title: Polymerase chain reaction in endomyocardial biopsies for monitoring reactivation of Chagas' disease in heart transplantation: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used to detect microbiological agent recurrence after heart transplantation of viral-induced cardiomyopathies. We report a case of reactivation of Chagas' disease after heart transplantation in which parasites could be detected in the endomyocardial biopsy using hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections, immunohistochemistry, and PCR for Trypanosoma cruzi DNA. Interestingly, PCR results remained positive in the endomyocardial biopsy 53 days after the beginning of successful treatment, pointing to the possibility of chronic persistence of parasites in the myocardium after the reactivation of Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathology, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, Av. Dr. Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar 44, 05403-000 São Paulo, Brazil. anpluiz@incor.usp.br
authors.forename: Luiz Alberto
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Benvenuti
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roggério
authors.forename: Nádia Vieira
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Sambiase
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorelli
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001706:Biopsy; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004699:Endocardium / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012008:Recurrence; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan