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Garcia-Bustos V, Moral Moral P, Cabañero-Navalon MD, Salavert Lletí M, Calabuig Muñoz E. Does Autoimmunity Play a Role in the Immunopathogenesis of Vasculitis Associated With Chronic Chagas Disease? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:671962. [PMID: 34295833 PMCID: PMC8290184 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.671962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Garcia-Bustos
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pedro Moral Moral
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Dafne Cabañero-Navalon
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Salavert Lletí
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eva Calabuig Muñoz
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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Deshayes S, de Boysson H, Dumont A, Vivien D, Manrique A, Aouba A. An overview of the perspectives on experimental models and new therapeutic targets in giant cell arteritis. Autoimmun Rev 2020; 19:102636. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Valbusa F, Angheben A, Mantovani A, Zerbato V, Chiampan A, Bonapace S, Rodari P, Agnoletti D, Arcaro G, Fava C, Bisoffi Z, Targher G. Increased aortic stiffness in adults with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220689. [PMID: 31374101 PMCID: PMC6677385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An ever-increasing number of patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease are diagnosed with early vascular and cardiac abnormalities, as cardiovascular imaging becomes more sensitive. However, the currently available information on aortic stiffness (a prognostic marker for adverse cardiovascular outcomes) in these patients is scarce. In this study, we consecutively recruited 21 asymptomatic Bolivian adult patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease and 14 Bolivian adults, who were seronegative for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. No participants had a prior history of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or atrial fibrillation. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), carotid-radial PWV (cr-PWV), carotid intima-media thickness and conventional echocardiographic measurements were recorded in all participants. Patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease had significantly higher cf-PWV (7.9±1.3 vs. 6.4±1.1 m/s, p = 0.003) and greater HOMA-estimated insulin resistance than subjects without Chagas disease. The two groups did not significantly differ in terms of age, sex, smoking, adiposity measures, blood pressure, plasma lipids, fasting glucose levels as well as cr-PWV, carotid intima-media thickness measurements, left ventricular mass and function. Presence of chronic indeterminate Chagas disease was significantly associated with increasing cf-PWV values (β coefficient: 1.31, 95% coefficient interval 0.44 to 2.18, p = 0.005), even after adjustment for age, sex, heart rate, systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance. In conclusion, asymptomatic Bolivian adult patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease have an early and marked increase in aortic stiffness, as measured by cf-PWV, when compared to Bolivian adults who were seronegative for Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Valbusa
- Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Angheben
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mantovani
- Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Verena Zerbato
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Chiampan
- Division of Cardiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Bonapace
- Division of Cardiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Rodari
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Davide Agnoletti
- Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Guido Arcaro
- Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Cristiano Fava
- Section of General Medicine and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Zeno Bisoffi
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore – Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy
- Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Targher
- Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Roffê E, Marino APMP, Weaver J, Wan W, de Araújo FF, Hoffman V, Santiago HC, Murphy PM. Trypanosoma cruzi Causes Paralyzing Systemic Necrotizing Vasculitis Driven by Pathogen-Specific Type I Immunity in Mice. Infect Immun 2016; 84:1123-1136. [PMID: 26857570 PMCID: PMC4807493 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01497-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious agents are often considered potential triggers of chronic inflammatory disease, including autoimmunity; however, direct evidence is usually lacking. Here we show that following control of acute infection of mice with the myotropic Colombiana strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, parasites persisted in tissue at low levels associated with development of systemic necrotizing vasculitis. Lesions occurred in many but not all organs and tissues, with skeletal muscle arteries being the most severely affected, and were associated with myositis, atrophy, paresis/paralysis, and death. Histopathology showed fibrinoid vascular necrosis, rare amastigote nests within skeletal muscle myocytes, and massive leukocyte infiltrates composed mainly of inflammatory monocytes, F4/80(+)macrophages, and T. cruzi tetramer-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes capable of producing gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) but not interleukin-17 (IL-17). T. cruzi-specific IgG was detected in sera from infected mice, but antibody deposits and neutrophilic inflammation were not features of the lesions. Thus,T. cruzi infection of mice may be a specific infectious trigger of paralyzing systemic necrotizing vasculitis most severely affecting skeletal muscle, driven by pathogen-specific type I immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Roffê
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ana Paula M P Marino
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph Weaver
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wuzhou Wan
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Fernanda F de Araújo
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Victoria Hoffman
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Office of Research Services, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Helton C Santiago
- Helminth Immunology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Philip M Murphy
- Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Rodriguez HO, Guerrero NA, Fortes A, Santi-Rocca J, Gironès N, Fresno M. Trypanosoma cruzi strains cause different myocarditis patterns in infected mice. Acta Trop 2014; 139:57-66. [PMID: 25017312 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Chagas disease pathology is dependent on the infecting Trypanosoma cruzi strain. However, the relationship between the extent and type of myocarditis caused by different T. cruzi strains in the acute and chronic phases of infection has not been studied in detail. To address this, we infected mice with three genetically distant T. cruzi strains as well as infected in vitro different cell types. METHODS AND RESULTS Parasitemia was detected in mice infected with the Y and VFRA strains, but not with the Sc43 strain; however, only the Y strain was lethal. When infected with VFRA, mice showed higher inflammation and parasitism in the heart than with Sc43 strain. Y and VFRA caused homogeneous pancarditis with inflammatory infiltrates along the epicardium, whereas Sc43 caused inflammation preferentially in the auricles in association with intracellular parasite localization. We observed intramyocardic perivasculitis in mice infected with the VFRA and Y strains, but not with Sc43, during the acute phase, which suggests that endothelial cells may be involved in heart colonization by these more virulent strains. In in vitro infection assays, the Y strain had the highest parasite-cell ratio in epithelial, macrophage and endothelial cell lines, but Y and VFRA strains were higher than Sc43 in cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSIONS This study supports parasite variability as a cause for the diverse cardiac outcomes observed in Chagas disease, and suggests that endothelial cells could be involved in heart infection during the acute phase.
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Farid AS, Horii Y. Modulation of paraoxonases during infectious diseases and its potential impact on atherosclerosis. Lipids Health Dis 2012; 11:92. [PMID: 22824324 PMCID: PMC3457911 DOI: 10.1186/1476-511x-11-92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraoxonase (PON) gene family includes three members, PON1, PON2 and PON3, aligned in tandem on chromosome 7 in humans and on chromosome 6 in mice. All PON proteins share considerable structural homology and have the capacity to protect cells from oxidative stress; therefore, they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. The major goal of this review is to highlight the modulation of each of the PONs by infective (bacterial, viral and parasitic) agents, which may shed a light on the interaction between infectious diseases and PONs activities in order to effectively reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Samir Farid
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Gakuen-Kibanadai, Nishi 1-1, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
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Portugal LR, Fernandes LR, Alvarez-Leite JI. Host cholesterol and inflammation as common key regulators of toxoplasmosis and artherosclerosis development. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2009; 7:807-19. [PMID: 19735223 DOI: 10.1586/eri.09.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis and toxoplasmosis are two widely prevalent diseases worldwide. The relationship between these diseases is now being elucidated. Atherosclerosis is a disease with three main components: increased blood lipoprotein/cholesterol and their deposition in the arterial wall, an important Th1-mediated proinflammatory reaction and thrombogenic status. Toxoplasma gondii, in turn, is dependent on host cholesterol for optimal intracellular growth and replication. As a result, host cholesterol will be cleared from the blood, reducing plasma low-density lipoprotein, a crucial atherosclerosis risk factor. On the other hand, T. gondii infection elicits an important Th1 systemic inflammatory response in the host. Therefore, this additional proinflammatory stimulus may impose an enhanced pro-atherogenic environment in the host. As result, the association between these two diseases in one individual could change the course of atherosclerosis. In this review, we demonstrate that the host-parasite relationship is complex and that the outcome of each disease is dependent on the availability of intracellular cholesterol, as well as the intensity of the inflammatory reaction triggered by the parasite. We also discuss the possible clinical implications of these studies.
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Consolim-Colombo FM, Lopes HF, Rosetto EA, Rubira MC, Barreto-Filho JAS, Baruzzi ACA, Rocha NN, Mady C, Irigoyen MC, Krieger EM. Endothelial Function Is Preserved in Chagas' Heart Disease Patients Without Heart Failure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 11:241-6. [PMID: 15763943 DOI: 10.1080/10623320490904106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Endothelium may be damaged, especially at the coronary microcirculation, in animal models of Chagas' disease by several mechanisms. Endothelial dysfunction has been reported in chronic Chagas' heart disease patients with heart failure. Nevertheless, peripheral endothelial function has never been studied in patients with Chagas' heart disease without heart failure and other conditions that could per se alter the endothelial function. Endothelial function was evaluated in 9 patients with Chagas' heart disease (44.8 +/- 1.5 years, 5 females, left ventricular ejection fraction > or = 60%) and 10 healthy matched controls (38.6 +/- 5.5 years, 5 females). Extreme caution was exercised to select patients with no other conditions that could per se alter the endothelial function. Forearm blood flow was measured at baseline and during intra-brachial artery infusion of crescent doses of acetylcholine (0.75, 5, and 15 microg/100 mL tissue/min) and nitroprusside (1, 2, and 4 microg/ 100 mL tissue/min), an endothelium-dependent and an endothelium-independent vasoactive drug, respectively. At baseline, blood pressure and heart rate (continuously recorded with Finapress) and the forearm blood flow were similar in both groups. Acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) caused significant and similar dose-dependent increases in forearm blood flow of all subjects: maximum ACh response of 24.8 versus 23.7, and maximum SNP response 24.4 versus 23.7 mL/100 mL tissue/min, respectively, for control and chagasic Groups. No significant systemic hemodynamic changes were observed during the intra-arterial infusion of the drugs. The authors conclude that the peripheral endothelial function is preserved in Chagas' heart disease patients without heart failure.
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Villacorta H, Bortolotto LA, Arteaga E, Mady C. Aortic distensibility measured by pulse-wave velocity is not modified in patients with Chagas' disease. J Negat Results Biomed 2006; 5:9. [PMID: 16768804 PMCID: PMC1524983 DOI: 10.1186/1477-5751-5-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2005] [Accepted: 06/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Experimental studies demonstrate that infection with trypanosoma cruzi causes vasculitis. The inflammatory lesion process could hypothetically lead to decreased distensibility of large and small arteries in advanced Chagas' disease. We tested this hypothesis. Methods and results We evaluated carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (PWV) in 53 Chagas' disease patients compared with 31 healthy volunteers (control group). The 53 patients were classified into 3 groups: 1) 16 with indeterminate form of Chagas' disease; 2) 18 with Chagas' disease, electrocardiographic abnormalities, and normal systolic function; 3) 19 with Chagas' disease, systolic dysfunction, and mild-to-moderate congestive heart failure. No difference was noted between the 4 groups regarding carotid-femoral PWV (8.4 ± 1.1 vs 8.2 ± 1.5 vs 8.2 ± 1.4 vs 8.7 ± 1.6 m/s, P = 0.6) or pulse pressure (39.5 ± 7.6 vs 39.3 ± 8.1 vs 39.5 ± 7.4 vs 39.7 ± 6.9 mm Hg, P = 0.9). A positive, significant, similar correlation occurred between PWV and age in patients with Chagas' disease (r = 0.42, P = 0.002), in controls (r = 0.48, P = 0.006), and also between PWV and systolic blood pressure in both groups (patients with Chagas' disease, r = 0.38, P = 0.005; healthy subjects, r = 0.36, P = 0.043). Conclusion Carotid femoral pulse-wave velocity is not modified in patients with Chagas' disease, suggesting that elastic properties of large arteries are not affected in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humberto Villacorta
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital Pró-Cardíaco, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Edmundo Arteaga
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Charles Mady
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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Mukherjee S, Huang H, Petkova SB, Albanese C, Pestell RG, Braunstein VL, Christ GJ, Wittner M, Lisanti MP, Berman JW, Weiss LM, Tanowitz HB. Trypanosoma cruzi infection activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase in cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Infect Immun 2004; 72:5274-82. [PMID: 15322023 PMCID: PMC517449 DOI: 10.1128/iai.72.9.5274-5282.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2004] [Revised: 05/03/2004] [Accepted: 06/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi infection causes cardiomyopathy and vasculopathy. We examined the consequence of this infection for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which regulate cell proliferation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Infection of these cells resulted in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1and 2 (ERK1/2) but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase or p38 MAPK. Treatment of these cells with the MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 prior to infection blocked the increase in phosphorylated ERK1/2 seen with infection. Heat-killed parasites did not activate ERK1/2, indicating that activation of ERK1/2 was dependent on infection of these cells by live parasites. Furthermore, transfection with dominant-negative Raf(301) or Ras(N17) constructs reduced the infection-associated levels of phospho-ERK1/2, indicating that the activation of ERK1/2 involved the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway. Infection also resulted in an increase in activator protein 1 (AP-1) activity, which was inhibited by transfection with a dominant-negative Raf(301) construct. T. cruzi-infected endothelial cells secreted endothelin-1 and interleukin-1beta, which activated ERK1/2 and induced cyclin D1 expression in uninfected smooth muscle cells. These data suggest a possible molecular paradigm for the pathogenesis of the vasculopathy and the cardiovascular remodeling associated with T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shankar Mukherjee
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Petkova SB, Huang H, Factor SM, Pestell RG, Bouzahzah B, Jelicks LA, Weiss LM, Douglas SA, Wittner M, Tanowitz HB. The role of endothelin in the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease. Int J Parasitol 2001; 31:499-511. [PMID: 11334935 DOI: 10.1016/s0020-7519(01)00168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi causes a generalised vasculitis of several vascular beds. This vasculopathy is manifested by vasospasm, reduced blood flow, focal ischaemia, platelet thrombi, increased platelet aggregation and elevated plasma levels of thromboxane A(2) and endothelin-1. In the myocardium of infected mice, myonecrosis and a vasculitis of the aorta, coronary artery, smaller myocardial vessels and the endocardial endothelium are observed. Immunohistochemistry studies employing anti-endothelin-1 antibody revealed increased expression of endothelin-1, most intense in the endocardial and vascular endothelium. Elevated levels of mRNA for prepro endothelin-1, endothelin converting enzyme