EXPLORATION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS LEVELS AND T-CELL PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH BOTH CHRONIC CHAGAS DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

BRENDA DINATALE ; FLORENCIA GONZÁLEZ ; MARÍA FLORENCIA PACINI ; CAMILA BULFONI BALBI; MARA OJEDA ; LOURDES CÁCERES ; PABLO EVELSON; SUSANA LIOI ; RODOLFO LEIVA ; KARINA RAMOS; MARIEL ALTONAGA ; ANA ROSA PEREZ

San Luis

Congreso; LXXI REUNIÓN CIENTÍFICA ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INMUNOLOGÍA (SAI); 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Chagas disease (ChD) and type-2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) are both chronic,progressive and often comorbid diseases. However, little is known about theirreciprocal influences and the immune patterns of individuals presenting DMcomorbidity-associated with chronic ChD and how its influences each other. Forthis reason, we decided to explore the level of cellular oxidative stress anddifferent parameters of T-cell populations among chronic T. cruzi infected patientswith and without DM. The study population consisted of 1) Individuals with bothpathologies (ChD+DM), 2) patients with chronic infection by Trypanosoma cruzi(ChD), 3) individuals with DM, and 4) healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers(Co). ChD patients with distinct clinical forms were included (with and withoutchronic myocarditis). None of these patients received antiparasitic treatment orhad other concomitant pathological disorder (n=6-10/group; age range: 45-65years). For this, blood samples were obtained in fasting and peripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated using Ficoll-Paque gradient. All studieswere made by flow cytometry. Cellular oxidative stress of PBMCs was determinedby evaluation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) usingfluorescent probes. We also evaluated phenotypic and functional parametersamong T-cells, including Tregs (CD4+CD25+CD127-), effector/memory(CCR7/CD45RA), Th1 (IFN𝛄+) and CD8+ cytotoxic cells (IFN𝛄+/CD107a+). Theproduction of ROS and NO tend to be more pronounced in DM than in ChDpatients, (independently DM comorbidity or cardiac involvement), but withoutstatistical significance. A trend towards enhanced CD4+IFNγ+ production wasobserved in ChD+DM and DM patients compared to ChD and Co [mean±SEM,(%) Co=16±1.5; ChD=19.2±2.0; ChD+DM=19.4±2.1; DM=21.7±1.9]. Tregfrequency was slightly enhanced in ChD and ChD+DM compared to Co and DMindividuals (in both cases p