An α-Gal antigenic surrogate as a biomarker of treatment evaluation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected children. A retrospective cohort study

ABAL, MANUEL; BALOUZ, VIRGINIA; LOPEZ, ROSANA; GIORGI M. E; MARINO, CARLA; CRUZ, CINTIA; ALTCHEH, JAIME; BUSCAGLIA, CARLOS A.

PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2024 vol. 18

1935-2735

Proper evaluation of therapeutic responses in Chagas disease is hampered by the prolonged persistence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi measured by conventional serological tests and by the lack of sensitivity of parasitological tests. Previous studies indicated that tGPI-mucins, an α-Gal (α-d-Galp(1→3)-β-d-Galp(1→4)-d-GlcNAc)-rich fraction obtained from T. cruzi trypomastigotes surface coat, elicit a strong and protective antibody response in infected individuals, which disappears soon after successful treatment. The cost and technical difficulties associated with tGPI-mucins preparation, however, preclude its routine implementation in clinical settings.