Busca de biomarcadores de infecção aguda e crônica pelo Trypanosoma cruziperfil de N-glicanas em proteínas séricas e glicofenótipos em leucócitos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-11T12:56:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 leonardo_ruivo_ioc_mest_2016.pdf: 2337878 bytes, checksum: 69b7ee821ee7eed53dca00b82150fc69 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilAlterações no perfil de glicosilação de proteínas, células e tecidos têm sido utilizadas como marcadores biológicos para processos fisiológicos e patológicos. Glicoconjugados contendo o ácido siálico (Neu5Ac) estão envolvidas em interações celulares e parasito-hospedeiro, tráfego de linfócitos e regulação do sistema imune. O Trypanosoma cruzi, agente etiológico da doença de Chagas (DC), expressa em sua superfície e libera no plasma do hospedeiro, uma enzima restrita ao gênero Trypanosoma, a trans-sialidase (TS). Esta é capaz de transferir Neu5Ac de moléculas doadoras e realocá-las em moléculas na superfície do parasito ou sialilar glicoproteínas de células do hospedeiro. A molécula CD43 é um importante aceptor de Neu5Ac em células T e um provável sítio de ação da TS. Na infecção experimental pelo T. cruzi, as células T CD8+ apresentam, majoritariamente, perfis segregados (i) perforina+ (Pfn+), com ação citotóxica, ou (ii) interferon-gama+ (IFN\03B3+), com perfil inflamatório. Estas células estão diferencialmente compartimentalizadas e atuam de forma antagônica, enquanto as Pfn+ se acumulam na inflamação cardíaca e contribuem para a injúria tecidual, as IFN\03B3+ estão majoritariamente na periferia (sangue e baço) e atuam de forma benéfica. Neste trabalho, propomos que na infecção pelo T. cruzi há alterações de glicofenótipos em proteínas séricas e subpopulações de linfócitos T CD8+ funcionalmente segregadas. Camundongos C57BL/6 foram infectados pela cepa Colombiana do T. cruzi e analisados clinicamente. O glicofenótipo de proteínas séricas foi analisado por espectrometria de massas (MALDI-TOF) e o glicofenótipo de tecido cardíaco e de células do baço foi analisado usando lectinas por histoquímica e citometria de fluxo, respectivamente Não detectamos modificação no perfil glicosídico em proteínas séricas em animais infectados. Observamos, no tecido cardíaco, reduzida marcação para a lectina Peanut agglutinin (PNA), aumento para Sambucus nigra (SNA) e não alteração para Maackia amurensis (MAL) em células musculares e inflamatórias. Notamos nas fases aguda (42 dpi) e crônica (120 dpi) aumento na frequência de células PNA+ nas células T CD8+CD43+ e CD4+CD43+, redução no percentual de células SNA+ nas células T CD8+ e CD4+ e diminuição na proporção de células MAL+ nas células T CD4+ e CD8+CD4+. Células T CD8+ totais ou CD8+PNA+ apresentaram perfis semelhantes de ativação (CD44+CD62L-), migração (LFA-1+CCR5+ ou LFA-1+CCR1+) e funcionalidade (Pfn+, Pfn+IFN\03B3+ ou IFN\03B3+). Em 120 dpi, detectou-se enriquecimento de células CD8+PNA+IFN\03B3+ no baço. Assim, durante a DC experimental, células T CD8+PNA+ apresentam-se ativadas e com potencial de migrar e exercer atividade inflamatória (IFN\03B3+), contudo estas não foram detectadas em tecido cardíaco. Resta-nos esclarecer se estas células não migram para este tecido, acumulando-se na periferia, ou se ao entrarem no tecido cardíaco têm seu glicofenótipo alterado ou morrem de modo seletivo. Embora nossos achados não permitam a identificação de biomarcadores de natureza glicosídica de progressão e/ou gravidade da DC, abrem perspectivas para explorar outros modelos experimentais de infecção e para estudos sobre a compartimentalização de células fenotipicamente distintas e funcionalmente relacionadas à proteção contra a injúria cardíaca na infecção pelo T. cruziChanges in glycosylation profile of proteins, cells and tissues have been used as biological markers of physiological and pathological processes. Glicoconjugates containing sialic acid (Neu5Ac) are involved in cell and host-parasite interactions, lymphocyte traffic and regulation of the immune system. Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD), expresses on the surface and releases in the host plasma, a restricted enzyme to the genus Trypanosoma, the trans-sialidase (TS). This enzyme transfers Neu5Ac from donor molecules and relocates them on parasite surface molecules or sialylates glycoproteins of the host cells. The CD43 molecule is a major acceptor of Neu5Ac on T cells and a target site for TS. In experimental T. cruzi infection, CD8+ T cells have, mostly, segregated profiles (i) perforin+ (Pfn+) with cytotoxic action, or (ii) interferon-gamma+ (IFN\03B3+), with inflammatory profile. These cells are differentially compartmentalized and play antagonistic roles, while the Pfn+ cells accumulate in cardiac inflammation and contribute to tissue injury, the IFN\03B3+ are, mostly, at the periphery (blood and spleen) and play a beneficial role. In the present study, we propose that in T. cruzi infection there are glycophenotype changes in serum proteins and subpopulations of functionally segregated CD8+ T lymphocytes. C57BL/6 mice were infected with the Colombian strain of T. cruzi and analyzed for clinical changes. The glycophenotype of serum proteins was analyzed by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and glycophenotypes of the cardiac tissue and splenic cells were analyzed using a lectin-based immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively In infected mice, we did not detect changes in glycoside profile of serum proteins. In the cardiac tissue, we observed reduced staining for the lectin Peanut agglutinin (PNA), increased for Sambucus nigra (SNA) and no alterations for Maackia amurensis (MAL) in muscle and inflammatory cells. In the acute (42 dpi) and chronic (120 dpi) phases, we noticed increased frequency of PNA+ cells among CD8+CD43+ and CD4+CD43+ T cells, reduced percentage of SNA+ cells among CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and decreased proportion of MAL+ cells among CD4+ and CD8+CD4+ T cells. Total and PNA+ CD8+ T cells showed similar profiles of activation (CD44+CD62L-), migration (LFA-1+CCR5+ cells or LFA-1+CCR1+) and functionality (Pfn+, Pfn+IFN\03B3+ or IFN\03B3+). At 120 dpi, there is an enrichment in IFN\03B3+ cells among splenic CD8+PNA+. Thus, in experimental CD PNA+ CD8+T cells are activated and potentially able to migrate towards heart tissue and show inflammatory profile (IFN\03B3+); however, PNA+ cells were not detected in this tissue. It remains to be clarified whether these cells do not migrate to this tissue, accumulating in peripheral tissues, or whether they enter the cardiac tissue but have their glycophenotype modified or selectively dye. Although, our finds do not allow identifying glycosidic biomarkers of progression and/or severity of CD, they open new pathways to be explored using other experimental models of infection and studying the compartmentalizationof phenotypically and functionally distinct cells associated with detrimental or protective role in heart injury in T. cruzi infectio

