Echocardiographic and Clinical Predictors of Mortality in Chronic Chagas' Disease.

BACKGROUND: In a prospective epidemiological study of chronic Chagas' disease, several clinical and echocardiographic variables were analyzed as predictors of mortality. METHODS: Among 960 subjects seropositive for Chagas' disease who were examined between June 1981 and June 1992, 283 had echocardiograms. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 48.

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

Previous studies have shown the effect of class 1 as detected by serology or class 2 HLA genes by oligotyping upon susceptibility or resistance to the cardiomyopathy that develops in approximately one third of the Trypanosoma cruzi chronically infected patients. Low and intermediate resolution DNA typing of class 1 alleles was performed in a sample of 113 serologically positive individuals with and without cardiomyopathy. A polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method using primers and probes from the British Society of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics as modified for the VII Latin American Histocompatibility Workshop by D.

HLA class II DRB1, DQB1, DPB1 polymorphism and cardiomyopathy due to Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection.

Trypanosomiasis is an important cause of cardiomyopathy in endemic rural areas of Latin America. Previous studies have suggested participation of HLA molecules in the immune response regulation of T. cruzi infection, and association of HLA antigens with heart damage.

Influence of the HLA class II polymorphism in chronic Chagas' disease.

Chagas' disease or American trypanosomiasis due to Trypanosoma cruzi has existed at least since the time of the Inca empire and contributes significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in several countries of this continent. Due to the fundamental role of human class II molecules polymorphic residues in the control of the immune response, a study was designed to define by DNA typing HLA class II alleles in a sample of 67 serologically positive individuals with and without cardiomyopathy and in 156 healthy controls of similar ethnic origin. Genomic DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 second exon regions and hybridization to labelled specific probes were carried out following the 11th International Histocompatibility Workshop reference protocol.

Long-term control of Chagas disease in Venezuela: effects on serologic findings, electrocardiographic abnormalities, and clinical outcome.

To evaluate the long-term effects (20 years) of a Chagas control program (CCP) in Venezuela, a prospective serologic evaluation was carried out from 1981 to 1984 on 5771 inhabitants (8%) of Roscio county. This region was selected as a representative area where the national CCP was implemented effectively. Comparison with a serologic survey performed in the same region before the CCP disclosed a reduction in seropositive subjects from 47.