Gut Dysbiosis in Chagas Disease. A Possible Link to the Pathogenesis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, manifests as cardiomyopathy and gastrointestinal damage.
• The immune response to T. cruzi may be influenced by the intestinal microbiota.
• Previous research suggests a potential link between gut microbiome composition and Chagas disease pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in the gut microbiome of individuals with Chagas disease.
• To determine if changes in the gut microbiome correlate with specific Chagas disease phenotypes (cardiac, digestive, indeterminate).
• To explore the relationship between T. cruzi infection, gut microbial composition, and disease manifestations.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of the stool microbiome in 104 individuals (73 with Chagas disease, 31 healthy controls) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
• Analysis of microbial data using the Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) platform.
• Comparison of alpha and beta diversity indexes and relative abundance of specific microbial taxa between patient groups and controls.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in alpha and beta diversity indexes were observed between Chagas disease groups and controls.
• A significantly lower relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia, primarily the genus Akkermansia, was found in Chagas disease patients, particularly those with cardiac involvement.
• Distinct differences in the relative abundances of Alistipes, Bilophila, and Dialister were noted between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Trypanosoma cruzi infection is associated with significant alterations in the gut microbiome composition.
• Reduced levels of Akkermansia may play a role in the development or progression of cardiac and intestinal inflammation in Chagas disease.
• These findings highlight the potential interplay between the gut microbiome and Chagas disease pathogenesis.