Spirometric values associated with clinical form and risk of death and stroke in chagasic patients.

The aim of the present study was to compare pulmonary function among patients with different clinical forms and scores for risk of death and stroke. Patients were recruited from the Chagas Disease Ambulatory Service at the University of Rio Grande do Norte State (Mossoró, Brazil). The evaluation of pulmonary function was performed through spirometry techniques using a digital spirometer, and information about the clinical forms (cardiac, cardiodigestive, digestive and undetermined) and scores for risk of death (Rassi's risk-of-death score) and stroke was subsequently collected.

NOD2 receptor is crucial for protecting against the digestive form of Chagas disease.

Digestive and cardiodigestive forms of Chagas' disease are observed in 2% to 27% of the patients, depending on their geographic location, Trypanosoma cruzi strain and immunopathological responses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of NOD2 innate immune receptor in the pathogenesis of the digestive system in Chagas' disease. Patients with digestive form of the disease showed lower mRNA expression of NOD2, higher expression of RIP2 and α-defensin 6, compared to indeterminate form, detected by Real-time PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Inflammation Enhances the Risks of Stroke and Death in Chronic Chagas Disease Patients.

Ischemic strokes have been implicated as a cause of death in Chagas disease patients. Inflammation has been recognized as a key component in all ischemic processes, including the intravascular events triggered by vessel interruption, brain damage and repair. In this study, we evaluated the association between inflammatory markers and the death risk (DR) and stroke risk (SR) of patients with different clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease.