Biodemes and zymodemes of Trypanosoma cruzi strains: correlations with clinical data and experimental pathology.

Sonia G Andrade,Juracy B Magalhães

doi:10.1590/s0037-86821997000100006

Abstract

With the objective of establishing biological and biochemical characteristics of a significant number of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from different geographical areas, 138 strains isolated from naturally infected humans, triatomine or vertebrate hosts were studied; 120 were isolated from different areas of Brazil and 18 from other South and Central American countries. Inocula from triatomine or culture forms were injected into suckling Swiss mice, followed by passages into mice 10 to 12 g. Biological characters and histopathological study permitted the inclusion of the strains into three Types or biodemes: I, II, III. Isoenzymic analysis confirmed a correspondence between the biodemes and zymodemes: Type I and Z2b, Type II and Z2, Type III and Z1. Results showed the ubiquitary distribution of the several types of strains. The predominance of the same Type and zymodeme in one geographical area was confirmed: Type II strains among the human cases from eastern Bahia and east of Goiás; Type III strains from humans of north Brazil and Central America and from silvatic vectors or vertebrates from other geographical areas. The biological types of strains correlate with different histopathological lesions considering cardiac involvement and neuronal lesions. These findings suggest that the biological behavior together with isoenzymes patterns and pathological pictures in the vertebrate host can be an important tool for establishing correlations between strains behavior and clinico-pathological manifestations of Chagas' disease in different geographical areas.

Highlights

With the objective of establishing biological and biochemical characteristics of a significant number of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from different geographical areas, 138 strains isolated from naturally infected humans, triatomine or vertebrate hosts were studied; 120 were isolated from different areas of Brazil and 18 from other South and Central American countries
Isolates of T. cruzi were received from different areas of Brazil and from other South and Central American countries either in triatomines used for xenodiagnosis or in acellular culture medium
Macrophagotropism was evident for the Type I strains (Figure 3), Figure 1 - Electrophoretic patterns for the enzyme GPI of T. cruzi strains: a) the prototypes of Type I (Per) Z2b; Type II (21 SF) Z2; Type III (Col) Z1 and strains from Bolivia (Bol); northeast Brazil (PMN-Ceará); Argentine (RA and CA-I). b) the same prototypes as above and five strains from Montalvania, MG one of which showing the zymodeme Z2 (3 Mont) and four Z1 (1 Mont, 5 Mont, 6 Mont and 7 Mont)

Summary

Introduction

With the objective of establishing biological and biochemical characteristics of a significant number of Trypanosoma cruzi strains from different geographical areas, 138 strains isolated from naturally infected humans, triatomine or vertebrate hosts were studied; 120 were isolated from different areas of Brazil and 18 from other South and Central American countries. The biological types of strains correlate with different histopathological lesions considering cardiac involvement and neuronal lesions These findings suggest that the biological behavior together with isoenzymes patterns and pathological pictures in the vertebrate host can be an important tool for establishing correlations between strains behavior and clinico-pathological manifestations of Chagas’ disease in different geographical areas. In the present study 138 strains of T. cruzi are analysed in an attempt to: 1) correlate biological characteristics with zymodemes patterns; 2) evaluate pathogenicity and histopathological patterns of lesions in mice ; 3) identify the distribution of the Types of strains and zymodemes in South and Central America

Methods

Results

Conclusion