Skip Navigation

Cardiovascular Research 2003 60(1):96-107; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(03)00361-4
© 2003 by European Society of Cardiology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Higuchi, M. d. L.
Right arrow Articles by Metzger, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Higuchi, M. d. L.
Right arrow Articles by Metzger, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Copyright © 2003, European Society of Cardiology

Pathophysiology of the heart in Chagas’ disease: current status and new developments

Maria de Lourdes Higuchi*, Luiz Alberto Benvenuti, Marcia Martins Reis and Martin Metzger

Laboratory of Pathology, Heart Institute (InCor), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 44, São Paulo (SP), 05403-000 Brazil

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +55-11-3069-5251; fax: +55-11-3082-2354. Email address: anplourdes{at}incor.usp.br

In the present review we have summarized remarkable historical data on Chagas’ disease studies putting special emphasis on histopathological findings and pathogenetic theories as well as recent discoveries based on the use of advanced modern technologies in pathology and immunology. A unified theory that links almost all of these findings is proposed. Chronic cardiac Chagas’ disease represents the result of a close interaction between the host and the parasite, causing different clinical pictures: patients with an efficient immune response may adequately circumvent the parasitic infection and the individual will develop the indeterminate form. Deficient immune response of the host and/or a high initial parasitemia favor an immune imbalance that might lead to development of a permanent inadequate immunological response against the parasite. The inflammatory response, which is probably recurrent, undergoing periods of more accentuated exacerbation, is most likely responsible for progressive neuronal damage, microcirculatory alterations, heart matrix deformations and consequent organ failure.

KEYWORDS Chagas’disease; Fibrosis; Myocarditis; Cardiomyopathy; Histopathology

Time for primary review 20 days.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Cardiovasc ResHome page
F. Calabrese, A. C van der Wal, and M. Levi
Infection and inflammation in the cardiovascular system
Cardiovasc Res, October 15, 2003; 60(1): 1 - 4.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.