scholarly journals In Search of the Vaccine Against Chagas Disease: A Tedious Road of More Than 100 Years

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Domínguez-Guillén A ◽  
◽  
López-Domínguez J ◽  
Ochoa-Martínez P ◽  
López-Monteon A ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Digestive System ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Acute Stage ◽  
The Body ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
Multicenter Studies ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Antiparasitic Drugs ◽  
New Strategies

Chagas disease is a neglected and widely distributed parasitic disease in America, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. Currently, there are 6 to 7 million infected people and between 60 to 80 million people remain at risk of infection in endemic areas. Normally the infection does not manifest itself in the acute phase or it does so in a mild and nonspecific way, but several years later infected people suffer from heart or digestive system problems with varying degrees of disability and even death. In the acute stage of the infection, there are treatments with antiparasitic drugs that are effective and that are why it is very important to treat children who are born infected. During the chronic phase, on the other hand, the effectiveness of the treatment has been much debated by experts, and recent multicenter studies carried out throughout Latin America showed that, although drugs eliminate the parasite, they are not effective in preventing the development of the illness. Therefore, it is an urgent need to have new strategies to control the infection and the development of the disease, therefore, the objective of achieving a vaccine that not only prevents primary infection (when the parasite comes into contact with the body) but also controls the progression of the disease in infected people and reverses the damage associated with the infection by that obtaining a vaccine is imperative. This work aims to highlight the efforts, progress and show the different approaches in the development of the vaccine against ChD.

scholarly journals Disagreement between PCR and serological diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in blood donors from a Colombian endemic region

Biomédica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supl. 1) ◽  
pp. 47-59
Author(s):  
Liliana Torcoroma García Sánchez ◽  
Jhancy Rocío Aguilar Jiménez ◽  
Marly Yojhana Bueno ◽  
Erika Marcela Moreno Moreno ◽  
Herminia Ramírez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Blood Donors ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Antibody Detection ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Endemic Region ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Cruzi Infection

Introduction: Chagas’ disease is the leading cause of infectious myocarditis worldwide. This infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi is usually life-long and asymptomatic; however, the third part of infected people can develop severe or even fatal cardiomyopathy. As the parasitemia in the chronic phase is both low-grade and intermittent, T. cruzi infection is principally detected by serology, although this method has sensitivity and specificity limitations.Objective: To determine the level of agreement between serologic and molecular tests in 658 voluntary blood donors from six provinces in the Colombian department of Santander.Materials and methods: We evaluated an array of diagnostic technologies by cross-section sampling performing a serological double diagnostic test for T. cruzi antibody detection (Chagas III ELISA™, BiosChile Group, and ARCHITECT Chagas CMIA™, Abbott), and DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We collected the demographic, clinical, and epidemiological information of participants. The sample size was calculated using Epidat™ and the statistical analysis was done with Stata 12.1™.Results: PCR was six times more sensitive in detecting T. cruzi infection than ELISA/CMIA with prevalence values of 1.8% (12/658) and 0.3% (2/658), respectively, and kappa=0.28 (95%CI: -0.03 - 0.59). In contrast, serology showed a sensitivity of 16.7% (95%CI: 2.09 - 48.4) and a specificity of 100% (95%CI: 99.4 - 100). All seropositive samples were found to be positive by PCR.Conclusions: The implementation of PCR as a complementary method for screening donors could reduce the probability of false negative and the consequent risk of transfusional-transmission of Chagas’ disease, especially in endemic regions.

IMPLEMENTATION OF FATWA ULAMA COUNCIL ACEH CONCERNING MAINTAINING FARDHU KIFAYAH FOR THE MUSLIM’S CORPSE INFECTED BY COVID 19 IN BANDA ACEH

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andri Nirwana
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Body Fluids ◽  
The Body ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Infected People ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
Banda Aceh

Abstract: The phenomenon of the people who forcibly took covid's corpse 19 from the hospital to be taken care of by Fardhu Kifayah by his family and the community, became a conclusion that there was community doubt about the management of Tajhiz Mayat conducted by the hospital. Coupled with the circulation of the video of the Ruku movement 'in the corpse prayer conducted by unscrupulous parties at the Hospital, became added doubts from the public against the hospital. To solve this problem, this research uses a Descriptive Analysis approach, namely by formulating a question, namely How to arrange Covid 19's body in Banda Aceh and this question will be answered with several theories and data sets from the field. So it was concluded in a conclusion that answered the formulation of the problems mentioned. Theoretically the spread of covid 19 is very fast, the size of the virus is only 0.1 micrometer and is in body fluids, especially nasopharyngeal fluid and oropharyngeal fluids of infected people, fluids in the body of covid 19 bodies can get out through every gap of the body such as mouth, nose, eye and rectum, because it requires special techniques in its management. Fardhu kifayah to covid 19 bodies should be carried out by trained Ustad and trained health workers, so that the spread stopped. The results of this study concluded that the management of the Moslem bodies died at Zainal Abidin Hospital in Banda Aceh was in accordance with the Fatwa of the Aceh Ulama Council (MPU) and the bodies were handled by trained Ustad and health workers.

Dynamics of T Cells Repertoire During Trypanosoma cruzi Infection and its Post-Treatment Modulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (36) ◽  
pp. 6519-6543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Egui ◽  
Paola Lasso ◽  
Elena Pérez-Antón ◽  
M. Carmen Thomas ◽  
Manuel Carlos López
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Cruzi Infection

Chagas disease courses with different clinical phases and has a variable clinical presentation and progression. The acute infection phase mostly exhibits a non-specific symptomatology. In the absence of treatment, the acute phase is followed by a chronic phase, which is initially asymptomatic. This chronic asymptomatic phase of the disease is characterized by a fragile balance between the host’s immune response and the parasite replication. The loss of this balance is crucial for the progression of the sickness. The virulence and tropism of the T. cruzi infecting strain together to the inflammation processes in the cardiac tissue are the main factors for the establishment and severity of the cardiomyopathy. The efficacy of treatment in chronic Chagas disease patients is controversial. However, several studies carried out in chronic patients demonstrated that antiparasitic treatment reduces parasite load in the bloodstream and leads to an improvement in the immune response against the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. The present review is mainly focused on the cellular patterns associated to the clinical status and the evolution of the disease in chronic patients, as well as the effectiveness of the treatment related to T. cruzi infection control. Therefore, an emphasis is placed on the dynamics of specific-antigens T cell subpopulations, their memory and activation phenotypes, their functionality and their contribution to pathogenesis or disease control, as well as their association with risk of congenital transmission of the parasite.

Aim for the Readers! Bromodomains As New Targets Against Chagas’ Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (36) ◽  
pp. 6544-6563
Author(s):  
Victoria Lucia Alonso ◽  
Luis Emilio Tavernelli ◽  
Alejandro Pezza ◽  
Pamela Cribb ◽  
Carla Ritagliati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Lysine Acetylation ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Lysine Residues ◽  
Antiparasitic Drugs

Bromodomains recognize and bind acetyl-lysine residues present in histone and non-histone proteins in a specific manner. In the last decade they have raised as attractive targets for drug discovery because the miss-regulation of human bromodomains was discovered to be involved in the development of a large spectrum of diseases. However, targeting eukaryotic pathogens bromodomains continues to be almost unexplored. We and others have reported the essentiality of diverse bromodomain- containing proteins in protozoa, offering a new opportunity for the development of antiparasitic drugs, especially for Trypansoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease. Mammalian bromodomains were classified in eight groups based on sequence similarity but parasitic bromodomains are very divergent proteins and are hard to assign them to any of these groups, suggesting that selective inhibitors can be obtained. In this review, we describe the importance of lysine acetylation and bromodomains in T. cruzi as well as the current knowledge on mammalian bromodomains. Also, we summarize the myriad of small-molecules under study to treat different pathologies and which of them have been tested in trypanosomatids and other protozoa. All the information available led us to propose that T. cruzi bromodomains should be considered as important potential targets and the search for smallmolecules to inhibit them should be empowered.

