Article
The role of Trypanosoma cruzi and its antigens on the pathogenesis of Chagas's disease myocardiopathy
Registro en:
ANDRADE, Sonia Gumes. The role of Trypanosoma cruzi and its antigens on the pathogenesis of Chagas's disease myocardiopathy. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, v. 42, Supl. II, p. 46-51, 2009.
0037-8682
Autor
Andrade, Sonia Gumes
Resumen
Trypanosoma cruzi infection determines acute disease in the vertebrate host by the intracellular multiplication of parasites, especially within cardiac myocells, which is followed by parasitized host cell destruction and severe myocarditis. The parasite role during the acute phase is therefore evident. This form is followed by an asymptomatic indeterminate form that can be followed by a chronic myocardiopathy (20 - 35% of cases), with scarce parasites. Several authors have suggested an autoimmune mechanism for the chronic phase, with production of autoantibodies and auto-reactive T lymphocites. However, transference of such lymphocites to naïve mice has not met with success. We propose that interstitial dendric cells of the heart (antigens presenting cells) with captured, endocytosed and processed parasite antigens, migrate to the spleen where TCD4 (MHCII restrict) lymphocites are stimulated, inducing the cellular response in Chagas' disease myocarditis. Dendritic follicular cells in the spleen capture and present parasite antigens to splenic B lymphocites (humoral response) with maintenance of the immunological memory.