Predominance of lineage I among Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from Venezuelan patients with different clinical profiles of acute Chagas’ disease
Resumo
Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from 23 acute chagasic patients from localities of Western Venezuela (state
of Barinas) where Chagas’ disease is endemic were typed using ribosomal and mini-exon gene markers.
Results showed that isolates of the two major phylogenetic lineages, T. cruzi I and T. cruzi II, were
isolated from these patients. Six isolates (26%) were typed as T. cruzi II and 17 (74%) as belonging to
T. cruzi lineage I. Analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns confirmed these
two groups of isolates, but did not disclose significant genetic intra-lineage polymorphism. Patients
infected by both T. cruzi I or T. cruzi II showed different clinical profiles presenting highly variable signs
and symptoms of acute phase of Chagas’ disease ranging from totally asymptomatic to severe heart
failure. The predominance of T. cruzi I human isolates in Venezuela allied to the higher prevalence of
severe symptoms of Chagas’ disease (heart failure) in patients infected by this lineage do not corroborate
an innocuousness of T. cruzi I infection to humans. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing
predominance of T. cruzi lineage I in a large number of acute chagasic patients with distinct and wellcharacterized
clinical profiles.
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Información Adicional
Correo Electrónico | nanes@ula.ve gecr68@hotmail.com agustinarojas@yahoo.com hugo@ula.ve jramirez@reacciun.ve |
Editor | Tropical Medicine and International Health. volume 9 no 12, december 2004 |
Colación | 1319 – 1326 |