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Comparison of parasite loads in serum and blood samples from patients in acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2018

Carolina Hernández ,
Aníbal Teherán ,
Carolina Flórez  and
Juan David Ramírez Open the ORCID record for Juan David Ramírez [Opens in a new window]
Carolina Hernández
Affiliation:
Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad el Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
Aníbal Teherán
Affiliation:
Grupo de investigación COMPLEXUS, Fundación Univeresitarias Juan N. Corpas, Bogotá, Colombia Medicina de Emergencias, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
Carolina Flórez
Affiliation:
Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
Juan David Ramírez*
Affiliation:
Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Universidad el Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
*
Author for correspondence: Juan David Ramírez, E-mail: juand.ramirez@urosario.edu.co
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Abstract

Molecular methods have been developed for the detection and quantification of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood samples from patients with Chagas disease. However, aspects of sample processing necessary for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), such as the addition of guanidine hydrochloride to whole blood samples, may limit timely access to molecular diagnosis. We analysed 169 samples from serum and guanidine-EDTA blood (GEB) obtained from patients in acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease. We applied qPCR targeted to the satellite DNA region. Finally, we compared the parasite loads and cycle of threshold values of the qPCR. The results confirmed the usefulness of serum samples for the detection and quantification of parasite DNA in patients with Chagas disease, especially in the acute phase. However, the parasite loads detected in serum samples from patients in the chronic phase were lower than those detected in GEB samples. The epidemiological implications of the findings are herein discussed.

Keywords

Trypanosoma cruziqPCRDNAsatellite DNA
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 145 , Issue 14 , December 2018 , pp. 1837 - 1843
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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Appendix 1

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Table S1

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