title: Plasma cytokine expression is associated with cardiac morbidity in chagas disease.
abstract: The expression of immune response appears to be associated with morbidity in Chagas disease. However, the studies in this field have usually employed small samples of patients and statistical analyses that do not consider the wide dispersion of cytokine production observed in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma cytokine levels in well-defined clinical polar groups of chagasic patients divided into categories that better reflect the wide cytokine profile and its relationship with morbidity. Patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) were grouped as indeterminate (IND) and cardiac (CARD) forms ranging from 23 to 69 years of age (mean of 45.6±11.25). The IND group included 82 individuals, ranging from 24 to 66 years of age (mean of 39.6±10.3). The CARD group included 94 patients ranging from 23 to 69 years of age (mean of 48±12.52) presenting dilated cardiomyopathy. None of the patients have undergone chemotherapeutic treatment, nor had been previously treated for T. cruzi infection. Healthy non-chagasic individuals, ranging from 29 to 55 years of age (mean of 42.6±8.8) were included as a control group (NI). IND patients have a higher intensity of interleukin 10 (IL-10) expression when compared with individuals in the other groups. By contrast, inflammatory cytokine expression, such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), proved to be the highest in the CARD group. Correlation analysis showed that higher IL-10 expression was associated with better cardiac function, as determined by left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular diastolic diameter values. Altogether, these findings reinforce the concept that a fine balance between regulatory and inflammatory cytokines represents a key element in the establishment of distinct forms of chronic Chagas disease.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovane Rodrigo
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Assis Silva
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaelle Christine Gomes
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Paulo de Souza
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Damásio
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Thereza
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karine Silvestre
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Carmo Pereira
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayara Ingrid
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Alves Azevedo
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corrêa-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoel Otávio da Costa
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma