Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Parasite Induced Genetically Driven Autoimmune Chagas Heart Disease in the Chicken Model
09:23

Parasite Induced Genetically Driven Autoimmune Chagas Heart Disease in the Chicken Model

Published on: July 29, 2012

HLA-C(*)03 is a risk factor for cardiomyopathy in Chagas disease

Z Layrisse1, M T Fernandez, S Montagnani

  • 1Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Caracas, Venezuela. zlayriss@medicina.ivic.ve

Human Immunology
|October 29, 2000
PubMed

Insights

The HLA-C*03 gene may increase the risk of developing Chagas disease cardiomyopathy in Venezuelan patients. This contrasts with findings in Chilean patients, suggesting geographical variations in genetic susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection complications.

Area of Science:

  • Immunogenetics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, affects approximately one-third of chronically infected individuals with cardiomyopathy.
  • Previous research indicated a role for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I and class II genes in Chagas disease susceptibility and resistance.
  • The specific genetic factors influencing cardiomyopathy development in T. cruzi-infected individuals remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific HLA class I alleles and the susceptibility to cardiomyopathy in Venezuelan patients with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
  • To identify HLA alleles that may confer risk or protection against the cardiac complications of Chagas disease.

Main Methods:

  • Low and intermediate resolution DNA typing of HLA class I alleles was performed on 113 serologically positive individuals.
  • Utilized a polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method and Innogenetics LiPA kits for HLA typing.
  • Compared allele frequencies between patients with and without cardiomyopathy, applying statistical corrections for multiple comparisons.

Main Results:

  • Several HLA alleles (A*11, A*31, B*15, B*35, B*45, B*49, B*51, C*03) were more frequent in patients with cardiac damage.
  • Only the HLA-C*03 allele remained statistically significant (OR = 5.8, p(c) = 0.03) after correcting for multiple comparisons.
  • HLA-C*03 showed linkage disequilibrium with B*40 and B*15; these haplotypes were increased in cardiopathic patients but not significantly.

Conclusions:

  • The HLA-C*03 allele may be associated with increased susceptibility to cardiomyopathy in Venezuelan T. cruzi-seropositive individuals.
  • These findings contrast with a previously reported protective effect of the HLA B40 Cw3 haplotype in Chilean Chagas disease patients.
  • Further research is necessary to validate the role of HLA-C*03 in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.

More Related Videos

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates13:55

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase08:48

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase

Published on: November 5, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers01:19

Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers

Cardiac biomarkers are critical in diagnosing, prognosing, and managing cardiovascular diseases. Routine measurement of specific biomarkers such as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine (Hcy) is common practice in clinical settings to evaluate heart function and predict cardiovascular events.
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy01:30

Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, is a progressive myocardial disorder characterized by ventricular chamber dilation and contractile dysfunction.EtiologyVarious factors can cause DCM, including hypertension and heavy alcohol intake, which contribute to the weakening and enlargement of the heart muscle. Viral infections, such as Coxsackievirus B, adenoviruses, and influenza, can lead to DCM by causing inflammation and damage to heart tissue. Certain chemotherapeutic agents, including daunorubicin,...
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy01:29

Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy without ventricular dilation. It is more common in men and is typically diagnosed in young, athletic adults.EtiologyHCM is primarily genetic and is caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. Researchers have identified over 1400 mutations across at least 11 different genes. Among these, the most frequently occurring mutations are found in the...
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy01:29

Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a rare heart muscle disease characterized by impaired ventricular filling due to stiffened ventricular walls, leading to significant diastolic dysfunction.EtiologyRestrictive cardiomyopathy can arise from both inherited and acquired diseases, many of which are systemic. It is categorized into four main types: infiltrative, storage, non-infiltrative, and endomyocardial diseases.Infiltrative diseases, such as amyloidosis, lead to RCM by depositing amyloid...
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...