Key result
Plasma measurements of matrix metalloproteinases should be adopted as the standard for evaluating Chagas cardiomyopathy to avoid erroneously high measurements caused by serum collection methods.
Why the study?
No suitable biomarker reflecting the evolution of Chagas disease is widely accepted, and methods for evaluating circulating matrix metalloproteinases lack consensus.
Does the use of plasma versus serum provide more reliable measurements of circulating matrix metalloproteinases in patients with Chagas disease?
Does the use of plasma versus serum provide more reliable measurements of circulating matrix metalloproteinases in patients with Chagas disease?
Standardizing blood collection to use plasma rather than serum is crucial for reliable and comparable evaluation of matrix metalloproteinases as biomarkers in Chagas cardiomyopathy.
Supports plasma standardization for MMP assays in Chagas cardiomyopathy; leaves open prospective validation before clinical adoption.
Infection with the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is endemic in parts of America. Approximately 30% of people infected develop Chagas cardiomyopathy, the most common cause of heart failure in these regions. No suitable biomarker that reflects the evolution of the disease has been widely accepted as of yet. There is substantial evidence, however, of a strong inflammatory reaction following infection with T. cruzi that could activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Emerging research suggests the involvement of MMPs in Chagas cardiomyopathy and there is a growing interest in measuring the blood levels of MMPs as diagnostic and/or prognostic indicators of heart damage in Chagas patients. This perspective discusses the lack of consensus on the best method for MMP evaluation. Some studies are based on MMP concentrations and activities in serum whereas others use plasma. We believe that these different methods of evaluation have led to incongruent and poorly comparable data on the blood levels of MMPs in Chagas patients. A standard for the preparation of blood samples needs to be adopted for the study of MMPs as markers of Chagas cardiomyopathy to ensure better comparability of research results.
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Bautista-López et al. (2022) conducted an editorial in Chagas Disease. Plasma vs serum for MMP measurement was evaluated. Plasma measurements of matrix metalloproteinases should be adopted as the standard for evaluating Chagas cardiomyopathy to avoid erroneously high measurements caused by serum collection methods.
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