“…Diagnosis can be made through direct evidence of parasite on fresh blood samples or by indirect methods such as xenodiagnosis or hemoculture [Chiari 1999; Dubner et al 2008]. Classic serological tests may be negative during this phase, although anti-parasite IgM and IgG detection is possible [Antas et al 1999].…”
Section: Acute Chagas Disease: the Impact Of Efficient Diagnosis On Ementioning
The interaction between the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and the human host dates back 9000 years, as demonstrated by molecular analysis of material obtained from Andean mummies indicating the presence of the parasite’s kinetoplast DNA in populations from Chile and Peru. This long-established interaction, which persists today, demonstrates that T. cruzi has established a very well adapted relationship with the human host. From a host-parasite relationship point-of-view this is desirable, however, such a high degree of adaptation is perhaps the foundation for many of the unknowns that surround this disease. Unveiling of the immunological mechanisms that underlie the establishment of pathology, identification of parasite-associated factors that determine strain-differential tissue tropism, discovery of host genetic elements that influence the development of different clinical forms of the disease, and understanding environmental factors that may influence the host-parasite interactions, are some of the key questions remaining to be answered. The response to these questions will aid in addressing some of the current challenges in Chagas disease: fulfilling the need for efficient diagnosis, developing effective prophylactic measures, discovering effective therapeutics, and finding methods to control disease progression.
“…Diagnosis can be made through direct evidence of parasite on fresh blood samples or by indirect methods such as xenodiagnosis or hemoculture [Chiari 1999; Dubner et al 2008]. Classic serological tests may be negative during this phase, although anti-parasite IgM and IgG detection is possible [Antas et al 1999].…”
Section: Acute Chagas Disease: the Impact Of Efficient Diagnosis On Ementioning
The interaction between the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and the human host dates back 9000 years, as demonstrated by molecular analysis of material obtained from Andean mummies indicating the presence of the parasite’s kinetoplast DNA in populations from Chile and Peru. This long-established interaction, which persists today, demonstrates that T. cruzi has established a very well adapted relationship with the human host. From a host-parasite relationship point-of-view this is desirable, however, such a high degree of adaptation is perhaps the foundation for many of the unknowns that surround this disease. Unveiling of the immunological mechanisms that underlie the establishment of pathology, identification of parasite-associated factors that determine strain-differential tissue tropism, discovery of host genetic elements that influence the development of different clinical forms of the disease, and understanding environmental factors that may influence the host-parasite interactions, are some of the key questions remaining to be answered. The response to these questions will aid in addressing some of the current challenges in Chagas disease: fulfilling the need for efficient diagnosis, developing effective prophylactic measures, discovering effective therapeutics, and finding methods to control disease progression.
“…In addition, positive results from blood culture (BC) and PCR have been found in patients previously demonstrating consistently negative serological tests (Ávila et al 1993, Gomes et al 1999, Castro et al 2002, reinforcing the importance and need for simultaneous use of parasitological and molecular tests in Chagas disease diagnosis. The literature strongly suggests that the variable efficacies of parasitological methods, such as BC and xenodiagnosis, in Chagas disease diagnosis (Portela-Lindoso & Shikanai-Yasuda 2003) are highly specific, but with low sensitivity (Chiari 1999).…”
“…Después de diez años post-terapia (año 2002), todos los pacientes mantienen la serología convencional positiva (IFI y ELISA) y en el 89,2% de los casos se evidencia mediante XD o PCR o ambos, la persistencia de T. cruzi circulante. La mayor sensibilidad de PCR en comparación con XD obtenida en el presente estudio, ya ha sido previamente reportada 6,23 , validando su uso como herramienta de evaluación de eficacia quimioterapéutica 17,18,24 . Al correlacionar los resultados epidemiológicos y parasitológicos, diez años después de concluida la terapia, es posible sostener, que la persistencia de la parasitemia no está directamente relacionada con la exposición a T. infestans intradomiciliario, puesto que en comparación con el año 1992, las condiciones favorables para su desarrollo por efectos de los Programas de Control del Vector y mejoramiento de la vivienda rural, se han visto disminuidas.…”
Section: Resultsunclassified
“…Tras la aplicación de esta iniciativa, se certificó a Chile como el segundo país que ha interrumpido la transmisión vectorial de la enfermedad de Chagas 5 . Paralelo a estos importantes avances, la Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa (PCR) se ha constituido en una promisoria herramienta de diagnóstico, amplificando ADN de Trypanosoma cruzi desde regiones altamente repetidas del genoma del parásito 6 , demostrando alta sensibilidad [7][8][9] . Otro aspecto ampliamente abordado por diferentes grupos de investigación, ha sido la quimioterapia de la enfermedad de Chagas crónica, etapa para la cual, se ha sugerido investigar medicamentos diseñados para afecciones no relacionadas que exhiban actividad contra T. cruzi y sean inocuos para el hombre 10,11 .…”
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.