Direct analysis of genetic variability in Trypanosoma cruzi populations from tissues of Colombian chagasic patients

• Published in: Human pathology 2011-08, Vol.42 (8), p.1159-1168
• Main Authors: Zafra, German, MSc, Mantilla, Julio Cesar, MD, Jácome, Jesús, MD, Macedo, Andréa Mara, PhD, González, Clara Isabel, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - parasitology; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - pathology; Chagas disease; Chagasic cardiomyopathy; Cloning; Colombia; Committees; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Haplotypes; Heart; Heart - parasitology; Host-Parasite Interactions; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Hypotheses; Infectious diseases; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); LSSP-PCR; Medical sciences; Methods; Microsatellite Repeats; Mitochondrial DNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Myocarditis. Cardiomyopathies; Myocardium - pathology; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Pathology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Protozoal diseases; Sequence Alignment; Studies; TcI group; TcII group; Tissues; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - classification; Trypanosoma cruzi - genetics; Trypanosomiasis
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2010.11.012

Summary The clinical symptoms of Chagas disease are highly variable and are correlated with geographical distribution and parasite genetic group. Trypanosoma cruzi group I is associated with chagasic cardiomyopathy in Colombia and other countries in northern South America. However, in southern South America, T cruzi group II predominates and is associated with cardiomyopathy and digestive forms of the disease. The aim of this work was to determine the correlation between the genetic profiles of T cruzi groups circulating in the biological cycle and those present in tissues from patients with Chagas disease. We genotyped T cruzi in 10 heart tissue samples from patients with cardiomyopathy from a highly endemic area of Colombia. The genotyping was performed using nuclear and mitochondrial genes and low-stringency single-specific primer polymerase chain reaction. As expected, the predominant genetic group was T cruzi group I; however, we also detected T cruzi group II. Microsatellite analyses suggested a predominance of monoclonal populations, and sequence alignments showed similarities with Colombian strains. In addition, kinetoplast DNA signatures obtained by low-stringency single-specific primer polymerase chain reaction allowed us to group strains into the 2 genetic groups. Thus, we conclude that both T cruzi genetic groups are producing severe cases of Chagas disease in Colombia. We did not observe any correlation between low-stringency single-specific primer polymerase chain reaction profiles, histopathologic findings, clinical forms, and severity of Chagas disease.