Differential expression profile of genes involved in the immune response associated to progression of chronic Chagas disease

Abstract

Amongthe neglected tropical diseases, Chagas disease is a major public health problem. The infection, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects about 6–7 million people. The disease courses with an initial acute phase which, in the absence of treatment, becomes chronic. The chronic phase is initially asymptomatic, but in 40% of patients the disease progresses to clinical manifestations, being the most frequent and severe those affecting the cardiac system. The mechanisms underlying the development of cardiac disease are not yet fully understood, but this could depend on an unbalanced infection-triggered immune response. In this study, we have determined the expression level of 106 immune-related genes in patients in an early stage of cardiac disease (CCC I) and compared them with the expression present in asymptomatic patients (IND) as well as in healthy donors (HD). The results obtained have allowed us to identify a differential gene expression profile in chronic patients, as well as the identification of relevant immune pathways in which these genes participate. Therefore, our results contribute to the knowledge of the immunological mechanisms that are activated along chronic Chagas disease and, as a consequence, will help in the clinic management of the patients affected by this disease.