Possible risk factors for vertical transmission of Chagas' disease

Bittencourt, Achiléa Lisboa

doi:10.1590/s0036-46651992000500006

Cited by 86 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Treatment of congenital infections -T. cruzi congenital transmission may occur in some or all pregnancies in the infected mother, whether in the acute or chronic stages, normally with oligoparasitaemia and usually as an asymptomatic disease (Bittencourt 1992). Variable rates of congenital transmission have been reported in different geographical areas where distinct parasite strains predominate, suggesting that parasite genotypes might play a role in the risk of congenital transmission.…”

Section: Usefulness Of Pcr For Establishing Drug Efficacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Usefulness of PCR-based assays to assess drug efficacy in Chagas disease chemotherapy: value and limitations

Britto¹

2009

Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Usefulness Of Pcr For Establishing Drug Efficacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Usefulness of PCR-based assays to assess drug efficacy in Chagas disease chemotherapy: value and limitations

Britto¹

2009

Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…5 The infected pregnant mother can transmit the parasite both in the acute stage in which the parasitemia is high, as well as in the chronic stage, characterized by oligoparasitemia and in which the disease is usually asymptomatic. 6 The infected newborn may show a clinical picture characterized by prematurity, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, jaundice, anemia, and alterations in the central nervous system, resulting in a high mortality rate. 2,7 Only after six months of age does the persistence of anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies in the infant's bloodstream becomes relevant in confirming T. cruzi infection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment of congenital Chagas' disease diagnosed and followed up by the polymerase chain reaction.

Russomando¹,

Tomassone²,

Guillén³

et al. 1998

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

130

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. In 1991 and 1992, a prenatal screening of Trypanosoma cruzi infection was carried out using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. A total of 840 blood samples from pregnant women, obtained at the Maternity Ward of the Hospital de Clínicas, National University of Asunción (Asunción, Paraguay), and 1,022 samples from the Regional Hospital of the San Pedro Department of Paraguay were examined. It was observed that 7.7% and 10.5%, respectively, of the pregnant women were serologically positive for infection with T. cruzi. When blood samples obtained from newborns on the day of birth or, at the most, on the first few days afterwards were examined by direct microscopic observation, an incidence of congenital transmission of 3% was found. These results are consistent with those of neighboring countries. When a serologic follow-up was conducted on the newborns until six months of age, the incidence of congenital transmission reached 10%. The same incidence rate was obtained when the samples collected during the first days after birth were examined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fiftyeight infants born to seropositive mothers were followed-up, two of which were positive by direct microscopic observation at birth, and four who were PCR-positive, but microscopy-negative at birth. None of the infants were positive for IgM at birth. The infected babies were treated with benznidazole and were followed-up by serology and PCR for four years. We conclude that the PCR has a clear advantage over conventional techniques for the early detection of congenital transmission of T. cruzi infection, and for monitoring infants undergoing chemotherapy.

show abstract

“…The transplacentary transmission of T. cruzi has been shown in several stages of pregnancy 5,8,12 , with risk of T. cruzi transmission during the successive pregnancies 5,8 of chagasic mothers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The level of circulating T. cruzi parasites has been already mentioned as a possible factor for congenital Chagas' disease transmission 8 . The presence of anti-T. cruzi IgM antibodies during pregnancy as observed in two HIV positive mothers indicates of Chagas' disease reactivation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are regional differences in the incidence rates of congenital chagasic infection, which vary from 1.1 % to 18.5% when parasitological methods are applied for diagnosis 2,3,6,22,24,26 . The risk factors for recurrent congenital transmission by chagasic pregnant women have not been clearly defined, but may be influenced by the strains of T. cruzi or the level of parasitemia 8 . The presence of T. cruzi at birth substantiates the diagnosis of congenital Chagas' disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A survey of congenital Chagas’ disease, carried out at three Health Institutions in São Paulo City, Brazil

Nisida

Neto

Braz

et al. 1999

Rev. Inst. Med. trop. S. Paulo

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The congenital transmission of Chagas’ disease was evaluated in 57 pregnant women with Chagas’ disease and their 58 offspring. The patients were selected from three Health Institutions in São Paulo City. The maternal clinical forms of Chagas’ disease were: indeterminate (47.4%), cardiac (43.8%) and digestive (8.8%); 55 were born in endemic areas and two in São Paulo City. The transmission of Chagas’ disease at fetal level was confirmed in three (5.17%) of the 58 cases studied and one probably case of congenital Chagas’ disease. Two infected infants were born to chagasic women with HIV infection and were diagnosed by parasitolological assays (microhematocrit, quantitative buffy coat-QBC or artificial xenodiagnosis). In both cases the placenta revealed T. cruzi and HIV p24 antigens detected by immunohistochemistry. In one case, a 14-week old abortus, the diagnosis of congenital T. cruzi infection was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The other probable infection, a 30-week old stillborn, the parasites were found in the placenta and umbilical cord. The Western blot method using trypomastigote excreted/secreted antigens of T. cruzi (TESA) was positive for IgG antibodies in 54/55 newborns and for IgM in 1/55 newborns. One of the two newborns with circulating parasites had no detectable IgG or IgM antibodies. The assessment of IgG antibodies in the sera of pregnant women and their newborns was performed by ELISA using two different T. cruzi antigens: an alkaline extract of epimastigotes (EAE) and trypomastigote excreted/secreted antigens (TESA). The analysis showed a linear correlation between maternal and newborn IgG antibody titers at birth.

show abstract

Possible risk factors for vertical transmission of Chagas' disease

Cited by 86 publications

References 14 publications

Usefulness of PCR-based assays to assess drug efficacy in Chagas disease chemotherapy: value and limitations

Usefulness of PCR-based assays to assess drug efficacy in Chagas disease chemotherapy: value and limitations

Treatment of congenital Chagas' disease diagnosed and followed up by the polymerase chain reaction.

A survey of congenital Chagas’ disease, carried out at three Health Institutions in São Paulo City, Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About