Cytokine profiling in Chagas disease: towards understanding the association with infecting Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units (a BENEFIT TRIAL sub-study).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chagas disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is an important public health problem in Latin America. The immunological mechanisms involved in Chagas disease pathogenesis remain incompletely elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore cytokine profiles and their possible association to the infecting DTU and the pathogenesis of Chagas disease.

Methods

109 sero-positive T. cruzi patients and 21 negative controls from Bolivia and Colombia, were included. Flow cytometry assays for 13 cytokines were conducted on human sera. Patients were divided into two groups: in one we compared the quantification of cytokines between patients with and without chronic cardiomyopathy; in second group we compared the levels of cytokines and the genetic variability of T.

SUBMITTER: Poveda C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3946691 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature