[Immunological status of mothers infected with Trypanosoma cruzi].
The mechanisms of congenital transmission of Chagas disease remain largely unknown. To better understand the role of maternal immunology during pregnancy in congenital Chagas transmission, we studied the cytokine production and the parasitic load in three groups of mothers: infected mothers who transmitted the disease to their babies (M+B+-), infected mothers who did not transmit the disease to their babies (M+B-) and not infected mothers as a control group (M-B-). M+B+ mothers produced less IFNgamma and more IL-10 than the M+B- mothers, and they are not able to produce IL-2. M+B+ mothers showed a higher parasitic load. These results, indicated that the congenital Chagas transmission is associated with an immunological imbalance and a high parasitic load in the M+B+ mothers.
CUMETROP/LABIMED, Faculdad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simón (U.M.S.S.), Cochabamba, Bolivia. cristina@med.umss.edu.bo
Cristina
C
Alonso-Vega
Emmanuel
E
Hermann
Carine
C
Truyens
Patricia
P
Rodriguez
Mary Cruz
MC
Torrico
Faustino
F
Torrico
Yves
Y
Carlier
D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology*
D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons