Quantitative PCR for parasitemia monitoring and preemptive therapy in patients with Chagas disease and autoimmune rheumatic disorders undergoing biologic treatment: a case series
Patients with chronic Chagas disease (CD) and autoimmune rheumatic disorders (ARD) receiving immunosuppressive therapy are at risk for CD reactivation (CDR). This study monitored parasitemia over 9-121 months in six patients with CD and ARD using conventional and quantitative PCR and parasitology. Five patients showed parasitemia; two had elevated levels of parEq/mL (49-458.7). One patient received benznidazole with a marked decrease in parasitemia; in the other, treatment was discontinued after 12 days due to toxicity. No CDR occurred. These findings support the need for qPCR standardization for preemptive therapy and suggest that benznidazole may prevent CDR in patients with high parasitemia.
Authors
- Karina Rossi Bonfiglioli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3547-5674)
- Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1112-081X)
- Hermes Ryoiti Higashino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2038-1539)
- Érika Yoshie Shimoda Nakanishi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6928-385X)
- Adriana Coracini Tonácio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1038-8796)
- Maria Aparecida Shikanai‐Yasuda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3864-041X)
- Noêmia Barbosa Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1884-9526)
- Nádia Emi Aikawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7585-4348)
- Lucas T. Vieira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3073-9477)
- Rita Cristina Bezerra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6162-9852)
Institutions
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Brasil (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0419-2024
- Primary Topic
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Universidade de São Paulo