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Published on: January 27, 2019
Chagas heart disease pathogenesis: one mechanism or many?
Kevin M Bonney1, David M Engman
1Department of Pathology and Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Abstract:
Chagas heart disease (CHD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is the leading cause of infectious myocarditis in the world. The etiology of CHD is unclear and multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of the disease. This review describes the proposed mechanisms of CHD pathogenesis and evaluates the historical significance and evidence supporting each. Although the majority of CHD-related pathologies are currently attributed to parasite persistence in the myocardium and autoimmunity, there is strong evidence that CHD develops as a result of additive and even synergistic effects of several distinct mechanisms rather than one factor.
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