Behavioural alterations are independent of sickness behaviour in chronic experimental Chagas disease

Submitted by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-03-03T16:31:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 490511 bytes, checksum: 87cc343c1fc67155a453519d8ae9122c (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by sandra infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-03-03T16:39:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 490511 bytes, checksum: 87cc343c1fc67155a453519d8ae9122c (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-03T16:39:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2015.pdf: 490511 bytes, checksum: 87cc343c1fc67155a453519d8ae9122c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.The existence of the nervous form of Chagas disease is a matter of discussion since Carlos Chagas described neurological disorders, learning and behavioural alterations in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals. In most patients, the clinical manifestations of the acute phase, including neurological abnormalities, resolve spontaneously without apparent consequence in the chronic phase of infection. However, chronic Chagas disease patients have behavioural changes such as psychomotor alterations, attention and memory deficits, and depression. In the present study, we tested whether or not behavioural alterations are reproducible in experimental models. We show that C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the Colombian strain of T. cruzi (150 days post-infection) exhibit behavioural changes as (i) depression in the tail suspension and forced swim tests, (ii) anxiety analysed by elevated plus maze and open field test sand and (iii) motor coordination in the rotarod test. These alterations are neither associated with neuromuscular disorders assessed by the grip strength test nor with sickness behaviour analysed by temperature variation sand weight loss. Therefore, chronically T. cruzi-infected mice replicate behavioural alterations (depression and anxiety) detected in Chagas disease patients opening an opportunity to study the interconnection and the physiopathology of these two biological processes in an infectious scenario

