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Current status and perspectives of cell therapy in Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One century after its discovery, Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a major health problem in Latin America. Mortality and morbidity are mainly due to chronic processes that lead to dysfunction of the cardiac and digestive systems. About one third of the chronic chagasic individuals have or will develop the symptomatic forms of the disease, with cardiomyopathy being the most common chronic form. This is a progressively debilitating disease for which there are no currently available effective treatments other than heart transplantation. Like in other cardiac diseases, tissue engineering ...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Soares MB, Santos RR Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

The BENEFIT trial: testing the hypothesis that trypanocidal therapy is beneficial for patients with chronic Chagas heart disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Among the pathophysiological derangements operating in the chronic phase of Chagas disease, parasite persistence is likely to constitute the main mechanism of myocardial injury in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. The presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in the heart causes a low-grade, but relentless, inflammatory process and induces myocardial autoimmune injury. These facts suggest that trypanocidal therapy may positively impact the clinical course of patients with chronic Chagas heart disease. However, the experimental and clinical evidence currently available is insufficient to support the routine use of etio...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Marin-Neto JA, Rassi A, Avezum A, Mattos AC, Rassi A Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Ergosterol biosynthesis and drug development for Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article presents an overview of the currently available drugs nifurtimox (NFX) and benznidazole (BZN) used against Trypanosoma cruzi, the aetiological agent of Chagas disease; herein we discuss their limitations along with potential alternatives with a focus on ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors (EBI). These compounds are currently the most advanced candidates for new anti-T. cruzi agents given that they block de novo production of 24-alkyl-sterols, which are essential for parasite survival and cannot be replaced by a host's own cholesterol. Among these compounds, new triazole derivatives that inhibit the parasite's C...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Urbina JA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Experimental chemotherapy for Chagas disease: 15 years of research contributions from in vivo and in vitro studies.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this report, we present an overview of these in vitro and in vivo studies, focusing on the most promising classes of compounds with the aim of contributing to the current knowledge of the treatment of Chagas disease and aiding in the development of a new arsenal of candidates with anti-T. cruzi efficacy. PMID: 19649468 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Soeiro Mde N, Dantas AP, Daliry A, Silva CF, Batista DG, Souza EM, Oliveira GM, Salomão K, Batista MM, Pacheco MG, Silva PB, Santa-Rita RM, Barreto RF, Boykin DW, Castro SL Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Proline racemases: insights into Trypanosoma cruzi peptides containing D-proline.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Trypanosoma cruzi proline racemases (TcPRAC) are homodimeric enzymes that interconvert the L and D-enantiomers of proline. At least two paralogous copies of proline racemase (PR) genes are present per parasite haploid genome and they are differentially expressed during T. cruzi development. Non-infective epimastigote forms that overexpress PR genes differentiate more readily into metacyclic infective forms that are more invasive to host cells, indicating that PR participates in mechanisms of virulence acquisition. Using a combination of biochemical and enzymatic methods, we show here that, in addition to free D-amino a...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Coatnoan N, Berneman A, Chamond N, Minoprio P Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Protective immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Upon infection, Trypanosoma cruzi triggers a strong immune response that has both protective and pathological consequences. In this work, several important questions regarding protective immunity are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on recent studies of the important protective role of CD8+ T cells and on previous studies of immunisation of domestic T. cruzi reservoirs that sought to address practical vaccination problems. Research on the maturation of memory cells and studies indicating that the prevalence of T. cruzi-specific T-cell responses and a high frequency of committed CD8+ T cells are associated with better clini...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Parodi C, Padilla AM, Basombrío MA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Swimming against the current: genetic vaccination against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Vaccines have had an unquestionable impact on public health during the last century. The most likely reason for the success of vaccines is the robust protective properties of specific antibodies. However, antibodies exert a strong selective pressure and many microorganisms, such as the obligatory intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, have been selected to survive in their presence. Although the host develops a strong immune response to T. cruzi, they do not clear the infection and instead progress to the chronic phase of the disease. Parasite persistence during the chronic phase of infection is now considered the m...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Rodrigues MM, Alencar BC, Claser C, Tzelepis F, Silveira EL, Haolla FA, Dominguez MR, Vasconcelos JR Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Perspectives of vaccination in Chagas disease revisited.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The perspectives for a Chagas Disease vaccine 30 years ago and today are compared. Antigens and adjuvants have improved, but logistic problems remain the same. Sterilizing vaccines have not been produced and animal models for chronic Chagas have not been developed. Vector control has been successful and Chagas incidence has come to a halt. We do not have a population candidate to vaccination now in Brazil. And if we had, we would not know how to evaluate the success of vaccination in a short time period. A vaccine may not seem important at the moment. However, scientific reasons and incertitudes about the future recomm...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Camargo EP Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

alpha-N-acetylglucosamine-linked O-glycans of sialoglycoproteins (Tc-mucins) from Trypanosoma cruzi Colombiana strain.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Trypanosoma cruzi sialoglycoproteins (Tc-mucins) are mucin-like molecules linked to a parasite membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. We previously determined the structures of Tc-mucin O-glycan domains from several T. cruzi strains and observed significant differences among them. We now report the amino acid content and structure of Tc-mucin O-glycan chains from T. cruzi Colombiana, a strain resistant to common trypanocidal drugs. Amino acid analysis demonstrated the predominance of threonine residues (42%) and helped to identify the O-glycans as belonging to a Tc-mucin family that contain a (2)-galactofu...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Todeschini AR, Almeida EG, Agrellos OA, Jones C, Previato JO, Mendonça-Previato L Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Two approaches to discovering and developing new drugs for Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This review will focus on two general approaches carried out at the Sandler Center, University of California, San Francisco, to address the challenge of developing new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. The first approach is target-based drug discovery, and two specific targets, cytochrome P450 CYP51 and cruzain (aka cruzipain), are discussed. A 'proof of concept' molecule, the vinyl sulfone inhibitor K777, is now a clinical candidate. The preclinical assessment compliance for filing as an Investigational New Drug with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is presented, and an outline of potentia...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: McKerrow J, Doyle P, Engel J, Podust L, Robertson S, Ferreira R, Saxton T, Arkin M, Kerr I, Brinen L, Craik C Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

The importance of apoptosis for immune regulation in Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Host cell apoptosis plays an important immune regulatory role in parasitic infections. Infection of mice with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, induces lymphocyte apoptosis. In addition, phagocytosis of apoptotic cells stimulates the growth of T. cruzi inside host macrophages. In spite of progress made in this area, the importance of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease remains unclear. Here we review the evidence of apoptosis in mice and humans infected with T. cruzi. We also discuss the mechanisms by which apoptosis can influence underlying host responses and tissue damage during Ch...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Dosreis GA, Lopes MF Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Immunological and non-immunological effects of cytokines and chemokines in the pathogenesis of chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The pathogenesis of Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC) is not well understood. Since studies show that myocarditis is more frequent during the advanced stages of the disease, and the prognosis of CCC is worse than that of other dilated cardiomyopathies of non-inflammatory aetiology, which suggest that the inflammatory infiltrate plays a major role in myocardial damage. In the last decade, increasing evidence has shown that inflammatory cytokines and chemokines play a role in the generation of the inflammatory infiltrate and tissue damage. CCC patients have an increased peripheral production of the inflammatory Th1 cyt...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Cunha-Neto E, Nogueira LG, Teixeira PC, Ramasawmy R, Drigo SA, Goldberg AC, Fonseca SG, Bilate AM, Kalil J Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Innate immunity and regulatory T-cells in human Chagas disease: what must be understood?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There is a general consensus that during chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the host immune system induces complex processes to ensure the control of parasite growth while preserving the potential to mount and maintain a life-long controlled humoral and cellular immune response against the invading pathogen. This review summarises evidence in an attempt to elucidate 'what must be understood' to further clarify the role of innate immunity in the development/maintenance of clinical Chagas disease and the impact of etiological treatment on host immunity, highlighting the contributions of the innate immunity and regulato...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Sathler-Avelar R, Vitelli-Avelar DM, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Martins-Filho OA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

