EFFECT OF Trypanosoma cruzi CYTOSOLIC TRIPAREDOXIN PEROXIDASE ON PHERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CHAGAS DISEASE.

MAGALÍ C. GIRARD; GONZALO R. ACEVEDO; MARIA D. PIÑEYRO; JUAN P. GROSSO; MICAELA S. OSSOWSKI; MARISA FERNANDEZ; YOLANDA HERNANDEZ; CARLOS ROBELLO; KARINA A. GÓMEZ

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión conjunta de sociedades de biociencias; 2017

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease (ChD), has a highly efficient detoxification system to deal with the oxidative burst imposed by its host. One of the antioxidant enzymes involved is the cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase (TcCPx) which catalyzes the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, small-chain organic hydroperoxides and ONOO-. This enzyme is present in all parasite stages, and its over-expression renders parasites more resistant to oxidative defenses of macrophages, indicating an important role in parasite survival. However, TcCPx not only constitutes a relevant virulence factor in ChD, but also promotes inflammatory reactions in T. cruzi-infected mice. The aim of this study was to analyze the specific humoral and cellular immune response triggered by TcCPx in chronic asymptomatic (n=7) and cardiac patients (n=6), and non-infected individuals (n=5). Results showed that levels of IgG antibodies against TcCPx were low (titer