Intra-Discrete Typing Unit TcV Genetic Variability of Trypanosoma cruzi in Chronic Chagas' Disease Bolivian Immigrant Patients in Barcelona, Spain

Author(s)

de Oliveira, Maykon Tavares ^{[1, 2]} ; Sulleiro, Elena ^[3] ; da Silva, Maria Claudia ^[4] ; Silgado, Aroa ^[3] ; de Lana, Marta ^{[5, 6]} ; da Silva, Joao Santana ^[7] ; Molina, Israel ^[1] ; Antonio Marin-Neto, J. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Vall dHebron Univ Hosp, Dept Infect Dis, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona - Spain

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Med Sch Ribeirao Preto, Dept Internal Med, Cardiol Div, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Vall dHebron Univ Hosp, Dept Microbiol, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona - Spain

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Biochem & Immunol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Ouro Preto, Ctr Res Biol Sci, Ouro Preto - Brazil

^[6] Univ Fed Ouro Preto, Pharm Sch, Ouro Preto - Brazil

^[7] Fiocruz Biinst Translat Med Plataform, Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE; v. 8, MAY 20 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi has a high rate of biological and genetic variability, and its population structure is divided into seven distinct genetic groups (TcI-TcVI and Tcbat). Due to immigration, Chagas disease (ChD), caused by T. cruzi, has become a serious global health problem including in Europe. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the existence of genetic variability within discrete typing unit (DTU) TcV of T. cruzi in Bolivian patients with chronic ChD residing in Barcelona, Spain. Methods: The DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 27 patients infected with T. cruzi DTU TcV and the fragments of the genetic material were amplificated through the low stringency single primer-polymerase chain reaction (LSSP-PCR). The data generated after amplification were submitted to bioinformatics analysis. Results: Of the 27 patients evaluated in the study, 8/27 (29.6%) were male and 19/27 (70.4%) female, 17/27 (62.9%) were previously classified with the indeterminate clinical form of Chagas disease and 10/27 (37.1%) with Chagas cardiomyopathy. The LSSP-PCR detected 432 band fragments from 80 to 1,500 bp. The unweighted pair-group method analysis and principal coordinated analysis data demonstrated the existence of three distinct genetic groups with moderate-high rates of intraspecific genetic variability/diversity that had shared parasite's alleles in patients with the indeterminate and cardiomyopathy forms of ChD. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the existence of a moderate to high rate of intra-DTU TcV variability in T. cruzi. Certain alleles of the parasite were associated with the absence of clinical manifestations in patients harboring the indeterminate form of ChD. These results support the need to search for increasingly specific targets in the genome of T. cruzi to be correlated with its main biological properties and clinical features in patients with chronic ChD. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/25403-9 - Investigations on the pathogenesis, pathophysiology and therapy in humans and in an experimental model with the chronic cardiomyopathy of Chagas Disease
• Grantee: José Antonio Marin-Neto
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/22093-4 - "Genotyping of Trypanosoma cruzi in samples from patients with Chronic Chagas' Heart Disease''
• Grantee: Maykon Tavares de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 19/11943-0 - Genotyping of Trypanosoma cruzi in samples of immigrant patients living in Europe: correlation between Trypanosoma cruzi molecular epidemiology and the different clinical forms of Chagas Disease in the European continent
• Grantee: Maykon Tavares de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor