Characterization of T cell clones from chagasic patients: predominance of CD8 surface phenotype in clones from patients with pathology

Abstract

Human Chagas' disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is associated with pathological processes whose mechanisms are not known. To address this question, T cell lines were developed from chronic chagasic patients peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cloned. These T cell clones (TCC) were analyzed phenotypically with monoclonal antibodies by the use of a fluorescence microscope. The surface phenotype of the TCC from the asymptomatic patient were predominantly CD4 positive (86%). On the contrary, the surface phenotype CD8 was predominant in the TCC from the patients suffering from cardiomegaly with right bundle branch block (83%), bradycardia with megacolon (75 %) and bradycardia (75%). Future studies will be developed in order to identify the antigens eliciting these T cell subpopulations

Involvement of neutrophils in Chagas disease pathology

“…The Th1 cells also appear to act on the differentiation and activation of CD8 + T lymphocytes . The CD8 + T lymphocytes have a protective role during T cruzi infection, since they destroy cells infected by the parasite; however, they are responsible for the cytotoxicity against host cells, causing cytolysis and fibrosis, and the destruction of cardiac myofibers …”

“…11 The CD8 + T lymphocytes have a protective role during T cruzi infection, since they destroy cells infected by the parasite; however, they are responsible for the cytotoxicity against host cells, causing cytolysis and fibrosis, and the destruction of cardiac myofibers. [11][12][13] It is unquestionable that adaptive immune response is responsible for the arrangement of T cruzi infection control. On the other hand, the effector mechanisms triggered by these cells involve the effective participation of innate immunity components, mainly macrophages and neutrophils.…”