Study of possible correlation between antigens of Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydophila pneumoniae and archaeal DNA in serum versus microparticles in endomyocardial biopsies of patients with chronic chagasic cardiopathy.

• Grant number: 12/06604-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2012
• End date: June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Maria de Lourdes Higuchi
• Grantee: Camila Butros de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto do Coração Professor Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini (INCOR). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chronic chagasic cardiopathy (CC) occurs in part of the Trypanosoma cruzi infected individuals in association with fibrous lymphocytic myocarditis and C5b-9 complement deposition, an usual component of anti-microbial immune response. The scarcity of T.cruzi antigens among the inflammation has raised autoimmune theories. We raised the hypothesis that microbial components from Archaea, Mycoplasma and Chlamydophila may be associated with T.cruzi virulence as: a) archaeal proteolytic enzyme and archaeal genes were found in T.cruzi. b) T. cruzi mucins induced an intense inflammatory response similar of mycoplasmal lipopeptide and c) chlamydophila specific proteins were described in T.cruzi. In a preliminary study, we revised endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) from 5 patients in Indeterminate Form IIF) and 5 with CC through in situ hybridization and immuno electron microscopy and found components from Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), Chlamydophila pneumoniae(CP), archaeal-like bodies and C5b-9 in intimal association in CC group.Using fluorescent Qdots we detected in the serum, nanoparticles derived from these infectious agents. It will be evaluated if there microparticles with or without the presence of these antigens from the reactions of fluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization.