Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
13:55

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

Published on: January 27, 2019

The importance of aberrant T-cell responses in Chagas disease

George A DosReis1, Celio G Freire-de-Lima, Marise P Nunes

  • 1Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco G, Rio de Janeiro 21949-900, Brazil. gdosreis@biof.ufrj.br

Trends in Parasitology
|April 20, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Mechanisms of aberrant T-cell activation drive Trypanosoma cruzi persistence and cardiac injury in Chagas disease. Host cell apoptosis promotes parasite replication and inflammation, leading to heart damage.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Parasitology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, leads to heart damage.
  • Aberrant T-cell activation is implicated in Trypanosoma cruzi persistence and cardiac injury.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss recently identified mechanisms of aberrant T-cell activation.
  • To explore the role of host cell apoptosis in Trypanosoma cruzi replication and cardiac inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent findings on T-cell activation mechanisms.
  • Analysis of the role of apoptosis in parasite replication.
  • Examination of immune responses initiated by phagocytic removal of infected cells.

Main Results:

  • Host cell apoptosis drives Trypanosoma cruzi replication in macrophages.
  • Apoptosis is a feature of cardiac inflammation in Chagas disease.
  • Phagocytic removal of infected apoptotic cardiomyocytes and innate immune receptor signaling initiate damaging immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Aberrant T-cell activation contributes to Trypanosoma cruzi persistence.
  • Host cell apoptosis plays a critical role in cardiac injury during Chagas disease.
  • Immune responses initiated by phagocytosis of infected apoptotic cells are key to heart damage.

More Related Videos

Parasite Induced Genetically Driven Autoimmune Chagas Heart Disease in the Chicken Model09:23

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

Published on: July 29, 2012

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies07:59

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies

Published on: May 31, 2024

Related Concept Videos

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...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...