebrate genome. Currently, treatment is unsatisfactory.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R L Teixeira
- Chagas Disease Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, PO Box 04536 70919-970, Federal District, Brazil.
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32
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Hardison JL, Wrightsman RA, Carpenter PM, Lane TE, Manning JE. The chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 promote a protective immune response but do not contribute to cardiac inflammation following infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Infect Immun 2006; 74:125-34. [PMID: 16368965 PMCID: PMC1346648 DOI: 10.1128/iai.74.1.125-134.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2005] [Revised: 09/13/2005] [Accepted: 09/28/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of chemokines within the heart during experimental infection of susceptible mice with the Colombiana strain of Trypanosoma cruzi was characterized in an attempt to determine a functional role for these molecules in both host defense and disease. Analysis of chemokine transcripts revealed that CXC chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) and CXCL10, as well as CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and CCL5, were prominently expressed during acute disease, whereas transcripts for CXCL9, CXCL10, and CCL5 remained elevated during chronic infection. Inflammatory macrophages present within the heart were the primary cellular source of these chemokines following T. cruzi infection. Peak chemokine expression levels coincided with increased gamma interferon expression and inflammation within the heart, suggesting a role for these molecules in both host defense and disease. Indeed, simultaneous treatment of T. cruzi-infected mice with neutralizing antibodies specific for CXCL9 and CXCL10 resulted in an increased parasite burden that was sustained out to 50 days p.i. Antibody targeting either CXCL10 or CCL5 did not change either T. cruzi burden within the heart nor attenuate the severity of cardiac inflammation at any time point examined, while targeting CXCL9 in combination with CXCL10 resulted in increased parasite burden. Collectively, these studies imply that CXCL9 and CXCL10 signaling enhances immune responses following parasite infection. However, antibody targeting of CXCL9 and CXCL10, or CXCL10 alone, or CCL5 alone does not directly modulate the inflammatory response within the heart, suggesting that other proinflammatory factors are able to regulate inflammation in this tissue in response to T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny L Hardison
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 3205 McGaugh Hall, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
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