PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (Jan 2013)

Innate immune responses and antioxidant/oxidant imbalance are major determinants of human Chagas disease.

  • Monisha Dhiman,
  • Yun A Coronado,
  • Cecilia K Vallejo,
  • John R Petersen,
  • Adetoun Ejilemele,
  • Sonia Nuñez,
  • Maria Paola Zago,
  • Heidi Spratt,
  • Nisha Jain Garg

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002364
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 8
p. e2364

Abstract

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We investigated the pathological and diagnostic role of selected markers of inflammation, oxidant/antioxidant status, and cellular injury in human Chagas disease.Seropositive/chagasic subjects characterized as clinically-symptomatic or clinically-asymptomatic (n = 116), seronegative/cardiac subjects (n = 102), and seronegative/healthy subjects (n = 45) were analyzed for peripheral blood biomarkers.Seropositive/chagasic subjects exhibited an increase in sera or plasma levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO, 2.8-fold), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP, 56%), nitrite (5.7-fold), lipid peroxides (LPO, 12-17-fold) and malondialdehyde (MDA, 4-6-fold); and a decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD, 52%) and glutathione (GSH, 75%) contents. Correlation analysis identified a significant (p0.95). The MPO (r = 0.664) and LPO (r = 0.841) levels were also correlated with clinical disease state in chagasic subjects (p<0.001). Seronegative/cardiac subjects exhibited up to 77% decline in SOD, 3-5-fold increase in LPO and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels, and statistically insignificant change in MPO, AOPP, MDA, GPX, GSH, and creatine kinase (CK) levels.The interlinked effects of innate immune responses and antioxidant/oxidant imbalance are major determinants of human Chagas disease. The MPO, LPO and nitrite are excellent biomarkers for diagnosing seropositive/chagasic subjects, and MPO and LPO levels have potential utility in identifying clinical severity of Chagas disease.