Chagas disease is considered a neglected tropical disease; it is caused by a protozoan parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi), which is harbored by many different wild animals in the Americas, including the kissing bug. The disease can cause mild symptoms like fatigue, fever, rash, and body aches, but if untreated it can lead to serious problems like stomach pain, difficulty swallowing, irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, or heart failure. The T cruzi parasite is harbored by Triatomine (kissing) bugs, and these bugs usually live in mud or adobe huts in the Americas. They can hide away at night, but then feed on people when they're sleeping, spreading the parasite and the disease. Around 6 million people are infected every year.
Now, scientists have created a better way to diagnose this infectious disease, which could significantly improve outcomes for patients. The work has been reported in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Since Chagas disease has to be diagnosed and treated early, and before severe complications arise, a good testing method is crucial to effectively controlling the illness.
Diagnosing Chagas can be challenging because the parasites that cause the disease tend to vary depending on where they live, noted first study author Priscila Silva Grijo Farani, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas at El Paso.
"Chagas disease is a real conundrum when it comes to diagnosis. Patients in the acute phase typically do not have symptoms when the parasitic load is highest in the bloodstream. But when the symptoms do manifest in the chronic phase, the parasitic load is much lower and harder to detect in blood samples," Farani explained.
In this study, the investigators compared the test they developed to existing tests for Chagas disease. Both techniques utilize parasitic DNA from human blood samples.
The new method uses magnetic beads that bind to DNA. Once cells in blood samples have been broken open with a chemical treatment, the magnetic beads can be applied to the sample. The beads capture more DNA that is of a higher quality compared to the old method. This way, the new method presents a better, more sensitive detection method.
"Dr. Farani's more sensitive approach to DNA extraction represents a significant advancement in Chagas disease diagnostics. Her work has the potential to greatly enhance early detection and improve patient therapeutic outcomes, particularly for those in the chronic phase when accurate diagnosis is most challenging," said co-corresponding study author Igor Almeida, Ph.D., a UTEP Professor.
Sources: University of Texas at El Paso, International Journal of Molecular Sciences
