High Interleukin 17 Expression Is Correlated With Better Cardiac Function in Human Chagas Disease

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 207; no. 4; pp. 661 - 665
• Main Authors: Magalhães, Luisa M. D., Villani, Fernanda N. A., Nunes, Maria do Carmo P., Gollob, Kenneth J., Rocha, Manoel O. C., Dutra, Walderez O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 15-02-2013
• Subjects: Adult; Autoimmune diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac output; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - immunology; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - physiopathology; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - immunology; Chagas Disease - parasitology; Chagas Disease - physiopathology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart diseases; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interleukin-17 - genetics; Interleukin-17 - metabolism; Interleukins; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - immunology; Lymphocytes - metabolism; Major and Brief Reports; MAJOR ARTICLES AND BRIEF REPORTS; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Parasitic diseases; Protozoal diseases; T lymphocytes; Th17 Cells - immunology; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology; Trypanosoma cruzi - pathogenicity; Trypanosomiasis; Trypomastigotes; Young Adult; Human; Infection; Protozoal disease; Heart disease; Cytokine; Chagas disease; Cardiovascular disease; Parasitosis; Trypanosomiasis; Interleukin 17
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jis724

This study was designed to investigate whether the expression of interleukin 17 (IL-17) is associated with the indeterminate or cardiac clinical forms of Chagas disease and whether IL-17 expression can be correlated with patients' cardiac function. Our results demonstrated that cardiac Chagas patients have a lower intensity of expression of IL-17 by total lymphocytes and lower frequency of circulating T helper 17 cells. Correlative analysis showed that high IL-17 expression was associated with better cardiac function, as determined by left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular diastolic diameter values. Therefore, IL-17 expression can be a protective factor to prevent myocardial damage in human Chagas disease.