Evaluation of heme requirement in Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from patients bearing distinct clinical forms of Chagas Disease

• Grant number: 17/26846-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2018
• End date: October 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Ramos Gadelha
• Grantee: Isabella Bagni Nakamura
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD) has different clinical manifestations (indeterminate, cardiac, cardio-digestive and digestive) that vary among individuals and geographic regions. CD heterogeneity suggests that the genetic variation of the host and/or the parasite is important for the establishment of the distinct clinical forms. Analyzing eight Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from patients bearing distinct clinical forms of CD it was possible to observe that the growth curves and the mitochondrial respiratory chain oxygen consumption rates were different. Also, preliminary results suggest that there is a significant difference among them regarding the requirement of heme to their growth. Taking this into consideration, the aim of this project is to analyze the requirement of heme from these isolates, establishing, if possible, a correlation with the clinical form of the disease. In this sense, morphological and biochemical parameters will be evaluated. The development of this project will bring important contributions to a better understanding of the biochemical parameters of the parasites and the pathogenesis of CD.