Regulación de moléculas inflamatorias en el endotelio y en monocitos estimulados con la proteína rMBP::SSP4 de amastigote de Trypanosoma cruzi

La enfermedad de Chagas es una enfermedad crónica originada por el parásito Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). Esta afección representa un problema de Salud Pública, la OMS estima que existen aproximadamente 28 millones de personas infectadas en América latina, causando afecciones en el sistema cardiovascular. Durante la fase aguda de la infección ocurre un proceso inflamatorio en el cual existe una rápida migración de monocitos hacia el sitio de infección. Estudios actuales muestran que la proteína rMBP::SSP4 específica de amastigote de T. cruzi, es una proteína capaz de modular los mecanismos efectores del macrófago en el modelo de ratón..

Trypanosoma cruzi SSP4 Amastigote Protein Induces Expression of Immunoregulatory and Immunosuppressive Molecules in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

The acute phase of Chagas' disease in mice and human is marked by states of immunosuppression, in which Trypanosoma cruzi replicates extensively and releases immunomodulatory molecules that delay parasite-specific responses mediated by effector T cells. This mechanism of evasion allows the parasite to spread in the host. Parasite molecules that regulate the host immune response during Chagas’ disease have not been fully identified, particularly proteins of the amastigote stage. In this work, we evaluated the role of the GPI anchored SSP4 protein of T. cruzi as an immunomodulatory molecule in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). rMBP::SSP4 protein was able to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production. Likewise, rMBP::SSP4 induced the expression of genes and production of molecules involved in the inflammatory process, such as, cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules (CAMs) as determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. These results suggest that the amastigote SSP4 molecule could play a key role in the immunoregulatory and/or immunosuppressive process observed in the acute phase of infection with T. cruzi