and endothelin-1 were observed in the infected myocardium. When T. cruzi-infected mice were treated with phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of endothelin converting enzyme, there was a decrease in heart size and severity of pathology. Mitogen-activated protein kinases and the transcription factor activator-protein-1 regulate the expression of endothelin-1. Therefore, we examined the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in the myocardium by T. cruzi. Western blot demonstrated an extracellular signal regulated kinase. In addition, the activator-protein-1 DNA binding activity, as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, was increased. Increased expression of cyclins A and cyclin D1 was observed in the myocardium, and immunohistochemistry studies revealed that interstitial cells and vascular and endocardial endothelial cells stained intensely with antibodies to these cyclins. These data demonstrate that T. cruzi infection of the myocardium activates extracellular signal regulated kinase, activator-protein-1, endothelin-1, and cyclins. The activation of these pathways is likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of chagasic heart disease. These experimental observations suggest that the vasculature plays a role in the pathogenesis of chagasic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, the identification of these pathways provides possible targets for therapeutic interventions to ameliorate or prevent the development of cardiomyopathy during T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Petkova
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, 10461, Bronx, NY, USA
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Sunnemark D, Harris RA, Frostegård J, Orn A. Induction of early atherosclerosis in CBA/J mice by combination of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and a high cholesterol diet. Atherosclerosis 2000; 153:273-82. [PMID: 11164416 DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9150(00)00406-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In addition to established factors such as hyperlipidemia, smoking and hypertension, inflammation and infection have recently been implicated as major risk factors for atherosclerotic disease. Proatherogenic effects induced by infection may be related to both systemic inflammation and to direct effects on the vascular wall. We report here that a high fat diet combined with a protozoal infection with known tropism to the heart induced early atherosclerosis and intimal inflammatory infiltrates (CD4+, CD8+ cells and macrophages) in aortas of all (n = 7) CBA/J mice investigated. These mice are normally quite resistant to atherosclerotic development and in the control group (n = 7) receiving only a fatty diet, only one mouse presented a lesion. This lesion was completely devoid of infiltrating CD8+ cells. Parasite-infected mice receiving a normal diet exhibited vasculitis, but no signs of atherosclerosis and control mice receiving normal diet, as expected, exhibited neither signs of vasculitis nor atherosclerosis. Secretion of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma were demonstrated in all atherosclerotic lesions and IL-6 appeared to be the dominant cytokine, both in the lesions themselves as well as in the intimal-medial junction. There were no traces of parasites present in the artery wall, indicating that atherosclerosis was induced via an indirect route. We conclude that a high fat diet in conjunction with infection and systemic (or localized) inflammation may have a strong proatherogenic effect. Finally, we suggest that CBA/J mice infected with T. cruzi parasites and given a fatty diet could serve as a useful experimental model in the continued analysis of factors contributing to the induction of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sunnemark
- Microbiology and Tumorbiology Center MTC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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13
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Petkova SB, Tanowitz HB, Magazine HI, Factor SM, Chan J, Pestell RG, Bouzahzah B, Douglas SA, Shtutin V, Morris SA, Tsang E, Weiss LM, Christ GJ, Wittner M, Huang H. Myocardial expression of endothelin-1 in murine Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Cardiovasc Pathol 2000; 9:257-65. [PMID: 11064272 DOI: 10.1016/s1054-8807(00)00045-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas' disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of myocarditis and chronic cardiomyopathy and is accompanied by microvascular spasm and myocardial ischemia. We reported previously that infection of cultured endothelial cells with T. cruzi increased the synthesis of biologically active endothlein-1 (ET-1). In the present study, we examined the role of ET-1 in the cardiovascular system of CD1 mice infected with the Brazil strain of T. cruzi and C57BL/6 mice infected with the Tulahuen strain during acute infection. In the myocardium of infected mice myonecrosis and multiple pseudocysts were observed. There was also an intense vasculitis of the aorta, coronary artery, smaller myocardial vessels and the endocardial endothelium. Immunohistochemistry studies employing anti-ET-1 antibody revealed increased expression of ET-1 that was most intense in the endocardial and vascular endothelium. Elevated levels of mRNA for preproET-1, endothelin converting enzyme and ET-1 were observed in the same myocardial samples. Plasma ET-1 levels were significantly elevated in infected CD1 mice 10-15 days post infection. These observations suggest that increased levels of ET-1 are a consequence of the initial invasion of the cardiovascular system and provide a mechanism for infection-associated myocardial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Petkova
