CHAGAS-DISEASE AND HIV COINFECTION - GENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI STRAIN

In the past few years, new aspects of the immunopathology of Chagas' d isease have been described in immunosuppressed patients, such as fatal central nervous system lesions related to the reactivation of the par asite. This article is the first description of the genotypic characte rization, at the strain level, of Trypanosoma cruzi isolated from a pa tient with Chagas' disease/AIDS co-infection. The presence of four hyp odense lesions was observed in the cranial compute tomographic scan. T he diagnosis of AIDS was assessed by the detection of anti-HIV antibod ies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot t echniques. The CD4(+) lymphocyte counts were maintained under 200 cell s/mm(3) during one year demonstrating the severity of the state of imm unosuppression. Chagas' disease was confirmed by serological and paras itological methods. Trypomastigote forms were visualized in a thick bl ood smear. The parasite isolated is genotypically similar to the CL st rain. The paper reinforces that cerebral Chagas' disease can be consid ered as another potential opportunistic infection in AIDS resulting fr om the reactivation of a dormant T. cruzi infection acquired years ear lier.