Phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi from pregnant women and newborns from Argentina, Honduras, and Mexico suggests an association of parasite haplotypes with congenital transmission of the parasite

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, exhibits a high genetic variability and has been classified into six discrete typing units (DTUs) named TcI-TcVI. This genetic diversity is believed to be associated with clinical characteristics and outcomes, but evidences supporting such associations have been limited. Here we performed a phylogenetic analysis of T. cruzi sequences of the mini-exon intergenic region obtained from a large cohort of pregnant women and newborns from Argentina, Honduras, and Mexico, to assess parasite genetic diversity and possible associations with congenital transmission.
Source: Journal of Molecular Diagnostics - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Regular Article Source Type: research