Resumo

PEREZ, Mary Carmen; GONCALVES, Loredana  e  ALARCON, Maritza. Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: Aspects of the fetal immune response. Bol Mal Salud Amb [online]. 2009, vol.49, n.2, pp.175-180. ISSN 1690-4648.

The cell-mediated immune response in infants and fetuses of mothers infected with Trypanosoma cruzi has been studied in mouse models and there are data supporting the idea that the fetal immune system may be competent. This review synthesizes the results obtained from multidisciplinary studies of cases of congenital Chagas disease, which indicate that this condition depends on the equilibrium between complex phenomena, such as a maternal type Th2 adaptative immune response associated with high parasitemia, the invasion of placental and umbilical cord by parasites and a fetal specific immune response characterized by an activation of CD8 T cells producing IFN-gamma able to limit parasite multiplication and morbidity/mortality; and that in lineages of higher virulence the parasite could easily cross the placenta and be more pathogenic to the fetus/neonate.

Palavras-chave : Congenital transmission; Trypanosoma cruzi; newborn; fetus; immune response.