The effects of nitric oxide on the immune system during Trypanosoma cruzi infection.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Trypanosoma cruzi infection triggers substantial production of nitric oxide (NO), which has been shown to have protective and toxic effects on the host's immune system. Sensing of trypomastigotes by phagocytes activates the inducible NO-synthase (NOS2) pathway, which produces NO and is largely responsible for macrophage-mediated killing of T. cruzi. NO is also responsible for modulating virtually all steps of innate and adaptive immunity. However, NO can also cause oxidative stress, which is especially damaging to the host due to increased tissue damage. The cytokines IFN-(3) and TNF-+/-, as well as chemokines, are str...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Gutierrez FR, Mineo TW, Pavanelli WR, Guedes PM, Silva JS Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited cardiomyopathy: from the discovery to the proposal of rational therapeutic interventions targeting cell adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors - how to make a dream come true.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One hundred years ago, Carlos Chagas discovered a new disease, the American trypanosomiasis. Chagas and co-workers later characterised the disease's common manifestation, chronic cardiomyopathy, and suggested that parasitic persistence coupled with inflammation was the key underlying pathogenic mechanism. Better comprehension of the molecular mechanisms leading to clinical heart afflictions is a prerequisite to developing new therapies that ameliorate inflammation and improve heart function without hampering parasite control. Here, we review recent data showing that distinct cell adhesion molecules, chemokines and chem...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lannes-Vieira J, Silverio JC, Pereira IR, Vinagre NF, Carvalho CM, Paiva CN, Silva AA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Chagas disease, adipose tissue and the metabolic syndrome.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Trypanosoma cruzi infection of the adipose tissue of mice triggers the local expression of inflammatory mediators and a reduction in the expression of the adipokine adiponectin. T. cruzi can be detected in adipose tissue by PCR 300 days post-infection. Infection of cultured adipocytes results in increased expression of cytokines and chemokines and a reduction in the expression of adiponectin and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (3), both of which are negative regulators of inflammation. Infection also results in the upregulation of cyclin D1, the Notch pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase an...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nagajyothi F, Desruisseaux MS, Weiss LM, Chua S, Albanese C, Machado FS, Esper L, Lisanti MP, Teixeira MM, Scherer PE, Tanowitz HB Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Cellular and genetic mechanisms involved in the generation of protective and pathogenic immune responses in human Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of human Chagas disease is the complex network of events that underlie the generation of protective versus pathogenic immune responses during the chronic phase of the disease. While most individuals do not develop patent disease, a large percentage may develop severe forms that eventually lead to death. Although many efforts have been devoted to deciphering these mechanisms, there is still much to be learned before we can fully understand the pathogenesis of Chagas disease. It is clear that the host's immune response is decisive in this process. While characteristics of the pa...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Dutra WO, Menezes CA, Villani FN, Costa GC, Silveira AB, Reis D, Gollob KJ Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Do Archaea and bacteria co-infection have a role in the pathogenesis of chronic chagasic cardiopathy?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, different amounts of Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and archaeal organisms may be implicated in complement activation and may have a role in Chagas disease outcome. PMID: 19649454 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Higuchi Mde L, Kawakami J, Ikegami R, Clementino MB, Kawamoto FM, Reis MM, Bocchi E Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Back to the future in Chagas disease: from animal models to patient cohort studies, progress in immunopathogenesis research.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Despite the wealth of information generated by trans-disciplinary research in Chagas disease, knowledge about its multifaceted pathogenesis is still fragmented. Here we review the body of experimental studies in animal models supporting the concept that persistent infection by Trypanosoma cruzi is crucial for the development of chronic myocarditis. Complementing this review, we will make an effort to reconcile seemingly contradictory results concerning the immune profiles of chronic patients from Argentina and Brazil. Finally, we will review the results of molecular studies suggesting that parasite-induced inflammation...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Scharfstein J, Gomes Jde A, Correa-Oliveira R Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

All-around care for patients with Chagas disease: a challenge for the XXI century.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In 1987, the University of Pernambuco's Oswaldo Cruz Hospital in Recife, Brazil opened its Chagas Disease and Heart Failure Outpatient Clinic with the aim of providing its patients all-around care through adoption of a biopsychosocial model of care. All-around care involves caring for the patient as a whole human being in the context of the biological, psychological and social factors present, which are an inherent part of the human condition. One prerequisite for the proposed model of care is the participation of a multidisciplinary team of trained technical staff committed to this framework. Although the main focus o...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Oliveira W Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Therapy, diagnosis and prognosis of chronic Chagas disease: insight gained in Argentina.