Abstract
This work aims to compare the effects of acute or chronic infections with the T. cruzi genotypes TcI (X10 strain), TcII (Y strain) and TcVI (Tulahuen strain) on fertility, gestation, pup growth and the possible vertical transmission of parasites in BALB/c mice. The occurrence of congenital infection was evaluated by microscopic examination of blood and/or qPCR on blood and heart in newborn pups and/or older offspring submitted to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in order to detect possible cryptic congenital infection. Altogether, the results show that: i) for the three strains tested, acute infection occurring after the embryo implantation in the uterus (parasite inoculation 4 days before mating), or close to delivery (parasite inoculation on day 13 of gestation), prevents or severely jeopardizes gestation outcome (inducing pup mortality and intra-uterine growth retardation); ii) for the three strains tested, gestation during chronic infection results in intra-uterine growth retardation, whereas re-inoculation of TcVI parasites during gestation in such chronically infected mice, in addition, strongly increases pup mortality; iii) congenital infection remains a rare consequence of infection (occurring in approximately 4% of living pups born to acutely infected dams); iv) PCR, detecting parasitic DNA and not living parasites, is not convenient to detect congenial infection close to delivery; v) transmission of parasites by breast milk is unlikely. This study should encourage further investigations using other parasite strains and genotypes to explore the role of virulence and other factors, as well as the mechanisms of such effects on gestation and on the establishment of congenital infection.
Highlights
Chagas disease, caused by the kinetoplastid flagellate T. cruzi, is one of the major causes of cardiac failure in Latin America
The association between the infection with T. cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, and pregnancy is frequent in Latin American endemic areas and occurs in non-endemic areas
For the three strains tested, we show that acute infection, occurring during gestation, severely jeopardizes its outcome, whereas gestation during chronic infection mainly results in intra-uterine growth retardation
Summary
Chagas disease, caused by the kinetoplastid flagellate T. cruzi, is one of the major causes of cardiac failure in Latin America. This trypanosomiasis has become a global public health problem due to migrations of Latin Americans to non-endemic countries, to United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. This parasite, infecting 8 to 10 million people, can be transmitted by vector bugs, orally, by transfusion of infected blood or organ transplantations as well as from mother-to-child [1,2]. Contradictory data have been reported on the frequency of abortions, stillbirths, premature births and low birth weight occurring in chronically infected versus uninfected mothers living in the same areas [8,9,10,11,12], whereas no significant effects of maternal chronic infection have been reported on growth of uninfected fetuses/neonates born to infected mothers [13]
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