Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in the Human Placental Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi

• Published in: Placenta (Eastbourne) Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 283 - 286
• Main Authors: Lin, S, Sartori, M.J, Mezzano, L, de Fabro, S.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Chagas Disease - blood; Chorionic Villi - metabolism; Chorionic Villi - parasitology; Chorionic Villi - pathology; Epidermal Growth Factor - blood; Female; Gestational Age; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; Placenta - metabolism; Placenta - parasitology; Pregnancy - blood; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic - blood; Protozoal diseases; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Toxoplasmosis; Trypanosoma cruzi - isolation & purification; Human; Infection; Protozoal disease; Epidermal growth factor; Placenta; Fetal membrane; Chagas disease; Parasitosis; Placenta diseases; Trypanosomiasis
• ISSN: 0143-4004; 1532-3102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2003.09.008

Maternal infection of Trypanosoma cruzi is associated with premature births, abortions and placentitis. A decrease in EGF levels has been suggested to occur in animals infected by T. cruzi, but there is no research about the levels of EGF in human patients with Chagas' disease. We evaluated serum EGF levels in pregnant women with and without the disease, and with immunological methods detected EGF receptors and EGF in both groups of placentae and in cultures of normal placental villi with and without parasites. PLAP in placentae from those women was also immunologically detected, since EGF can induce the release of PLAP from the trophoblast surface and PLAP is suggested to be a receptor allowing parasite invasion of the placenta. Plasma from women with Chagas' disease contained lower level of EGF when compared to plasma of healthy women. Placentae from women with Chagas' disease showed lower PLAP expression but same level of detectable EGF receptors and EGF when compared with placentae from women without the disease. Culture with parasites did not reduce EGFr level. Results suggest a lower availability of EGF in women with Chagas' disease, which could explain several malfunctions of the placenta associated with maternal Chagas' disease.