Amastigotes forms of Trypanosoma cruzi detected in a renal allograft

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease assumes two distinct forms in vertebrate hosts: circulating trypomastigote and tissular amastigote. This latter form infects predominantly the myocardium, smooth and skeletal muscle, and central nervous system. The present work describes for the first time the detection of amastigote forms of T. cruzi in the renal parenchyma of a kidney graft recipient one month after transplantation. The patient was serologically negative for Chagas' disease and received no blood transfusion prior to transplant. The cadaver donor was from an endemic area for Chagas' disease. The recipient developed the acute form of the disease with detection of amastigote forms of T. cruzi in the renal allograft biopsy and circulating trypomastigote forms. The present report demonstrates that T. cruzi can infect the renal parenchyma. This mode of transmission warrants in endemic areas of Chagas' disease.

Induction of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide by Trypanosoma cruzi in renal cells

“…In contrast, infection of renal tissue by T. cruzi is rarely addressed. Most studies referring to Chagas disease in the kidney are related to organ transplantation (Carvalho et al 1997;Riarte et al 1999;Arias et al 2006). In the murine model, infection by T. cruzi is dispersed with parasites found in several organs, including the kidney (Lenzi et al 1996).…”

Acute Trypanosoma cruzi experimental infection induced renal ischemic/reperfusion lesion in mice

“…Most of the work that connects the kidney and Chagas' disease addresses the issue of organ transplantation (Carvalho et al 1997;Riarte et al 1999;Arias et al 2006). Lenzi et al (1996) described a disseminated form of T. cruzi infection during the acute phase and tissue injury associated to parasite presence.…”

High prevalence anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies, among blood donors in the State of Puebla, a non-endemic area of Mexico

“…During the past decades, because of the migration from rural to urban areas, while decreasing the rural population exposed to infected vectors (Quintero et al 1990), Chagas disease became frequent in cities and a health problem in a non endemic countries, where it can be transmitted vertically and by blood transmission (Schumunis 1999a) or organ transplantation (Carvalho et al 1997). This, thus increases the possibility of alternative pathways to disease contamination.…”