ABSTRACT
Resumo Há uma enorme disparidade entre os países de alta renda e outros em termos de acesso a dispositivos médicos cardíacos, como marca-passos e desfibriladores implantáveis. Os custos são uma das principais barreiras ao uso de dispositivos cardíacos nesses países. Existem iniciativas internacionais que visam reduzir essa disparidade, e o reuso de marca-passos tem sido discutido como uma possível alternativa. O conceito de reutilização de marca-passos não é novo; entretanto, estudos recentes têm se mostrado seguros, éticos e eficazes para aqueles que precisam de dispositivos eletrônicos cardíacos implantáveis e não tem como adquiri-los. Parte dos países de língua portuguesa, especialmente na África, precisam de uma resposta imediata que beneficie seus inúmeros pacientes que sofrem de arritmias tratáveis.
Abstract There is a gap between high-income countries and others in terms of access to medical cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Costs are one of the main barriers to the use of cardiac devices in these countries. There are international initiatives that aim to reduce the gap. The reuse of pacemakers has been discussed as a possible alternative to this problem. The concept of reusing pacemakers is not new; however, recent studies have proven to be safe, ethical, and effective for those who need cardiac implantable electronic devices and cannot afford them. Part of the Portuguese-speaking countries, especially in Africa, need an immediate response that benefits their countless patients who suffer from treatable arrhythmias.
ABSTRACT
Abstract INTRODUCTION: Trypanosoma cruzi (Tc) infection is usually acquired in childhood in endemic areas, leading to Chagas disease, which progresses to Chagas cardiomyopathy in 20-30% of infected individuals over decades. The pathogenesis of Chagas cardiomyopathy involves the host inflammatory response to T. cruzi, in which upstream caspase-1 activation prompts the cascade of inflammatory chemokines/cytokines, cardiac remodeling, and myocardial dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of two caspase-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cardiomyopathy. METHODS: We recruited infected (Tc+, n = 149) and uninfected (Tc−, n = 87) participants in a hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Cardiac status was classified (I, II, III, IV) based on Chagas cardiomyopathy-associated electrocardiogram findings and ejection fractions on echocardiogram. Genotypes were determined using Taqman probes via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of peripheral blood DNA. Genotype frequencies were analyzed according to three inheritance patterns (dominant, recessive, additive) using logistic regression adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: The AA allele for the caspase-1 SNP rs501192 was more frequent in Tc+ cardiomyopathy (classes II, III, IV) patients compared to those with a normal cardiac status (class I) [odds ratio (OR) = −2.18, p = 0.117]. This trend approached statistical significant considering only Tc+ patients in class I and II (OR = −2.64, p = 0.064). CONCLUSIONS: Caspase-1 polymorphisms may play a role in Chagas cardiomyopathy development and could serve as markers to identify individuals at higher risk for priority treatment.