Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)

Infection with the protozoan parasite TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI, a form of TRYPANOSOMIASIS endemic in Central and South America. It is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, who discovered the parasite. Infection by the parasite (positive serologic result only) is distinguished from the clinical manifestations that develop years later, such as destruction of PARASYMPATHETIC GANGLIA; CHAGAS CARDIOMYOPATHY; and dysfunction of the ESOPHAGUS or COLON.

Also Known As:

Networked: 2751 relevant articles (116 outcomes, 273 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Infection
2.	Leishmaniasis
3.	Myocarditis (Carditis)
4.	Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)
5.	African Trypanosomiasis (Nagana)

Experts

1.	Docampo, Roberto: 23 articles (09/2015 - 08/2002)
2.	Cerecetto, Hugo: 23 articles (07/2015 - 11/2002)
3.	González, Mercedes: 22 articles (07/2015 - 11/2002)
4.	Urbina, Julio A: 22 articles (05/2014 - 01/2002)
5.	Talvani, André: 20 articles (10/2015 - 05/2002)
6.	Chiari, Egler: 20 articles (10/2013 - 10/2002)
7.	McKerrow, James H: 18 articles (07/2015 - 11/2007)
8.	Cunha-Neto, Edecio: 17 articles (05/2015 - 03/2002)
9.	Tanowitz, Herbert B: 17 articles (10/2014 - 06/2002)
10.	Bahia, Maria Terezinha: 16 articles (01/2015 - 10/2002)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Chagas Disease:

1.	benzonidazole (benznidazole)IBA 06/01/2011 - "We have tested the antiparasital activity in vitro and in vivo of the three new complexes against Trypanosoma cruzi showing very promising results and overcoming clearly the reference drug commonly used for the Chagas disease treatment, benznidazole." 05/16/2006 - "Benznidazole is effective for treating acute-stage Chagas disease, but its effectiveness for treating indeterminate and chronic stages remains uncertain. " 01/01/2015 - "Benznidazole (BNZ) is safe and effective for the treatment of paediatric Chagas disease. " 10/15/2015 - "The current treatment of Chagas disease, endemic in Latin America and emerging in several countries, is limited by the frequent side effects and variable efficacy of benznidazole. " 07/01/2008 - "The goals of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of benznidazole (Bz) treatment in decreasing of the parasitic load during the acute phase of experimental Chagas disease and to analyze its influence in the development of cardiac chronic alterations in mice inoculated with drug-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi strains. "
2.	NifurtimoxIBA 09/01/2013 - "In this work, we evaluated the parasitological efficacy of Nifurtimox treatment in 21 women with chronic Chagas disease from an area of endemicity in Chile who were treated according to current protocols. " 02/01/2012 - "[Efficacy of nifurtimox for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease]." 02/01/2015 - "This study presents a quasi-experimental trial (non-control group) of sixty-two patients who were treated for Chagas disease with Nifurtimox (Lampit), and were then followed for 30 months post-treatment. " 02/01/2012 - "Studies of chronic asymptomatic Chagas disease patients treated exclusively with nifurtimox were included in the analysis. " 01/01/2002 - "The aim of the present study was to study the trypanocidal activity of nanoparticles loaded with nifurtimox in comparison with the free drug against Trypanosoma cruzi, responsible for Chagas' disease. "
3.	AntigensIBA 10/01/2002 - "Thus, the rCRP is an excellent antigen for use in Chagas' disease diagnosis, due to the absence of false-negative or false-positive results." 01/06/2006 - "The results indicate that chimeric peptide as coating antigen is very useful for the immunodiagnosis of Chagas' disease." 03/03/2015 - "Here, a new antigen-adjuvant combination for protection against experimental Chagas disease was assessed. " 01/01/2003 - "An improved serodiagnostic test for Chagas' disease employing a mixture of Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigens." 04/01/1998 - "An 80-kilodalton Trypanosoma cruzi antigen is eliminated in the urine of infected hosts during the acute stage of Chagas' disease. "
4.	Allopurinol (Remid)FDA LinkGeneric 08/01/1990 - "Therapeutic efficacy of allopurinol in patients with chronic Chagas' disease." 01/01/2007 - "Specific treatment for Trypanosoma cruzi: lack of efficacy of allopurinol in the human chronic phase of Chagas disease." 08/01/1990 - "This clinical investigation was to ascertain the efficacy of allopurinol in the treatment of chronic Chagas' disease. " 04/01/1988 - "[Ineffectiveness of allopurinol in patients in the acute phase of Chagas disease]." 09/01/1985 - "[Allopurinol in the treatment of chronic Chagas' disease]."
5.	AntibodiesIBA 11/01/2001 - "Those results suggest that the presence of anti-R3 antibodies is a highly specific marker of Chagas' disease and that R3 ELISA could be helpful in the diagnosis and monitoring of this disease." 09/01/1995 - "Flow cytometry, a new approach to detect anti-live trypomastigote antibodies and monitor the efficacy of specific treatment in human Chagas' disease." 10/01/2012 - "The profile of anti-Dsg1 antibodies showed positive results in 15 of 40 FS sera and in 33 of 150 sera from healthy individuals from endemic FS sites, and no cross-reactivity between Chagas disease and FS was observed." 09/01/1995 - "cruzi membrane-bound antibodies that can be used to monitor the efficacy of Chagas' disease treatment." 08/01/2012 - "This study examined the presence of antineuronal antibodies in idiopathic GINMD and GINMD secondary to South American Trypanosomiasis. "
6.	posaconazoleFDA Link 08/01/2015 - "To better assess posaconazole efficacy against acute and chronic Chagas disease, we have exploited a highly sensitive bioluminescence imaging system which generates data with greater accuracy than other methods, including PCR-based approaches. " 10/01/2015 - "In the current study, we sought to identify a dosing regimen of posaconazole that could permanently clear Trypanosoma cruzi from mice with experimental Chagas disease. " 10/01/2015 - "The use of posaconazole against Chagas disease." 02/01/2015 - "Posaconazole, the most advanced new anti-chagasic drug candidate, did not fully confirm its initial potential in a Phase II clinical trial for chronic Chagas' disease. " 05/15/2014 - "Posaconazole showed antitrypanosomal activity in patients with chronic Chagas' disease. "
7.	Ketoconazole (Nizoral)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/1993 - "An experimental and clinical assay with ketoconazole in the treatment of Chagas disease." 12/01/1988 - "Failure of ketoconazole to cure chronic murine Chagas' disease." 10/01/1984 - "Thus ketoconazole should be tested as a therapeutic agent for Chagas' disease in humans." 09/01/2009 - "The other case had oesophageal candidiasis, which was treated with ketoconazole, a drug that had already been shown to be effective in the treatment of Chagas disease. " 01/01/1987 - "These results and the fact that ketoconazole is widely used in humans for prolonged therapy of fungal infections without significant side effects strongly suggest that further evaluation of ketoconazole for treatment of Chagas disease is highly desirable."
8.	Complement System Proteins (Complement)IBA 01/01/2006 - "[Evaluation of blood tests, complement-mediated lysis and polymerase chain reaction in the verification of therapeutic efficacy in Chagas disease]." 10/01/1997 - "The study included 47 patients (35 men and 12 women, average age 40 years) with positive complement fixation reaction and hemagglutination test for Chagas' disease. " 03/01/1989 - "In addition to the serological reactions for Chagas disease (immunofluorescence and complement fixation reaction), all subjects were submitted to endoscopy and X-ray of the oesophagus, gastric secretory study and investigation of the jejunal flora. " 11/01/1980 - "In this study, ninety-seven patients with positive complement-fixation reaction for Chagas' disease were submitted to M-mode echocardiograms, fonomechanocardiograms, right and left heart catheterization and left cine-ventriculogram, in an attempt to establish the usefulness of these non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of myocardial damage in Chagasic patients. " 01/01/2015 - "To complement the epidemiological data and assist in the prophylaxis of Chagas disease in the State of São Paulo, we examined entomological lifting conducted in 40 municipalities of the Western region of the state from 2004 to 2008, highlighted the main vector species in this region, and reanalyzed the cytogenetic characteristics of Rhodnius neglectus from 3 different Brazilian states (Formoso/GO, Frutal/MG, Guaíra/SP, and Pitangueiras/SP). "
9.	Itraconazole (Sporanox)FDA LinkGeneric 09/01/2013 - "Itraconazole is useful in the treatment of chronic Chagas' disease as it prevented the development of ECG abnormalities and cured 32.6% of patients." 09/01/2013 - "In March 1992, we treated 46 patients with chronic Chagas' disease with 6 mg/kg/day of itraconazole for 120 days in a blind evaluation. " 09/01/2013 - "Treatment of Chagas' disease with itraconazole: electrocardiographic and parasitological conditions after 20 years of follow-up." 09/01/2013 - "To evaluate cases of chronic Chagas' disease for the long-term effects of treatment with itraconazole on Trypanosoma cruzi infections and the regression or development of ECG abnormalities. " 01/01/2003 - "Therefore, although itraconazole and allopurinol are equally effective at reversing ECG alterations, itraconazole offers better protection against the development of new ECG abnormalities among those with chronic Chagas disease."
10.	Gentian Violet (Violet, Crystal)FDA Link 03/01/1959 - "[Study of the efficiency of gentian violet in the prevention of the transmission of Chagas'disease in blood banks: investigation of a volunteer, a receiver of dye-treated blood from an acute case]." 11/01/2002 - "The search for a colorless, nontoxic and efficient drug to prevent transfusion-associated Chagas' disease (TACD) has been underway unsuccessfully since 1953 when gentian violet was preconized and to date is still being used as the only in vitro trypanocidal agent. " 03/01/1995 - "The prevention of transfusion-associated Chagas' disease has been attempted through clinical and serologic screening of blood donors and/or by the addition of trypanomicidal substances such as gentian violet (GV) to stored blood for 24 hours. " 06/17/1983 - "Transmission of Chagas' disease by transfusion of blood containing Trypanosoma cruzi has often been reported, and gentian violet, a triarylmethane dye, is widely used by blood banks in attempts to eliminate such transmission. " 11/01/1966 - "The use of crystal violet in the prevention of the transfusional transmission of Chagas-Mazza disease (South American trypanosomiasis)."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 02/25/2010 - "These results suggest that nonpeptidic tetrafluorophenoxymethyl ketone cruzain inhibitors have the potential to fulfill the urgent need for improved Chagas disease chemotherapy." 09/01/2014 - "The efficacy of specific chemotherapy in congenital Chagas disease before the first year of life ranges between 90 and 100%. " 03/01/2014 - "For these reasons, and since chemotherapy for Chagas disease is inefficient, the aim of this study was to test the use of imidazolium compounds against the kinetoplastid haemoflagellate aetiological agent for this disease, namely Trypanosoma cruzi. " 11/01/2013 - "Clinical and serological evolution in chronic Chagas disease patients in a 4-year pharmacotherapy follow-up: a preliminary study." 01/01/2012 - "These results bring new insights into the structural properties of OPBTc, contributing to future studies on the rational design of OPBTc inhibitors as a promising strategy for Chagas disease chemotherapy."
2.	Transplantation (Transplant Recipients) 03/01/2010 - "In other organs and tissues, transplantation in patients with Chagas' disease also has good outcomes. " 12/01/2013 - "Chagas disease (CD) has been recognized as an emerging infectious complication of transplantation caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. " 12/01/2013 - "Early molecular diagnosis of acute Chagas disease after transplantation with organs from Trypanosoma cruzi-infected donors." 12/01/2013 - "Chagas disease in transplantation: time to enter an era of better diagnosis and better outcomes." 01/01/2013 - "The method was evaluated with blood samples collected from Chagas disease patients experiencing different clinical stages and epidemiological scenarios: 1- Sixteen Venezuelan patients from an outbreak of oral transmission, 2- Sixty three Bolivian patients suffering chronic Chagas disease, 3- Thirty four Argentinean cases with chronic Chagas disease, 4- Twenty seven newborns to seropositive mothers, 5- A seronegative receptor who got infected after transplantation with a cadaveric kidney explanted from an infected subject. "
3.	Heart Transplantation (Grafting, Heart) 05/01/2012 - "This study was conducted with different purposes: clinical interest, research support and parasitological monitoring of those patients with Chagas disease who were treated with heart transplantations. " 09/01/2009 - "This study aimed at investigating heart transplantation as experienced by patients with Chagas disease, seeking to understand the meanings that they attribute to such an experience. " 06/01/2008 - "Sixty-four (21.9%) patients with chronic Chagas' disease underwent heart transplantation during the study period. " 04/01/2007 - "This study was performed to assess the safety and feasibility of the implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) as a bridge to heart transplantation in patients with advanced biventricular failure due to Chagas' disease. " 10/01/2014 - "Chagas disease in solid organ and heart transplantation."
4.	Blood Transfusion (Blood Transfusions) 09/01/2012 - "This study sought to determine the prevalence of T cruzi in the blood supply at the National Blood Transfusion Services of Guyana with the hope of providing knowledge to the on-going surveillance for Chagas' disease worldwide and therefore address the risk of its spread by blood transfusion. " 06/01/1989 - "A serologic study of Chagas disease was performed in 110 patients submitted to chronic hemodialisis and blood transfusions. " 06/01/1988 - "Previous studies to find drugs with an existing product licence which were active at 4 degrees C within 24 hours and which would be suitable to prevent the transmission of Chagas' disease during blood transfusion were unsuccessful. " 01/01/2015 - "Inconclusive results of serological diagnosis in Chagas disease have an important impact on blood banks worldwide, reflecting in the high number of discarded bags or in an increased transmission by blood transfusion. " 02/01/2014 - "Transmission of Chagas disease via blood transfusions in 2 immunosuppressed pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina)."
5.	Transplants (Transplant) 03/01/2014 - "In this study, we report 2 cases of Chagas disease reactivation in 2 solid-organ transplant recipients in Northeastern Colombia, and we discuss the implications for screening as a crucial strategy for preventing transmission in endemic settings. " 10/01/1993 - "In addition, 18 of 66 recipients of renal transplants considered to be non-chagasic before immunosuppression showed at least one positive result to the indirect immunofluorescence test for Chagas' disease during the study period. " 11/01/2015 - "We present a case of a 59-year-old woman with Chagas disease who received a kidney transplant. " 01/01/2015 - "cruzi parasites circulating in the blood and from explanted cardiac tissue of an El Salvadorian patient who developed reactivation Chagas disease while on immunosuppressive medications after undergoing heart transplant in the U.S. " 01/01/2015 - "Chagas disease reactivation in a heart transplant patient infected by domestic Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing unit I (TcIDOM)."