Treatment of chronic phase of Chagas Disease: systematic review

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Lima Mendes ◽  
Mariana Santos da Silva ◽  
Ana Luisa Oenning Martins
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Chronic Phase

A Potential Role of Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency in Severe SARS-CoV2 Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilios M. Polymeropoulos ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Entry ◽  
Coenzyme Q10 ◽  
Severe Infection ◽  
The Body ◽  
Therapeutic Options ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Inflammatory State ◽  
Exogenous Compounds ◽  
Obesity Hypertension

There is a dramatic need for extensive research into the predictors of severe infection with SARS-CoV2 and therapeutic options for infected people. People who suffer from severe illness and higher mortality display a pattern of having specific co-morbidities (diabetes, obesity, hypertension) and are of higher age. Recent research has described methods of viral entry via receptors (ACE2, TMPRSS2) and the hyper-inflammatory state often associated with severe illness (increase in interleukins, increase in TNF-alpha). These discoveries have led to the research of currently available and developing therapies, that are helpful to patients. Deficiencies of specific vitamins and other endogenous molecules of the body should be examined to understand if a pattern exists among the people most severely affected. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a fat-soluble substance ubiquitously expressed throughout the body that is important for the generation of ATP and mediation of inflammatory disease. CoQ10 faces a decline with increasing age, genetic predispositions, and ingestion of exogenous compounds that could reduce the level of CoQ10. Deficiencies and subsequent supplementation with CoQ10 recently has displayed encouraging results for the improvement of a wide variety of diseases. This manuscript is significant as it points to a potential relationship of CoQ10 and the population suffering from severe illness of COVID-19, and further encourages the need for research into measuring the levels of CoQ10 and vitamins to understand if levels predict severe illness and mortality. This could offer new avenues into research in combating this pandemic and potentially future therapeutic options.

scholarly journals Circulating miR-146a as a possible candidate biomarker in the indeterminate phase of Chagas disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Alicia Ballinas-Verdugo ◽  
Rogelio Frank Jiménez-Ortega ◽  
Eduardo Martínez-Martínez ◽  
Nancy Rivas ◽  
Erick Abraham Contreras-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Bioinformatics Analysis ◽  
Chronic Phase ◽  
Heart Tissue ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Total Plasma ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Relevant Finding

Abstract Background Chagas disease is considered important and presents intense inflammatory and fibrotic processes induced by the perpetuation of the parasite in the affected tissues and organs. Therefore, it is necessary to inquire about the host defense and attack mechanisms to have a more detailed knowledge about Chagas disease. MicroRNAs are found in blood, tissues and extracellular vesicles. These small regulators of gene expression are involved in physiological and pathological processes in both mammals and parasites. Several microRNAs have deregulated expression in chagasic heart disease, although little is known about their extracellular expression. Our main objective was to evaluate the involvement of miR-21, miR-146a and miR-155 in several samples from mice infected with the TcI Ninoa strain from the acute and indeterminate phases. We also explored a potential functional association of the selected microRNAs using STRING software. This software identified 23 pathways associated with Trypanosoma cruzi infection. In addition, eleven genes were identified through bioinformatics analysis, and we found that SMAD family member 5 was downregulated in both phases. This gene serves as a mediator in the TGF-β signaling pathway. Thus, forty female mice of the CD1 strain were distributed into 4 groups and the expression levels of miR-21, miR-146a and miR-155 were measured in samples of heart tissue, total plasma and plasma extracellular vesicles by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results Overexpression of miR-21, miR-146a and miR-155 was observed in heart and plasma in both phases. Moreover, in extracellular vesicles miR-21 and miR-146a were also overexpressed in the acute phase, whereas in the indeterminate chronic phase we found only miR-146a up-regulated. Conclusions The expression of inflammatory microRNAs miR-21, miR-146a and miR-155 were up-regulated in each of the samples from acutely and chronically infected mice. The relevant finding was that miR-146a was up-regulated in each sample in both phases; therefore, this miRNA could be a possible candidate biomarker in Chagas disease.

scholarly journals A systematic review of historical and current trends in Chagas disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 204993612110337
Author(s):  
Diego-Abelardo Álvarez-Hernández ◽  
Rodolfo García-Rodríguez-Arana ◽  
Alejandro Ortiz-Hernández ◽  
Mariana Álvarez-Sánchez ◽  
Meng Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Human Case ◽  
Acute Stage ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Chronic Stage ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Trypanocidal Drugs

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. When acquired, the disease develops in stages. For diagnosis, laboratory confirmation is required, and an extensive assessment of the patient’s health should be performed. Treatment consists of the administration of trypanocidal drugs, which may cause severe adverse effects. The objective of our systematic review was to analyze data contained in the CD published case reports to understand the challenges that patients and clinicians face worldwide. Materials and methods: We performed a systematic review following the PRISMA guidance. PubMed database was explored using the terms ‘American trypanosomiasis’ or ‘Chagas disease’. Results were limited to human case reports written in English or Spanish. A total of 258 reports (322 patients) were included in the analysis. Metadata was obtained from each article. Following this, it was analyzed to obtain descriptive measures. Results: From the sample, 56.2% were males and 43.8% were females. Most cases were from endemic countries (85.4%). The most common clinical manifestations were fever during the acute stage (70.0%), dyspnea during the chronic stage in its cardiac form (53.7%), and constipation during the chronic stage in its digestive form (73.7%). Most patients were diagnosed in the chronic stage (72.0%). Treatment was administered in 56.2% of cases. The mortality rate for the acute stage cases was 24.4%, while for the chronic stage this was 28.4%. Discussion: CD is a parasitic disease endemic to Latin America, with increasing importance due to human and vector migration. In this review, we report reasons for delays in diagnosis and treatment, and trends in medical practices. Community awareness must be increased to improve CD’s diagnoses; health professionals should be appropriately trained to detect and treat infected individuals. Furthermore, public health policies are needed to increase the availability of screening and diagnostic tools, trypanocidal drugs, and, eventually, vaccines.

The internal anatomy of the woodlouse, Metoponorthus pruinosus (Brandt), (Porcellionidae, Peracarida)

1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Alikhan
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Digestive System ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
The Body ◽  
Internal Anatomy ◽  
Suboesophageal Ganglion ◽  
Digestive Tube ◽  
Thoracic Ganglia ◽  
Digestive Glands

Tbe circulatory system, lying in the mid-dorsal line of the body, consists of an oval heart, the opthalmic artery, and a dorsal abdominal artery.The digestive system comprises a wide, large alimentary tube and two pairs of digestive glands. An oesophagus, a proventriculus, midgut, and a short proctodacum or hindgut form the digestive tube. The digestive glands are very well developed and are beaded in form; each pair lies on either side of the alimentary canal.The reproductive organs are well developed in both sexes: in the male they consist of paired testes and their vas deferentia, and in the female paired bilobed ovaries and oviducts.A cerebral or supraoesophageal ganglion, a suboesophageal ganglion, and seven thoracic ganglia form the nervous system. The supraoesophageal ganglion is united with the suboesophageal ganglion by means of the circumoesophageal commissures, whereas the thoracic ganglia and suboesophageal ganglia are linked with each other by paired connectives.The gills and the tracheae are the organs of respiration. The gills are borne of the bases of the pleopods and are enclosed in the branchial chamber. The tracheae are located on the lateral lobes of the first two pleopods only.

scholarly journals Hydatid Disease Simulating Acute Abdomen: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Lianos ◽  
Georgios Baltogiannis ◽  
Avrilios Lazaros ◽  
Konstantinos Vlachos
Keyword(s):  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Hydatid Disease ◽  
Acute Abdominal Pain ◽  
Abdominal Distension ◽  
The Body ◽  
Parasitic Disease ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Diffuse Abdominal Pain ◽  
Operating Surgeon

Introduction. Hydatid disease is caused by the tapewormEchinococcus granulosusand is still a matter of public health in many regions of the world, where it is an endemic parasitic disease. Although the liver is the most involved organ, hydatidosis can be found anywhere in the human body. Rare forms of location may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.Case Report. Herein we report a rare case of acute abdominal pain and progressively increasing abdominal distension due to abdominal and multiple splenic echinococcosis in a 72-year-old Caucasian male. We also provide a brief review of the literature.Conclusion. Although hydatid disease is found most often in the liver and lungs, rarely any organ of the body can be involved by this zoonosis. Though rare, the possibility of unusual location of echinococcosis must always be considered by the operating surgeon, when dealing with diffuse abdominal pain in endemic areas, because any misinterpretation may result in unfavorable outcomes.

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