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of this review is to describe research findings regarding chronic Chagas disease in Argentina that have changed the standards of care for patients with Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Indirect techniques (serological tests) are still the main tools for the primary diagnosis of infection in the chronic phase, but polymerase chain reaction has been shown to be promising. The prognosis of patients with heart failure or advanced stages of chagasic cardiomyopathy is poor, but a timely diagnosis during the initial stages of the disease would allow for prescription of appropriate therapies to offer a better quality o...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Sosa-Estani S, Viotti R, Segura EL Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Morbidity and prognostic factors in chronic chagasic cardiopathy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chagas disease is a pleomorphic clinical entity that has several unique features. The aim of this study is to summarise some of the recent contributions from our research group to knowledge of the morbidity and prognostic factors in Chagas heart disease. A retrospective study suggested that ischaemic stroke associated with left ventricular (LV) apical thrombi is the first clinical manifestation of Chagas disease observed in a large proportion of patients. LV function and left atrial volume (LAV) are independent risk factors for ischaemic cerebrovascular events during follow-up of Chagas heart disease patients. Pulmonar...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Rocha MO, Nunes MC, Ribeiro AL Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Chagas heart disease: pathophysiologic mechanisms, prognostic factors and risk stratification.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article reviews the pathophysiology of myocardial damage, discusses the value of current risk stratification models and proposes an algorithm to guide mortality risk assessment and therapeutic decision-making in patients with CHD. PMID: 19649449 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Rassi A, Rassi A, Marin-Neto JA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

The utility of anti-trypomastigote lytic antibodies for determining cure of Trypanosoma cruzi infections in treated patients: an overview and perspectives.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In previous work, we proposed alternative protocols for following patients with treated Chagas disease and these are reviewed herein. Evidence was provided to support the following: (i) functional anti-trypomastigote antibodies are indicative of ongoing chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections; (ii) specific antibodies detected by conventional serology (CS) with epimastigote extracts, fixed trypomastigotes or other parasite antigens may circulate years after parasite elimination; (iii) functional antibodies are evidenced by complement-mediated lysis of freshly isolated trypomastigotes, a test which is 100% specific, highly...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Krettli AU Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Viability study of a multiplex diagnostic platform for Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A new multiplex assay platform was evaluated to detect Trypanosoma cruzi infection using the recombinant antigens CRA, FRA, CRAFRA fusion and parasite lysate. The antigens presented different sensitivity and specificity in a singleplex test when compared to a serial dilution of two pools comprising 10 positive serum samples and one pool of 10 negative samples. The recombinant protein CRA presented lower sensitivity (55%) in contrast to the 100% specificity and sensitivity of FRA, CRAFRA and T. cruzi lysate. These antigens also showed good results in a duplex test and the duplex test with CRAFRA/T. cruzi lysate showed b...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Foti L, Fonseca Bde P, Nascimento LD, Marques Cde F, Silva ED, Duarte CA, Probst CM, Goldenberg S, Pinto AG, Krieger MA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Usefulness of PCR-based assays to assess drug efficacy in Chagas disease chemotherapy: value and limitations.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One major goal of research on Chagas disease is the development of effective chemotherapy to eliminate the infection from individuals who have not yet developed cardiac and/or digestive disease manifestations. Cure evaluation is the more complex aspect of its treatment, often leading to diverse and controversial results. The absence of reliable methods or a diagnostic gold standard to assess etiologic treatment efficacy still constitutes a major challenge. In an effort to develop more sensitive tools, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays were introduced to detect low amounts of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood sa...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Britto CC Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Diagnosis of Chagas disease: what has been achieved? What remains to be done with regard to diagnosis and follow up studies?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In the acute phase and in the chronic forms of Chagas disease, the etiological diagnosis may be performed by detection of the parasite using direct or indirect parasitological methods and by the presence of antibodies in the serum by way of serological tests. Several techniques are easily available, ranging from the simplest wet smear preparation to immuno-enzymatic assays with recombinant antigens that will meet most diagnostic needs. Other tests under evaluation include a molecular test using polymerase chain reaction, which has shown promising results and may be used as a confirmatory test both in the acute and chro...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Gomes YM, Lorena VM, Luquetti AO Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Trypanosoma cruzi: ancestral genomes and population structure.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe new and important aspects of the population structure of the parasite, and unequivocally characterise a third ancestral lineage that we propose to name T. cruzi III. Through a careful analysis of haplotypes (blocks of genes that are stably transmitted from generation to generation of the parasite), we inferred at least two hybridisation events between the parental lineages T. cruzi II and T. cruzi III. The strain CL Brener, whose genome was sequenced, is one such hybrid. Based on these results, we propose a simple evolutionary model based on three ancestral genomes, T. cruzi I, T. cruzi II and T. cruzi III. At ...