1. Elevated IL-17 levels and echocardiographic signs of preserved myocardial function in benznidazole-treated individuals with chronic Chagas' disease.
- Author
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Camara EJN, Mendonca VRR, Souza LCL, Carvalho JS, Lessa RA, Gatto R, Barreto LO, Chiacchio G, Amarante E, Cunha M, Alves-Silva LS, Guimarães BAC, and Barral-Netto M
- Subjects
- Chagas Disease blood, Chronic Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Cytokines blood, Female, Heart drug effects, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mitral Valve drug effects, Chagas Disease drug therapy, Echocardiography, Interleukin-17 blood, Myocardium metabolism, Nitroimidazoles pharmacology
- Abstract
Background: The immunological and clinical impact of trypanocidal treatment in chronic Chagas' disease (CCD) is unclear., Methodology and Findings: Several cytokines were measured in plasma of 66 patients with CCD. Thirty-three patients had been previously treated with benznidazole and 33 had never been treated. The treated group exhibited higher levels of IL-17 (median 142.45×1.22pg/ml, P=0.025), which was the only one significantly associated with Bz treatment, especially after adjusting for time of disease and NYHA class (P=0.024; OR 1.006, 95% CI 1.001-1.010). Compared to untreated patients, the treated group exhibited higher median values of mitral annular E' lateral (13.0×10.0cm/s, P=0.038), S' infero-lateral (8.9×7.6cm/s, P=0.013), S' septal (8.5×7.4cm/s, P=0.034), mean S' (9.0×7.9cm/s, P=0.013) and tricuspid annular S' (13.3×11.1cm/s, P=0.001) and lower values of E/E' septal (7.2×9.5cm/s, P=0.049). After adjustment for time of disease and NYHA class, S' infero-lateral (P=0.031), mean S' (P=0.049) and S' tricuspid (P=0.024) persisted as significantly associated with treatment., Conclusion: The present findings suggest that the group of CCD patients treated with Bz displayed increased plasma levels of IL-17 and preserved myocardial function, reinforcing the idea that Bz treatment may be beneficial., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2019
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