Table 2.
Biomarkers Serum Levels of Studied Subjects
| Variable | No evidence of cardiac form, n=109 | Cardiac form | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage A, n=94 | Stage B, n=96 | Stages C/D, n=62 | ||
| Troponin I, ng/mL | 0.01 (0.0–0.04) | 0.00 (0.0–0.04) | 0.03 (0.0–0.07)* , † | 0.03 (0.0–0.08)* , † |
| BNP, pg/mL | 40.0 (31.7–53.4) | 37.7 (29.8–49.6) | 40.2 (33.6–63.3) | 76.8 (37.3–183.5)* , † , ‡ |
| TGF‐β1, ng/mL | 49.9±19.2 | 46.4±12.4 | 44.8±10.1 | 36.9±12.8* , † , ‡ |
| TNF, pg/mL | 4.2±2.4 | 4.7±2.9 | 5.2±4.1 | 6.2±6.0* |
| MMP‐2, ng/mL | 3.9 (2.5–7.6) | 3.7 (2.4–7.1) | 4.1 (2.5–8.4) | 4.1 (2.9–8.9) |
| MMP‐9, ng/mL | 6.5±3.8 | 5.9±3.8 | 6.2±3.9 | 6.7±3.8 |
| MMP‐2/MMP‐9 ratio | 0.74 (0.38–1.66) | 0.89 (0.35–1.79) | 0.92 (0.40–1.75) | 0.79 (0.42–1.65) |
| T cruzi PCR, % | 37 (35.9) | 43 (47.8) | 33 (37.1) | 24 (47.1) |
| Parasitic load, par.Eq./mL | 0.41 (0.10–2.09) | 0.44 (0.08–2.70) | 0.17 (0.04–1.25) | 0.20 (0.05–0.82) |
Values are mean±standard deviation, median (interquartile range), or n (%). BNP indicates brain natriuretic peptide; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; par.Eq., parasite equivalents per milliliter of blood; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; T cruzi, Trypanosoma cruzi; TGF‐β1, transforming growth factor β1; and TNF, tumor necrosis factor.
*
P<0.05 vs no evidence of cardiac form.
†
P<0.05 vs stage A.
‡
P<0.05 vs stage B.