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Pena SDj, Machado CR, Macedo AM Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Molecular mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi infection by oral route.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Frequent reports on outbreaks of acute Chagas' disease by ingestion of food contaminated with parasites from triatomine insects illustrate the importance of this mode of transmission. Studies on oral Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice have indicated that metacyclic trypomastigotes invade the gastric mucosal epithelium. A key molecule in this process is gp82, a stage-specific surface glycoprotein that binds to both gastric mucin and to target epithelial cells. By triggering Ca2+ signalling, gp82 promotes parasite internalisation. Gp82 is relatively resistant to peptic digestion at acidic pH, thus preserving the propert...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Yoshida N Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Structural organization of Trypanosoma cruzi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Since the initial description of Trypanosoma cruzi by Carlos Chagas in 1909, several research groups have used different microscopic techniques to obtain detailed information about the various developmental stages found in the life cycle of this intracellular parasite. This review describes the present knowledge on the organization of the most important structures and organelles found in the protozoan, such as the cell surface, flagellum, cytoskeleton, kinetoplast-mitochondrion complex, glycosome, acidocalcisome, contractile vacuole, lipid inclusions, the secretory pathway, endocytic pathway and the nucleus. PMID: ...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Souza W Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

A century of research: what have we learned about the interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with host cells?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Since the discovery of Trypanosoma cruzi and the brilliant description of the then-referred to 'new tripanosomiasis' by Carlos Chagas 100 years ago, a great deal of scientific effort and curiosity has been devoted to understanding how this parasite invades and colonises mammalian host cells. This is a key step in the survival of the parasite within the vertebrate host, and although much has been learned over this century, differences in strains or isolates used by different laboratories may have led to conclusions that are not as universal as originally interpreted. Molecular genotyping of the CL-Brener clone confirmed...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Alves MJ, Mortara RA Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Sylvatic triatominae: a new challenge in vector control transmission.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Over the last 10 years, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil have been certified as being free from disease transmission by Triatoma infestans, the main domiciliated vector for Chagas disease in the Southern Cone countries. This demonstrates that programmes addressing the vector for the disease's transmission are effective. These programmes have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the incidence of Chagas disease in Latin America. Guatemala was certified a few months ago as being free from disease transmission by Rhodnius prolixus, the main domiciliated vector for Chagas disease in Central American countries. However, the main conc...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Guhl F, Pinto N, Aguilera G Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Exploiting triatomine behaviour: alternative perspectives for their control.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Living in close association with a vertebrate host and feeding on its blood requires different types of adaptations, including behavioural adjustements. Triatomines exhibit particular traits associated with the exploitation of their habitat and food sources and these traits have been the subject of intense analysis. Many aspects of triatomine behaviour have been relatively well characterised and some attempts to exploit the behaviours have been undertaken. Baited traps based on host-associated cues, artificial refuges and light-traps are some of the tools used. Here we discuss how our knowledge of the biology of Chagas...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lazzari CR, Lorenzo MG Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Wild Triatoma infestans, a potential threat that needs to be monitored.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The current persistence of Triatoma infestans, and therefore of Chagas disease transmission, in the Andean valleys of Bolivia and the Gran Chaco (precisely where wild populations of the vector are widespread), indicates a possible relationship between these two occurrences. This paper provides an overview of the current knowledge regarding wild T. infestans in Bolivia. The different morphs of the wild vector, their known distributions and some traits of their biology and ecology are presented. Particularly interesting is the considerable behavioural and chromatic plasticity that is displayed by wild T. infestans. Accor...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Noireau F Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Sustainability of vector control strategies in the Gran Chaco Region: current challenges and possible approaches.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Sustainability has become a focal point of the international agenda. At the heart of its range of distribution in the Gran Chaco Region, the elimination of Triatoma infestans has failed, even in areas subject to intensive professional vector control efforts. Chagas disease control programs traditionally have been composed of two divorced entities: a vector control program in charge of routine field operations (bug detection and insecticide spraying) and a disease control program in charge of screening blood donors, diagnosis, etiologic treatment and providing medical care to chronic patients. The challenge of sustainab...