Environment, interactions between Trypanosoma cruzi and its host, and health

Teixeira, Antônio R. L.; Gomes, Clever; Lozzi, Silene P.; Hecht, Markus; Rosa, Ana de Cássia; Monteiro, Pedro Sadi; Bussacos, Ana; Nitz, Nadjar; McManus, Concepta

doi:10.1590/s0102-311x2009001300004

Cited by 25 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…American trypanosomiasis was set in motion in the ecosystem, where there is a sympatry of triatomine vectors and mammal reservoirs of T. cruzi infections. Hematophagy guided the spread of the triatomines, which propagated infections in the American continent (410).…”

Section: Orders Of Mammals Infected By Trypanosoma Cruzimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Actually, caviomorph rodents (i.e., guinea pigs and relatives) are particularly important because they have an ancient coevolutionary history with T. cruzi, widely spread in the American continent (138). The use of murine species has been fundamental for studies of T. cruzi infections aiming at the assessment of therapeutic regimes (89,364,410).…”

Section: Orders Of Mammals Infected By Trypanosoma Cruzimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…HIV infection profoundly affects some T. cruzi-infected individuals, sometimes presenting a long silent clinical course and other times presenting an overwhelming recrudescence of the myocarditis and/or meningoencephalitis (88,433). A growing concern is our understanding of these coinfections, which demand further investigations in regions of the world where this disease is both endemic and not endemic (410). In this respect, a comprehension of the pathogeneses of coinfections involved is crucial for the delivery of new therapeutic strategies, and chemokine receptors may become important therapeutic targets for immunosuppressed patients (263).…”

Section: Immunosuppressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regardless of the interpretations of causes and consequences, an early report of acute Chagas' disease myocarditis showed quiescent parasitism contrasting with active inflammatory lesions (424). The absence of parasitism in the tissue lesions endangers the theory of parasite persistence; a great majority of chronic chagasic patients (ϳ90%) who succumb to the disease do not show parasitic nests in histological sections of the heart (410). The failure to demonstrate the parasite in the tissues of chagasic patients is a major objection against the theory of parasite persistence (Table 3).…”

Section: Parasite Persistencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pathogenesis of Chagas' Disease: Parasite Persistence and Autoimmunity

et al. 2011

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SUMMARY 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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Section: Orders Of Mammals Infected By Trypanosoma Cruzimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Orders Of Mammals Infected By Trypanosoma Cruzimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Immunosuppressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Parasite Persistencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pathogenesis of Chagas' Disease: Parasite Persistence and Autoimmunity

et al. 2011

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“…The triatomine vector, or “kissing bug,” serves as the predominate mode of transmission, particularly in established sylvatic and/or domestic transmission cycles [3]. Over 100 different wildlife mammalian species are competent reservoirs of disease and have been implicated in propagation of sylvatic transmission cycles in nature [4]. Canines, in particular, are important components of peridomestic transmission, resulting in a bridge between sylvatic and domestic transmission cycles [5–7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One Health Interactions of Chagas Disease Vectors, Canid Hosts, and Human Residents along the Texas-Mexico Border

et al. 2016

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BackgroundChagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection) is the leading cause of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in Latin America. Texas, particularly the southern region, has compounding factors that could contribute to T. cruzi transmission; however, epidemiologic studies are lacking. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of T. cruzi in three different mammalian species (coyotes, stray domestic dogs, and humans) and vectors (Triatoma species) to understand the burden of Chagas disease among sylvatic, peridomestic, and domestic cycles.Methodology/Principal FindingsTo determine prevalence of infection, we tested sera from coyotes, stray domestic dogs housed in public shelters, and residents participating in related research studies and found 8%, 3.8%, and 0.36% positive for T. cruzi, respectively. PCR was used to determine the prevalence of T. cruzi DNA in vectors collected in peridomestic locations in the region, with 56.5% testing positive for the parasite, further confirming risk of transmission in the region.Conclusions/SignificanceOur findings contribute to the growing body of evidence for autochthonous Chagas disease transmission in south Texas. Considering this region has a population of 1.3 million, and up to 30% of T. cruzi infected individuals developing severe cardiac disease, it is imperative that we identify high risk groups for surveillance and treatment purposes.

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Chagas Disease Knowledge and Risk Behaviors of the Homeless Population in Houston, TX

Ingber

Garcia

León

et al. 2017

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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Chagas disease is a parasitic infection, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, endemic in Latin America. Sylvatic T. cruzi-infected triatomine vectors are present in rural and urban areas in the southern USA and may transmit T. cruzi infection to at-risk populations, such as homeless individuals. Our study aimed to evaluate Chagas disease knowledge and behaviors potentially associated with transmission risk of Chagas disease among Houston, Texas' homeless population by performing interviews with 212 homeless individuals. The majority of the 212 surveyed homeless individuals were male (79%), African-American (43%), American-born individuals (96%). About 30% of the individuals reported having seen triatomines in Houston, and 25% had evidence of blood-borne transmission risk (IV drug use and/or unregulated tattoos). The median total time homeless was significantly associated with recognition of the triatomine vector. Our survey responses indicate that the homeless populations may exhibit potential risks for Chagas disease, due to increased vector exposure, and participation in blood-borne pathogen risk behaviors. Our findings warrant additional research to quantify the prevalence of Chagas disease among homeless populations.

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Environment, interactions between Trypanosoma cruzi and its host, and health

Abstract: An epidemiological chain involving Trypanosoma

Cited by 25 publications

References 42 publications

Pathogenesis of Chagas' Disease: Parasite Persistence and Autoimmunity

Pathogenesis of Chagas' Disease: Parasite Persistence and Autoimmunity

One Health Interactions of Chagas Disease Vectors, Canid Hosts, and Human Residents along the Texas-Mexico Border

Chagas Disease Knowledge and Risk Behaviors of the Homeless Population in Houston, TX

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