Behavioural alterations are independent of sickness behaviour in chronic experimental Chagas disease

The existence of the nervous form of Chagas disease is a matter of discussion since Carlos Chagas described neurological disorders, learning and behavioural alterations in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals. In most patients, the clinical manifestations of the acute phase, including neurological abnormalities, resolve spontaneously without apparent consequence in the chronic phase of infection. However, chronic Chagas disease patients have behavioural changes such as psychomotor alterations, attention and memory deficits, and depression. In the present study, we tested whether or not behavioural alterations are reproducible in experimental models. We show that C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the Colombian strain of T. cruzi (150 days post-infection) exhibit behavioural changes as (i) depression in the tail suspension and forced swim tests, (ii) anxiety analysed by elevated plus maze and open field test sand and (iii) motor coordination in the rotarod test. These alterations are neither associated with neuromuscular disorders assessed by the grip strength test nor with sickness behaviour analysed by temperature variation sand weight loss. Therefore, chronically T. cruzi-infected mice replicate behavioural alterations (depression and anxiety) detected in Chagas disease patients opening an opportunity to study the interconnection and the physiopathology of these two biological processes in an infectious scenario

Combination Chemotherapy with Suboptimal Doses of Benznidazole and Pentoxifylline Sustains Partial Reversion of Experimental Chagas' Heart Disease

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-12-06T14:31:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 1715795 bytes, checksum: 37fc81d5397e81ab69a5272837cf7d49 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2016-12-06T14:46:08Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 1715795 bytes, checksum: 37fc81d5397e81ab69a5272837cf7d49 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T14:46:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 glaucia_pereira_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 1715795 bytes, checksum: 37fc81d5397e81ab69a5272837cf7d49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Patologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) progresses with parasite persistence, fibrosis, and electrical alterations associated with an unbalanced immune response such as high plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and nitric oxide (NO). Presently, the available treatments only mitigate the symptoms of CCC. To improve CCC prognosis, we interfered with the parasite load and unbalanced immune response using the trypanocidal drug benznidazole (Bz) and the immunoregulator pentoxifylline (PTX). C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the Colombian strain of Trypanosoma cruzi and with signs of CCC were treated for 30 days with a suboptimal dose of Bz (25 mg/kg of body weight), PTX (20 mg/kg), or their combination (Bz plus PTX) and analyzed for electrocardiographic, histopathological, and immunological changes. Bz (76%) and Bz-plus-PTX (79%) therapies decreased parasite loads. Although the three therapies reduced myocarditis and fibrosis and ameliorated electrical alterations, only Bz plus PTX restored normal heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) intervals. Bz-plus-PTX-treated mice presented complementary effects of Bz and PTX, which reduced TNF expression (37%) in heart tissue and restored normal TNF receptor 1 expression on CD8(+) T cells, respectively. Bz (85%) and PTX (70%) therapies reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS/NOS2) in heart tissue, but only Bz (58%) reduced NO levels in serum. These effects were more pronounced after Bz-plus-PTX therapy. Moreover, 30 to 50 days after treatment cessation, reductions of the prolonged QTc and QRS intervals were sustained in Bz-plus-PTX-treated mice. Our findings support the importance of interfering with the etiological agent and immunological abnormalities to improve CCC prognosis, opening an opportunity for a better quality of life for Chagas' disease (CD) patients

