Immunopathology of cardiomyopathy in the experimental Chagas disease
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
94(suppl.1): 257-62, Sept. 1999. ilus, graf
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-245633
ABSTRACT
The mechanisms by which Trypanosoma cruzi causes cardiomyopathy and induces neuronal destruction are discussed in this paper. The results suggest that autoimmunity in the chronic phase is the main cause of the progressive cardiac destruction, and that autoreactivity is restricted to the CD4+ T cell compartment. During the acute phase, the neuronal and cardiac fiber destruction occurs when ruptured parasite nests release T. cruzi antigens that bind to the cell surface in the vicinity which become targets for the cellular and humoral immune response against T. cruzi. The various factors involved in the genesis of autoimmunity in chronic T. cruzi infection include molecular mimicry, presentation of self-antigens and imbalance of immune regulation.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Chagas Cardiomyopathy
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
1999
Type:
Article
/
Congress and conference
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