title: Characterization of enteroglial cells and denervation process in chagasic patients with and without megaesophagus.
abstract: Chagas disease is caused by infestation with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and some patients who are serologically positive develop chronic megaesophagus, whereas others are symptom-free. Gastrointestinal form of Chagas disease involves an inflammatory invasion of the enteric plexuses and degeneration of enteric neurons and previous works related that enteroglial cells would be involved in enteric inflammatory responses. Because of this, the aims of this study were to determine the relation of enteroglial cells with the denervation process in chagasic patients with and without megaesophagus and seronegative individuals. Our results indicated that the innervation of the esophageal muscle was substantially reduced in patients with megaesophagus, but asymptomatic seropositive subjects were not different to seronegative controls. Besides, patients with megaesophagus had significant decreased of enteroglial cells labeled with S-100 and glial fibrillary acidic protein, whereas patients without megaesophagus presented an increased of both labels. We believe that enteroglial cells would operate a mechanism of defense in the enteric nervous system against the Trypanosoma cruzi infection, which could prevent the organ denervation and preserve the esophagus function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodolfo Duarte
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Souza Lisboa
authors.forename: Ricardo Toshio
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Michelle Aparecida Ribeiro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.forename: Sheila Jorge
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Adad
authors.forename: Rodrigo Correa
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: d'Avila Reis
authors.forename: Alexandre Barcelos Morais
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: da Silveira
mesh_terms: D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000276:immunology / Q000294:innervation*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009418:S100 Proteins