Overexpression of TcNTPDase-1 Gene Increases Infectivity in Mice Infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases) are enzymes located on the surface of the T. cruzi plasma membrane, which hydrolyze a wide range of tri-/-diphosphate nucleosides. In this work, we used previously developed genetically modified strains of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), hemi-knockout (KO +/−) and overexpressing (OE) the TcNTPDase-1 gene to evaluate the parasite infectivity profile in a mouse model of acute infection (n = 6 mice per group). Our results showed significantly higher parasitemia and mortality, and lower weight in animals infected with parasites OE TcNTPDase-1, as compared to the infection with the wild type (WT) parasites. On the other hand, animals infected with (KO +/−) parasites showed no mortality during the 30-day trial and mouse weight was more similar to the non-infected (NI) animals. In addition, they had low parasitemia (45.7 times lower) when compared with parasites overexpressing TcNTPDase-1 from the hemi-knockout (OE KO +/−) group. The hearts of animals infected with the OE KO +/− and OE parasites showed significantly larger regions of cardiac inflammation than those infected with the WT parasites (p < 0.001). Only animals infected with KO +/− did not show individual electrocardiographic changes during the period of experimentation. Together, our results expand the knowledge on the role of NTPDases in T. cruzi infectivity, reenforcing the potential of this enzyme as a chemotherapy target to treat Chagas disease (CD)

Genetic Polymorphism at CCL5 Is Associated With Protection in Chagas’ Heart Disease: Antagonistic Participation of CCR1+ and CCR5+ Cells in Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2018-04-12T11:07:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 joselilannes2_vieira_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 2737835 bytes, checksum: 5a14821aaf12a2de79b739e8b2806eea (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2018-04-12T11:27:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 joselilannes2_vieira_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 2737835 bytes, checksum: 5a14821aaf12a2de79b739e8b2806eea (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-12T11:27:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 joselilannes2_vieira_etal_IOC_2018.pdf: 2737835 bytes, checksum: 5a14821aaf12a2de79b739e8b2806eea (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hanseníase. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Ambulatório de Doença de Chagas e Insuficiência Cardíaca do Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco. Recife, PE, Brasil.Ambulatório de Doença de Chagas e Insuficiência Cardíaca do Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco. Recife, PE, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Universidade Federal Fluminense. Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Patologia. Laboratório Multiusuário de Apoio à Pesquisa em Nefrologia e Ciências Médicas. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Aggeu Magalhães. Departamento de Imunologia. Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia. Recife, PE, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Aggeu Magalhães. Departamento de Imunologia. Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia. Recife, PE, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Aggeu Magalhães. Departamento de Imunologia. Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia. Recife, PE, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Aggeu Magalhães. Departamento de Imunologia. Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia. Recife, PE, Brasil.Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Departamento de Medicina Tropical. Recife, PE, Brasil / Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Laboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami. Recife, PE, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Departamento de Genética. Laboratório de Virologia Molecular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Presidência. Programa de Computação Científica. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Ambulatório de Doença de Chagas e Insuficiência Cardíaca do Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco. Recife, PE, Brasil.Ambulatório de Doença de Chagas e Insuficiência Cardíaca do Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco. Recife, PE, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Hanseníase. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Biologia das Interações. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Chronic cardiomyopathy is the main clinical manifestation of Chagas disease (CD), a disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. A hallmark of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a fibrogenic inflammation mainly composed of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and macrophages. CC-chemokine ligands and receptors have been proposed to drive cell migration toward the heart tissue of CD patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CC-chemokine ligand and receptor genes may determine protein expression. Herein, we evaluated the association of SNPs in the CC-chemokines CCL2 (rs1024611) and CCL5 (rs2107538, rs2280788) and the CCL5/RANTES receptors CCR1 (rs3181077, rs1491961, rs3136672) and CCR5 (rs1799987) with risk and progression toward CCC. We performed a cross-sectional association study of 406 seropositive patients from endemic areas for CD in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The patients were classified as non-cardiopathic (A, n = 110) or cardiopathic (mild, B1, n = 163; severe, C, n = 133). Serum levels of CCL5 and CCL2/MCP-1 were elevated in CD patients but were neither associated with risk/severity of CCC nor with SNP genotypes. After logistic regression analysis with adjustment for the covariates gender and ethnicity, CCL5 −403 (rs2107538) CT heterozygotes (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.04) and T carriers (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.01) were associated with protection against CCC. To gain insight into the participation of the CCL5–CCR5/CCR1 axis in CCC, mice were infected with the Colombian T. cruzi strain. Increased CCL5 concentrations were detected in cardiac tissue. In spleen, frequencies of CCR1+ CD8+ T cells and CD14+ macrophages were decreased, while frequencies of CCR5+ cells were increased. Importantly, CCR1+CD14+ macrophages were mainly IL-10+, while CCR5+ cells were mostly TNF+. CCR5-deficient infected mice presented reduced TNF concentrations and injury in heart tissue. Selective blockade of CCR1 (Met-RANTES therapy) in infected Ccr5−/− mice supported a protective role for CCR1 in CCC. Furthermore, parasite antigen stimulation of CD patient blood cells increased the frequency of CCR1+CD8+ T cells and CCL5 production. Collectively, our data support that a genetic variant of CCL5 and CCR1+ cells confer protection against Chagas heart disease, identifying the CCL5-CCR1 axis as a target for immunostimulation

