Journal Article

Plasma Cytokine Expression Is Associated with Cardiac Morbidity in Chagas Disease

Rocha, Manoel Otávio da Costa, Gomes, Juliana Assis Silva, Fares, Rafaelle Christine Gomes, Nunes, Maria Carmo Pereira, Sousa, Giovane Rodrigo, Valente, Vanessa Alves Azevedo, Damásio, Marcos Paulo de Souza, Corrêa-Oliveira, Rodrigo, Ferreira, Karine Silvestre, Chaves, Ana Thereza, Medeiros, Nayara Ingrid

2014

Overview

The expression of immune response appears to be associated with morbidity in Chagas disease. However, the studies in this field have usually employed small samples of patients and statistical analyses that do not consider the wide dispersion of cytokine production observed in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma cytokine levels in well-defined clinical polar groups of chagasic patients divided into categories that better reflect the wide cytokine profile and its relationship with morbidity. Patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) were grouped as indeterminate (IND) and cardiac (CARD) forms ranging from 23 to 69 years of age (mean of 45.6±11.25). The IND group included 82 individuals, ranging from 24 to 66 years of age (mean of 39.6±10.3). The CARD group included 94 patients ranging from 23 to 69 years of age (mean of 48±12.52) presenting dilated cardiomyopathy. None of the patients have undergone chemotherapeutic treatment, nor had been previously treated for T. cruzi infection. Healthy non-chagasic individuals, ranging from 29 to 55 years of age (mean of 42.6±8.8) were included as a control group (NI). IND patients have a higher intensity of interleukin 10 (IL-10) expression when compared with individuals in the other groups. By contrast, inflammatory cytokine expression, such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), proved to be the highest in the CARD group. Correlation analysis showed that higher IL-10 expression was associated with better cardiac function, as determined by left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular diastolic diameter values. Altogether, these findings reinforce the concept that a fine balance between regulatory and inflammatory cytokines represents a key element in the establishment of distinct forms of chronic Chagas disease.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adult / Age / Analysis / Biological response modifiers / Biology / Cardiomyopathy / Cardiovascular disease / Chagas Cardiomyopathy - blood / Chagas Cardiomyopathy - epidemiology / Chagas Cardiomyopathy - immunology / Chagas disease / Chagas Disease - blood / Chagas Disease - epidemiology / Chagas Disease - immunology / Chemotherapy / Coronary artery disease / Correlation analysis / Cross-Sectional Studies / Cytokines / Cytokines - blood / Cytokines - immunology / Dilated cardiomyopathy / Family medical history / Flow Cytometry / Heart / Heart diseases / Humans / Immune response / Immune system / Infections / Inflammation / Inflammation Mediators - blood / Inflammation Mediators - immunology / Interferon / Interferon-gamma - blood / Interferon-gamma - immunology / Interleukin / Interleukin 1 / Interleukin 10 / Interleukin 6 / Interleukin-10 - blood / Interleukin-10 - immunology / Interleukin-1beta - blood / Interleukin-1beta - immunology / Interleukin-6 - blood / Interleukin-6 - immunology / Interleukins / Lymphocytes / Medical research / Medicine / Middle Aged / Morbidity / Patients / Statistical analysis / Statistical methods / Studies / Trypanosoma cruzi / Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology / Tumor necrosis factor-TNF / Tumor necrosis factor-α / Vector-borne diseases / Ventricle / Young Adult / γ-Interferon