- Departments of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Saavedra E, Herrera M, Gao W, Uemura H, Pereira MA. The Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase, through its COOH-terminal tandem repeat, upregulates interleukin 6 secretion in normal human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Exp Med 1999; 190:1825-36. [PMID: 10601357 PMCID: PMC2195715 DOI: 10.1084/jem.190.12.1825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase can sensitize mice to become highly susceptible to T. cruzi invasion, through mechanisms that remain unknown. In pursuing this observation, we found that purified trans-sialidase induces the selective release of biologically active interleukin (IL)-6 in naive human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMECs), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and bladder carcinoma cells. The trans-sialidase action was independent of its catalytic activity, as demonstrated with a genetically engineered trans-sialidase mutant, an enzymatically active polypeptide, and cocultures of PBMCs with epimastigotes and trypomastigotes. Instead, the trans-sialidase action was reproduced with a recombinant COOH-terminal tandem repeat and with synthetic peptides modeled on the tandem repeat. Most interesting, HIMECs infected with a trypomastigote population expressing trans-sialidase effectively released IL-6, but did not upon infection with the counterpart trypomastigote population expressing low trans-sialidase levels. IL-6 is a key factor in the regulation and symptom formation of infection caused by several types of viruses, such as HIV and influenza A virus. However, the function of IL-6 in protozoan and other parasitic diseases remains unclear. The unique findings presented here suggest that trans-sialidase is a major inducer of IL-6 secretion in T. cruzi infection, independently of immune cell activation. Such IL-6 secretion might underlie some features of Chagas's disease, such as pyrexia, neuroprotection, and fibrosis, and might result in the undermining of normal acquired immunity against T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Saavedra
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
| | - Macario Herrera
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
| | - Wenda Gao
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
| | - Haruki Uemura
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Miercio A. Pereira
- Parasitology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
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Huang H, Calderon TM, Berman JW, Braunstein VL, Weiss LM, Wittner M, Tanowitz HB. Infection of endothelial cells with Trypanosoma cruzi activates NF-kappaB and induces vascular adhesion molecule expression. Infect Immun 1999; 67:5434-40. [PMID: 10496926 PMCID: PMC96901 DOI: 10.1128/iai.67.10.5434-5440.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/1999] [Accepted: 07/27/1999] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional activation of vascular adhesion molecule expression, a major component of an inflammatory response, is regulated, in part, by the nuclear factor-kappaB/Rel (NF-kappaB) family of transcription factors. We therefore determined whether Trypanosoma cruzi infection of endothelial cells resulted in the activation of NF-kappaB and the induction or increased expression of adhesion molecules. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were infected with trypomastigotes of the Tulahuen strain of T. cruzi. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with an NF-kappaB-specific oligonucleotide and nuclear extracts from T. cruzi-infected HUVEC (6 to 48 h postinfection) detected two major shifted complexes. Pretreatment with 50x cold NF-kappaB consensus sequence abolished both gel-shifted complexes while excess SP-1 consensus sequence had no effect. These data indicate that nuclear extracts from T. cruzi-infected HUVEC specifically bound to the NF-kappaB consensus DNA sequence. Supershift analysis revealed that the gel-shifted complexes were comprised of p65 (RelA) and p50 (NF-kappaB1). Northern blot analyses demonstrated both the induction of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and E-selectin and the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 mRNA in HUVEC infected with T. cruzi. Immunocytochemical staining confirmed adhesion molecule expression in response to T. cruzi infection. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the activation of the NF-kappaB pathway in endothelial cells associated with T. cruzi infection may be an important factor in the inflammatory response and subsequent vascular injury and endothelial dysfunction that lead to chronic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Huang
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461,
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