Image_8.tif

<p>Chronic cardiomyopathy is the main clinical manifestation of Chagas disease (CD), a disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. A hallmark of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a fibrogenic inflammation mainly composed of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages. CC-chemokine ligands and receptors have been proposed to drive cell migration toward the heart tissue of CD patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CC-chemokine ligand and receptor genes may determine protein expression. Herein, we evaluated the association of SNPs in the CC-chemokines CCL2 (rs1024611) and CCL5 (rs2107538, rs2280788) and the CCL5/RANTES receptors CCR1 (rs3181077, rs1491961, rs3136672) and CCR5 (rs1799987) with risk and progression toward CCC. We performed a cross-sectional association study of 406 seropositive patients from endemic areas for CD in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The patients were classified as non-cardiopathic (A, n = 110) or cardiopathic (mild, B1, n = 163; severe, C, n = 133). Serum levels of CCL5 and CCL2/MCP-1 were elevated in CD patients but were neither associated with risk/severity of CCC nor with SNP genotypes. After logistic regression analysis with adjustment for the covariates gender and ethnicity, CCL5 −403 (rs2107538) CT heterozygotes (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.04) and T carriers (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.01) were associated with protection against CCC. To gain insight into the participation of the CCL5–CCR5/CCR1 axis in CCC, mice were infected with the Colombian T. cruzi strain. Increased CCL5 concentrations were detected in cardiac tissue. In spleen, frequencies of CCR1⁺ CD8⁺ T cells and CD14⁺ macrophages were decreased, while frequencies of CCR5⁺ cells were increased. Importantly, CCR1⁺CD14⁺ macrophages were mainly IL-10⁺, while CCR5⁺ cells were mostly TNF⁺. CCR5-deficient infected mice presented reduced TNF concentrations and injury in heart tissue. Selective blockade of CCR1 (Met-RANTES therapy) in infected Ccr5^−/− mice supported a protective role for CCR1 in CCC. Furthermore, parasite antigen stimulation of CD patient blood cells increased the frequency of CCR1⁺CD8⁺ T cells and CCL5 production. Collectively, our data support that a genetic variant of CCL5 and CCR1⁺ cells confer protection against Chagas heart disease, identifying the CCL5-CCR1 axis as a target for immunostimulation.</p

