Infecção experimental dos eritrocitos humanos pela Bartonella henselae / Experimental Bartonella henselae infection of human erythocytes

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Bartonella henselae, a facultative intracellular bacterium, has been known as the agent of cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis hepatis, endocarditis and bacteraemic syndrome in humans. Bartonella species can cause intraerythrocytic infections and have been isolated from patients blood stream by several methods. It was demonstrated that B. bacilliformis and B. quintana infect human endothelial cells and human erythrocytes and B. henselae infects erythrocytes of cats. The aim of our study was to investigate through transmission electron microscopy whether B. henselae infects mature human erythrocytes. One sample of red blood cell (RBC) unit received experimentally standard strain of B. henselae. Blood aliquots were collected from infected unit immediately after inoculation, on minute 30 and on hours 1, 5, 10 and 72 for ultrastructural evaluation. B. henselae was seen adhered to human erythrocytes ten hours after inoculation and inside the erythrocyte after seventy two hours. This study demonstrates that B. henselae adhere to and invades mature human erythrocytes. Our results favor the possibility that erythrocytes can serve as a primary target in Bartonella spp. infections. From this observation, further studies are warranted to prevent Bartonella transfusional transmission

ASSUNTO(S)

bartonella henselae eritrocitos erythocytes bartonella henselae microscopia eletronica electron microscopy

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