Key result
The use of Trypanosoma rangeli culture-derived trypomastigotes in indirect immunofluorescence assays significantly reduced serological cross-reactivity from 88.46% to 30.76% compared to epimastigotes in sera from patients with cardiac Chagas disease.
Why the study?
Does the use of trypomastigote forms instead of epimastigote forms reduce serological cross-reactivity between T. cruzi and T. rangeli in Chagas disease patient sera?
Observational (n=53)
Does the use of trypomastigote forms instead of epimastigote forms reduce serological cross-reactivity between T. cruzi and T. rangeli in Chagas disease patient sera?
Absolute Event Rate: 30.76% vs 88.46%
p-value: p=<0.001
Using trypomastigote forms instead of epimastigote forms in indirect immunofluorescence assays significantly reduces false-positive cross-reactivity between T. cruzi and T. rangeli, improving the specificity of Chagas disease diagnosis.
BACKGROUND: American Trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi which currently infects approximately 16 million people in the Americas causing high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis of American trypanosomiasis relies on serology, primarily using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) with T. cruzi epimastigote forms. The closely related but nonpathogenic Trypanosoma rangeli has a sympatric distribution with T. cruzi and is carried by the same vectors. As a result false positives are frequently generated. This confounding factor leads to increased diagnostic test costs and where false positives are not caught, endangers human health due to the toxicity of the drugs used to treat Chagas disease. RESULTS: In the present study, serologic cross-reactivity between the two species was compared for the currently used epimastigote form and the more pathologically relevant trypomastigote form, using IFA and immunoblotting (IB) assays. Our results reveal an important decrease in cross reactivity when T. rangeli culture-derived trypomastigotes are used in IFA based diagnosis of Chagas disease. Western blot results using sera from both acute and chronic chagasic patients presenting with cardiac, indeterminate or digestive disease revealed similar, but not identical, antigenic profiles. CONCLUSION: This is the first study addressing the serological cross-reactivity between distinct forms and strains of T. rangeli and T. cruzi using sera from distinct phases of the Chagasic infection. Several T. rangeli-specific proteins were detected, which may have potential as diagnostic tools.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Moraes et al. (2008) conducted an observational in Chagas disease (n=53). Trypanosoma rangeli trypomastigote antigens vs. Trypanosoma rangeli epimastigote antigens was evaluated on Serological cross-reactivity in indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) (p=<0.001). The use of Trypanosoma rangeli culture-derived trypomastigotes in indirect immunofluorescence assays significantly reduced serological cross-reactivity from 88.46% to 30.76% compared to epimastigotes in sera from patients with cardiac Chagas disease.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: