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Morphometric study of eosinophils, mast cells, macrophages and fibrosis in the colon of chronic chagasic patients with and without megacolon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2007

A. B. M. da SILVEIRA*
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
S. J. ADAD
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Medical School of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
R. CORREA-OLIVEIRA
Affiliation:
Research Center René Rachou, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
J. B. FURNESS
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
D. D'AVILA REIS
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Morphology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, CEP: 31270-901. Fax: +55 31 3499 2771. E-mail: alec@icb.ufmg.br

Summary

The mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of chagasic megacolon are not completely characterized. Although autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease, recent studies suggest a positive association of tissue parasitism, inflammation, and severity of lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of inflammatory cells and the occurrence of fibrosis in the colon of chagasic patients with and without megacolon. Samples from 26 patients were randomly selected and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were sectioned and evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry to analyse the occurrence and relation among eosinophils, mast cells, macrophages and fibrosis. Section analyses showed that the presence of eosinophils and mast cells in the analysed inflammatory cells has a direct correlation with fibrosis density in the chagasic megacolon. These data suggest that the megacolon's pathogenesis is based on a continuous process of cell damage. Our data propose that eosinophils, mast cells and macrophages may have a direct connection with the occurrence of fibrosis in the colon of chagasic patients. We believe that potential therapeutic agents against these cells could avoid the fibrosis process and contribute to prevent the development of chagasic megacolon.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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