Ninoa T. cruzi Strain Modifies the Expression of microRNAs in Cardiac Tissue and Plasma During Chagas Disease Infection.

Background: Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is the most severe clinical manifestation of Chagas disease, which affects approximately seven million people worldwide. Latin American countries bear the highest burden, with the greatest morbidity and mortality rates. Currently, diagnostic methods do not provide information on the risk of progression to severe stages of the disease. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as promising tools for monitoring the progression of Chagas disease. This study aimed to analyze the expression profiles of the miRNAs miR-1, miR-16, miR-208, and miR-208b in cardiac tissue, plasma, and plasma extracellular vesicles from Ninoa TcI-infected mice during the acute and indeterminate phases of Chagas disease. Methods: The cardiac-specific miRNAs and miR-16 levels were examined in all samples using RT-qPCR. Additionally, pathway analysis was performed to investigate the impact of potential miRNA target genes across various databases. Results: Elevated miR-208b expression was observed in cardiac tissue and plasma during the acute phase. Bioinformatic analysis identified three pathways implicated in disease progression: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling, Fc gamma receptor-mediated phagocytosis, and leukocyte transendothelial migration, as well as cholinergic synapse pathways. Conclusions: MiR-208b was upregulated during the acute phase and downregulated in the indeterminate phase, suggesting it may play a crucial role in disease progression.