The presence of antiautonomic membrane receptor antibodies do not correlate with brain lesions in Chagas' disease.

UNLABELLED: We previously demonstrated correlation between parasympathetic dysfunction and brain white matter lesions in chronic chagasic patients.

OBJECTIVE

To correlate serum functional circulating antibodies with beta adrenergic (Ab-beta), muscarinic (Ab-M) or muscarinic and beta adrenergic (Ab-Mbeta) activity, the autonomic system function and brain lesions in chronic chagasic patients.

METHOD: In fifteen consecutive chagasic patients, the autonomic nervous system was evaluated and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. The sera of all patients were tested to the presence of circulating functional antibodies.

RESULTS

Sera from 11 of 15 chronic chagasic patients had some activity (Ab-beta: 7; Ab-M: 1; Ab-Mbeta: 3); however, there was no significant correlation between the presence of antibodies and the autonomic system function or the presence of hyperintensities in MRI.

CONCLUSION

The mechanism involved in the genesis of hyperintense lesions seen in brain MRI of chronic chagasic patients is still unresolved, although apparently related to parasympathetic dysfunction.