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Gürtler RE Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Biology, diversity and strategies for the monitoring and control of triatomines - Chagas disease vectors.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Despite the relevant achievements in the control of the main Chagas disease vectors Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus, several factors still promote the risk of infection. The disease is a real threat to the poor rural regions of several countries in Latin America. The current situation in Brazil requires renewed attention due to its high diversity of triatomine species and to the rapid and drastic environmental changes that are occurring. Using the biology, behaviour and diversity of triatomines as a basis for new strategies for monitoring and controlling the vectorial transmission are discussed here. The impor...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Costa J, Lorenzo M Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Elimination of Chagas disease transmission: perspectives.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One hundred years after its discovery by Carlos Chagas, American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, remains an epidemiologic challenge. Neither a vaccine nor an ideal specific treatment is available for most chronic cases. Therefore, the current strategy for countering Chagas disease consists of preventive actions against the vector and transfusion-transmitted disease. Here, the present challenges, including congenital and oral transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infections, as well as the future potential for Chagas disease elimination are discussed in light of the current epidemiological picture. Finally, a list of ch...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Dias JC Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Epidemiology, control and surveillance of Chagas disease: 100 years after its discovery.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chagas disease originated millions of years ago as an enzootic infection of wild animals and began to be transmitted to humans as an anthropozoonosis when man invaded wild ecotopes. While evidence of human infection has been found in mummies up to 9,000 years old, endemic Chagas disease became established as a zoonosis only in the last 200-300 years, as triatomines adapted to domestic environments. It is estimated that 15-16 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Latin America, and 75-90 million are exposed to infection. Control of Chagas disease must be undertaken by interrupting its transmission by vec...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Coura JR, Dias JC Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Current epidemiological trends for Chagas disease in Latin America and future challenges in epidemiology, surveillance and health policy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chagas disease, named after Carlos Chagas, who first described it in 1909, exists only on the American Continent. It is caused by a parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by blood-sucking triatomine bugs and via blood transfusion. Chagas disease has two successive phases: acute and chronic. The acute phase lasts six-eight weeks. Several years after entering the chronic phase, 20-35% of infected individuals, depending on the geographical area, will develop irreversible lesions of the autonomous nervous system in the heart, oesophagus and colon, and of the peripheral nervous system. Data on the preva...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Moncayo A, Silveira AC Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Paleoparasitology of Chagas disease: a review.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
One hundred years since the discovery of Chagas disease associated with Trypanosoma cruzi infection, growing attention has focused on understanding the evolution in parasite-human host interaction. This interest has featured studies and results from paleoparasitology, not only the description of lesions in mummified bodies, but also the recovery of genetic material from the parasite and the possibility of analyzing such material over time. The present study reviews the evidence of Chagas disease in organic remains excavated from archeological sites and discusses two findings in greater detail, both with lesions suggest...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Araújo A, Jansen AM, Reinhard K, Ferreira LF Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Chagas disease centennial anniversary celebration: historical overview and prospective proposals aiming to maintain vector control and improve patient prognosis - a permanent challenge.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19649431 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lannes-Vieira J, Soeiro Mde N, Corrêa-Oliveira R, Araújo-Jorge TC Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Foreword.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19649430 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Oliveira RL, Lannes-Vieira J Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

International symposium on the Centennial of the discovery of Chagas disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19649429 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Gadelha P Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

'Royal' pediculosis in Renaissance Italy: lice in the mummy of the King of Naples Ferdinand II of Aragon (1467-1496).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pediculosis seems to have afflicted humans since the most ancient times and lice have been found in several ancient human remains. Examination of the head hair and pubic hair of the artificial mummy of Ferdinand II of Aragon (1467-1496), King of Naples, revealed a double infestation with two different species of lice, Pediculus capitis, the head louse, and Pthirus pubis, the pubic louse. The hair samples were also positive for the presence of mercury, probably applied as an anti-pediculosis therapy. This is the first time that these parasites have been found in the hair of a king, demonstrating that even members of the...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Fornaciari G, Giuffra V, Marinozzi S, Picchi MS, Masetti M Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Susceptibility of Triatoma infestans to deltamethrin in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Strategies for controlling Chagas disease are based on spraying infested houses with pyrethroid insecticides. However, the intense use of these insecticides has promoted resistance of Triatoma infestans and, in Argentina, Bolivia and Southern Brazil, low levels of resistance have been reported. Due to the persistence of T. infestans in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), we evaluated the occurrence of deltamethrin resistance in four strains from different municipalities in comparison to two susceptible strains from Brazil and one resistant strain from Bolivia. The results indicated the absence of resistance in T. infe...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Sonoda IV, Pessoa GC, Cortez MR, Dias JC, Romanha AJ, Diotaiuti L Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Low frequency of human papillomavirus detection in prostate tissue from individuals from Northern Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, only 3% of tumour samples showed HPV infection. Our findings support the conclusion that, despite the high incidence of HPV infection in the geographic regions studied, HPV was not associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the frequency of HPV detection in prostatic tissue of individuals from Brazil. PMID: 19722096 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Silvestre RV, Leal MF, Demachki S, Nahum MC, Bernardes JG, Rabenhorst SH, Smith MD, Mello WA, Guimarães AC, Burbano RR Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

First isolation of Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII and Cryptococcus neoformans molecular type VNI from environmental sources in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
First isolation of Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII and Cryptococcus neoformans molecular type VNI from environmental sources in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009 Jul;104(4):662-664 Authors: Costa SD, Lazéra MD, Santos WR, Morales BP, Bezerra CC, Nishikawa MM, Barbosa GG, Trilles L, Nascimento JL, W.e B Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are important agents of meningoencephalitis in humans in the city of Belém. This clinical data suggests that the region may be a highly endemic area for the pathogenic Cryptococcus species within the state of Pa...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Costa SD, Lazéra MD, Santos WR, Morales BP, Bezerra CC, Nishikawa MM, Barbosa GG, Trilles L, Nascimento JL, Wanke B Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of extracts and exudates of the Amazonian medicinal tree Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson (common name: sucuba).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson is a tree found in the northern Amazon savannahs (common name: sucuba) that is used in local Amerindian medicine. Leaf, bark and branch wood methanol extracts, sequentially obtained hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts and latex were evaluated for antifungal and antibacterial activities against American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and local clinical strains using the disc diffusion method. Methanol extracts and latex inhibited Candida albicans, leaf methanol extracts inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and bark methanol extracts inhibited B. subtilis. A...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Sequeira BJ, Vital MJ, Pohlit AM, Pararols IC, Caúper GS Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

The circulation of human astrovirus genotypes in the Central West Region of Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Out of 1,588 faecal samples of children taken from three locations of the Central West Region of Brazil, 57 were positive for astroviruses (HAstVs) using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). They were genotyped by nested RT-PCR and/or genomic sequencing. HAstV-1 (42.8%), HAstV-2 (23.2%), HAstV-3 (3.6%), HAstV-4 (14.3%) and HAstVs -5, -6, -7 and -8 (1.8% each) were detected. In Goiânia and Campo Grande, HAstV-1 was the most frequently detected genotype while in Brasília (DF) it was HAstV-2. Shifts in the circulation of astrovirus genotypes were observed in DF and Campo Grande. All samples ...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Silva PA, Santos RA, Costa PS, Teixeira JM, Giugliano LG, Andreasi MS, Leite JP, Schreier E, Cardoso DD Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals

Oxidative stress response to menadione and cumene hydroperoxide in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Candida glabrata is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause severe invasive infections and can evade phagocytic cell clearance. We are interested in understanding the virulence of this fungal pathogen, in particular its oxidative stress response. Here we investigated C. glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans responses to two different oxidants: menadione and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP). In log-phase, in the presence of menadione, C. glabrata requires Cta1p (catalase), while in a stationary phase (SP), Cta1p is dispensable. In addition, C. glabrata is less resistant to menadione than C. albicans ...
Source: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - July 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Cuéllar-Cruz M, Castaño I, Arroyo-Helguera O, De Las Peñas A Tags: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Source Type: journals