Genetic and Functional Role of TNF-alpha in the Development Trypanosoma cruzi Infection | Zendy

Cristina Wide Pissetti | Zendy; Dalmo Correia | Zendy; Rafael Faria de Oliveira | Zendy; Maurício Llaguno | Zendy; Marly Aparecida Spadotto Balarin | Zendy; Roseane Lopes da SilvaGrecco | Zendy; Virmondes Rodrigues | Zendy

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Genetic and Functional Role of TNF-alpha in the Development Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

Author(s) -

Cristina Wide Pissetti,

Dalmo Correia,

Rafael Faria de Oliveira,

Maurício Llaguno,

Marly Aparecida Spadotto Balarin,

Roseane Lopes da SilvaGrecco,

Virmondes Rodrigues

Publication year - 2011

Publication title -

plos neglected tropical diseases

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 1.99

H-Index - 135

eISSN - 1935-2735

pISSN - 1935-2727

DOI - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000976

Subject(s) - trypanosoma cruzi , chagas disease , allele , tumor necrosis factor alpha , immunology , biology , cytokine , serology , alpha (finance) , virology , medicine , antibody , genetics , gene , parasite hosting , construct validity , nursing , world wide web , computer science , patient satisfaction

TNF-alpha plays an important role in trypanocidal mechanisms and is related to tissue injury. This cytokine has been detected in the heart of human chagasic patients where it is associated with tissue damage. This study investigated whether TNF-alpha levels and the presence of genetic polymorphisms are associated with the presence of T. cruzi infection and/or with the development of the cardiac form in chronic chagasic patients. Genomic DNA of 300 subjects from an endemic area was extracted and analyzed by PCR using specific primers. TNF-alpha was assayed in culture supernatants by ELISA. An association was observed between the absence of the TNF-238A allele and negative serology. Furthermore, seropositive individuals carrying the TNF-238A allele produced significantly higher TNF-alpha levels without stimulation (p = 0.04) and after stimulation with LPS (p = 0.007) and T. cruzi antigens (p = 0.004). The present results suggest that the polymorphism at position -238 influences susceptibility to infection and that this allele is associated with higher TNF-alpha production in seropositive individuals.

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