Progressive Chagas' cardiomyopathy is associated with low selenium levels.
Selenium (Se) deficiency is linked with some cardiomyopathies. Its status was determined in 170 patients with chronic Chagas' disease from 2 Brazilian regions (Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte), clinically stratified into groups as follows: indeterminate or asymptomatic (IND); cardiac asymptomatic (CARDa); cardiac symptomatic with moderate to severe heart dysfunction (CARDb); and healthy adults (HA), used for comparison. In most HA, Se levels were normal, excluding an overall Se deficiency. Se was significantly lower in CARDb than in HA, IND, or CARDa patients. This was not associated with a concomitant decrease in activity of glutathione peroxidase. Thyrotropin was normal, excluding iodine deficiency. Se correlated positive and significantly with ventricular ejection fraction (assessed via echocardiography). Asymptomatic children with acute Chagas' disease had normal Se as well as 5 noninfectious cases of cardiomyopathy. Low Se was found in 6 of 10 chagasic patients with digestive megasyndromes. Thus, the decrease in Se in chagasic patients seems to be a biological marker for Trypanosoma cruzi infection and related to the progression of pathology.
Rivera
Maria Teresa
MT
Departamento de Ultra-estrutura e Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
de Souza
Andréa P
AP
Hasslocher-Moreno
Alejandro Marcel
AM
Xavier
Sergio S
SS
Gomes
Juliana A S
JA
Rocha
Manoel Otavio C
MO
Correa-Oliveira
Rodrigo
R
Nève
Jean
J
Vanderpas
Jean
J
Araújo-Jorge
Tania C
TC
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013972:Thyrotropin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium