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Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in false negative samples of collected triatomines, xenodiagnosis material, and biopsies of experimentally infected animals

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Abstract

Direct test over the gut material from triatomine vectors and xenodiagnosis over mammalian hosts are classical techniques for Trypanosoma cruzi parasitological diagnosis. Nevertheless, negative results can be a source of uncertainty. Experimental models have allowed evaluating the tissue invasion of different strains of T. cruzi, but conventional techniques for tissue biopsies involve time-consuming and elaborated procedures and have low sensitivity. Gut material of collected triatomines (microscopically negative) (n = 114), material of mammal xenodiagnoses (microscopically negative) (n = 138), and biopsy material (microscopically negative) from experimentally infected animals (n = 34) with isolates from endemic areas of Chagas’ disease from Venezuela were used for DNA extraction and PCR for the amplification of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and satellite DNA (sDNA) of T. cruzi. Positive PCR was observed in 53.6% of collected triatomine material, 15.8% of parasitological negative xenodiagnosis material, and 70.6% in biopsies, revealing underestimation by the parasitological tests and the valour of this analysis with preserved material. Anzoátegui was the state with the highest percentage of infection, and the triatomine species Rhodnius prolixus and Panstrongylus geniculatus had the highest percentages of infection. Didelphis marsupialis and Canis familiaris were the most infected by T. cruzi revealed by PCR of xenodiagnosis material. In addition, the PCR technique allowed demonstrating the invasion of T. cruzi in all tissues analyzed, constituting a molecular marker of tissue invasion.

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Funding

This work has been partially supported by the following projects: Proyecto en Red Misión Ciencia MCT No. 2008000911-6 and No. 2007001442, Proyecto FONACIT No. G-2005000827, and PROYECTO LOCTI-Universidad de Carabobo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela

    Leidi Herrera

  2. Centro de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET-UC), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, San Carlos, Cojedes, Venezuela

    Cruz Manuel Aguilar

  3. Universidad de Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela

    Cruz Manuel Aguilar

  4. Centro de Medicina Tropical de Oriente, Universidad de Oriente (UDO) Núcleo Anzoátegui, Barcelona, estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela

    Antonio Morocoima

  5. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso” (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela

    Mercedes Viettri, María Lares & Elizabeth Ferrer

  6. Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela

    Elizabeth Ferrer

Authors
  1. Leidi Herrera
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  2. Cruz Manuel Aguilar
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  3. Antonio Morocoima
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  4. Mercedes Viettri
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  5. María Lares
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  6. Elizabeth Ferrer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Ferrer.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The project was approved by the Committee of Bioethics of the Institute of Biomedical Research of the University of Carabobo (BIOMED-UC), following the guidelines for human and animal care from the Commission of Bioethics of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Operational Guidelines for Ethics Committees that Review Biomedical Research (TDR/PRD/ETHICS/2000.1). Informed consent was requested and signed by the participants and the owners of animals.

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Herrera, L., Aguilar, C.M., Morocoima, A. et al. Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in false negative samples of collected triatomines, xenodiagnosis material, and biopsies of experimentally infected animals. Int Microbiol 24, 141–147 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-020-00149-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-020-00149-7

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