Evidence for Trypanosoma cruzi in adipose tissue in human chronic Chagas disease

Adaliene Versiani Matos Ferreira, Marcela Segatto, Zélia Menezes, Andréa Mara Macedo, Cláudio Gelape, Luciana de Oliveira Andrade, Fnu Nagajyothi, Philipp E. Scherer, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Herbert B. Tanowitz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

89 Scopus citations

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi the cause of Chagas disease persists in tissues of infected experimental animals and humans. Here we demonstrate the persistence of the parasite in adipose tissue from of three of 10 elderly seropositive patients with chronic chagasic heart disease. Nine control patients had no parasites in the fat. We also demonstrate that T. cruzi parasitizes primary adipocytes in vitro. Thus, in humans as in mice the parasite may persist in adipose tissue for decades and become a reservoir of infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1002-1005
Number of pages4
JournalMicrobes and Infection
Volume13
Issue number12-13
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2011

Keywords

  • Adipocyte
  • Adipose tissue
  • Chagas disease
  • Trypanosoma cruzi

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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