Plasma chemokine as potencial biomarker of cardiac morbidity in Chagas disease (HUM8P.330)

Abstract

Abstract The immune response appears to be associated with morbidity in Chagas disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma chemokine levels in well-defined clinical polar groups of chagasic patients and its relationship with morbidity. Patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi were grouped as indeterminate (IND) and cardiac (CARD) forms ranging from 23 to 69 years of age. The IND group included 82 individuals without cardiac involvement, while the CARD group included 94 patients presenting dilated cardiomyopathy. Healthy non-chagasic individuals were included as a control group (NI). The plasma chemokine levels, such as inflammatory protein 10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP) 1 and monokine induced by interferon gamma (MIG), proved to be the highest in the CARD group. However, no significant difference could be observed when comparing the RANTES expression in the IND and CARD groups. Correlation analysis showed that higher IP-10, MCP-1 and MIG expression was associated with worst cardiac function, as determined by left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular diastolic diameter values. The findings of this study indicate that a fine balance between homeostatic and inflammatory chemokines might represent a key element in the establishment of the distinct forms of chronic Chagas disease. Moreover, this inference involves important implications to better understand the pathogenesis and clinical management of patients with Chagas disease.