Data_Sheet_1.docx

<p>Chronic cardiomyopathy is the main clinical manifestation of Chagas disease (CD), a disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. A hallmark of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a fibrogenic inflammation mainly composed of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages. CC-chemokine ligands and receptors have been proposed to drive cell migration toward the heart tissue of CD patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CC-chemokine ligand and receptor genes may determine protein expression. Herein, we evaluated the association of SNPs in the CC-chemokines CCL2 (rs1024611) and CCL5 (rs2107538, rs2280788) and the CCL5/RANTES receptors CCR1 (rs3181077, rs1491961, rs3136672) and CCR5 (rs1799987) with risk and progression toward CCC. We performed a cross-sectional association study of 406 seropositive patients from endemic areas for CD in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The patients were classified as non-cardiopathic (A, n = 110) or cardiopathic (mild, B1, n = 163; severe, C, n = 133). Serum levels of CCL5 and CCL2/MCP-1 were elevated in CD patients but were neither associated with risk/severity of CCC nor with SNP genotypes. After logistic regression analysis with adjustment for the covariates gender and ethnicity, CCL5 −403 (rs2107538) CT heterozygotes (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.04) and T carriers (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.01) were associated with protection against CCC. To gain insight into the participation of the CCL5–CCR5/CCR1 axis in CCC, mice were infected with the Colombian T. cruzi strain. Increased CCL5 concentrations were detected in cardiac tissue. In spleen, frequencies of CCR1⁺ CD8⁺ T cells and CD14⁺ macrophages were decreased, while frequencies of CCR5⁺ cells were increased. Importantly, CCR1⁺CD14⁺ macrophages were mainly IL-10⁺, while CCR5⁺ cells were mostly TNF⁺. CCR5-deficient infected mice presented reduced TNF concentrations and injury in heart tissue. Selective blockade of CCR1 (Met-RANTES therapy) in infected Ccr5^−/− mice supported a protective role for CCR1 in CCC. Furthermore, parasite antigen stimulation of CD patient blood cells increased the frequency of CCR1⁺CD8⁺ T cells and CCL5 production. Collectively, our data support that a genetic variant of CCL5 and CCR1⁺ cells confer protection against Chagas heart disease, identifying the CCL5-CCR1 axis as a target for immunostimulation.</p

Image_6.tif

<p>Chronic cardiomyopathy is the main clinical manifestation of Chagas disease (CD), a disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. A hallmark of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a fibrogenic inflammation mainly composed of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells and macrophages. CC-chemokine ligands and receptors have been proposed to drive cell migration toward the heart tissue of CD patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CC-chemokine ligand and receptor genes may determine protein expression. Herein, we evaluated the association of SNPs in the CC-chemokines CCL2 (rs1024611) and CCL5 (rs2107538, rs2280788) and the CCL5/RANTES receptors CCR1 (rs3181077, rs1491961, rs3136672) and CCR5 (rs1799987) with risk and progression toward CCC. We performed a cross-sectional association study of 406 seropositive patients from endemic areas for CD in the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The patients were classified as non-cardiopathic (A, n = 110) or cardiopathic (mild, B1, n = 163; severe, C, n = 133). Serum levels of CCL5 and CCL2/MCP-1 were elevated in CD patients but were neither associated with risk/severity of CCC nor with SNP genotypes. After logistic regression analysis with adjustment for the covariates gender and ethnicity, CCL5 −403 (rs2107538) CT heterozygotes (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.04) and T carriers (OR = 0.5, P-value = 0.01) were associated with protection against CCC. To gain insight into the participation of the CCL5–CCR5/CCR1 axis in CCC, mice were infected with the Colombian T. cruzi strain. Increased CCL5 concentrations were detected in cardiac tissue. In spleen, frequencies of CCR1⁺ CD8⁺ T cells and CD14⁺ macrophages were decreased, while frequencies of CCR5⁺ cells were increased. Importantly, CCR1⁺CD14⁺ macrophages were mainly IL-10⁺, while CCR5⁺ cells were mostly TNF⁺. CCR5-deficient infected mice presented reduced TNF concentrations and injury in heart tissue. Selective blockade of CCR1 (Met-RANTES therapy) in infected Ccr5^−/− mice supported a protective role for CCR1 in CCC. Furthermore, parasite antigen stimulation of CD patient blood cells increased the frequency of CCR1⁺CD8⁺ T cells and CCL5 production. Collectively, our data support that a genetic variant of CCL5 and CCR1⁺ cells confer protection against Chagas heart disease, identifying the CCL5-CCR1 axis as a target for immunostimulation.</p