RESUMO
The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma levels of the CCL3 and CCL4 chemokines in patients with the cardiac and digestive clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease and in cardiac patients with and without left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Plasma samples from 75 patients were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to confirm infection by T. cruzi. Plasma levels of the CCL3 and CCL4 chemokines were measured using Milliplex® MAP assay (Millipore). There were no significant differences in the levels of CCL3 and CCL4 between patients with the digestive and cardiac clinical forms of Chagas disease. Moreover, no significant differences were found between patients without LVSD and those with LVSD. Higher CCL3 and CCL4 plasma levels were found in patients with LVSD compared to those with the digestive form of the disease. The CCL3 and CCL4 chemokines might not be involved in differential susceptibility to the digestive and cardiac clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease, and it seems they do not influence the development of LVSD.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/sangue , Quimiocina CCL3/sangue , Quimiocina CCL4/sangue , Gastroenteropatias/sangue , Trypanosoma cruzi , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/sangue , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença Crônica , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Chagas disease is an infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The clinical manifestations result from the chronic forms of the disease: indeterminate, cardiac, digestive or mixed. The pathogenesis of this disease is related to the genetic variability of both the parasite and the host with polymorphisms of genes involved in immune response possibly being involved in the variable clinical course. Cytokines play a key role in regulating immune response, in particular chemokines exert a crucial role in the control of leukocyte migration during the host's response to infectious processes. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines have been implicated in the generation of inflammatory infiltrates and tissue damage. The involvement of the CC Chemokine Receptor 5 (CCR5) in leukocyte migration to sites of inflammation has been elucidated and this receptor has been investigated in Chagas disease. Here we review the role of CCR5 in T. cruzi infection as well as its importance in the pathogenesis of the Chagas disease.