Molecular detection and characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi in ocular tissue from donors with Chagas disease

GIANFRANCO ALI SANTORO; STARCENBAUM BOUCHEZ MI; CITTADINO E; SOFÏA DRAGO; MARÍA SUSANA LEGUIZAMÓN; JUAN M. BURGOS

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE

AMER SOC TROP MED & HYGIENE

Lugar: Stanford; Año: 2021

0002-9637

Corneal transplantation is the most frequent transplant worldwide. Tissue characteristics allow storage and transport, even between continents, increasing its accessibility around the world. Donor infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is not defined as a corneal discarding factor, although the transplant is not recommended preventively, as in any infectious diseases. Herein, by means of PCR strategies, we analyzed parasite presence in ocular tissue from ten deceased donors with Chagas diseases. Among them, positive findings were obtained in corneas, scleras and eye muscle samples of three, two and one donor, respectively. Moreover, among the six T. cruzi defined populations, TcV and TcVI parasites were found in some samples based on group-specific amplification strategies. Our findings point out the actual possibility of T. cruzi transmission due to corneal transplantation and makes donor´s serological status knowledge mandatory regardless of graft provenance. Failing that, we suggest a post-transplant follow-up of recipients from seropositive donors.