Abstract
Determining the genetic similarities among Trypanosoma cruzi populations isolated from different hosts and vectors is very important to clarify the epidemiology of Chagas disease. An epidemiological study was conducted in a Brazilian endemic area for Chagas disease, including 76 chronic chagasic individuals (96.1% with an indeterminate form; 46.1% with positive hemoculture). T. cruzi I (TcI) was isolated from one child and TcII was found in the remaining (97.1%) subjects. Low-stringency single-specific-primer-polymerase chain reaction (LSSP-PCR) showed high heterogeneity among TcII populations (46% of shared bands); however, high similarities (80-100%) among pairs of mothers/children, siblings, or cousins were detected. LSSP-PCR showed potential for identifying similar parasite populations among individuals with close kinship in epidemiological studies of Chagas disease.
Highlights
Determining the genetic similarities among Trypanosoma cruzi populations isolated from different hosts and vectors is very important to clarify the epidemiology of Chagas disease
Parasitemia and parasite isolation were evaluated by hemoculture[5] and demonstrated the presence of T. cruzi in 46.1% (35/76) of the individuals, without significant differences with respect to gender (40% male and 60% female) and age group (p > 0.05)
Associations between patient age groups and the complexity level of the genetic profiles for T. cruzi obtained from LSSP-PCR were investigated using regression analysis
Summary
Determining the genetic similarities among Trypanosoma cruzi populations isolated from different hosts and vectors is very important to clarify the epidemiology of Chagas disease. The epidemiological application of LSSP-PCR in the characterization of TcII samples demonstrated similar genetic profiles circulating among individuals with very close kinship. Parasitemia and parasite isolation were evaluated by hemoculture[5] and demonstrated the presence of T. cruzi in 46.1% (35/76) of the individuals, without significant differences with respect to gender (40% male and 60% female) and age group (range, 4-56 years; mean, 31.43 ± 11.95 years) (p > 0.05).
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