Highly homogeneous Trypanosoma cruzi populations in a low endemic region for Chagas disease: importance in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease in Chile
Muñoz, S.; Lorca, M.; Muñoz, P.; Solari, A.
Revista Medica de Chile 122(11): 1231-1238
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-9887 PMID: 7659892 Document Number: 425116
Trypanosoma cruzi organisms isolated from 23 chronic and acute cases of Chagas' disease were isolated and further characterized. They displayed a remarkable similarity, after typing by schizodeme analysis using restriction endonuclease Eco Ri. All T. cruzi isolates belonged to the isoenzymatic Zymodeme 2 Bol. These findings were corroborated analysing cases from families with demonstrated congenital transmission. The acute cases were newborns or offspring of infected mothers or patients with AIDS. All T. cruzi strains isolated in these cases were very similar with almost identical schizodemes. Patients with AIDS had severe clinical manifestations whereas children with congenital infections had a great variety of clinical symptoms. In chronic cases, little clinical differences were observed for the different T. cruzi strains. It is concluded that there is a low correlation between the T. cruzi strain and the clinical prognosis of Chagas' disease, the host's genetic background and immune response being of greater relevance.