Differential susceptibility of isolated human trophoblasts to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi

The aim of the work was to analyze the susceptibility of the placental syncytiotrophoblast (STB) and cytotrophoblast (CTB) cells to infection by the causal agent of congenital Chagas’ disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, and the possible parasite route for placental invasion. Monolayers of CTB and STB and VERO as control cells were used. The infection of STB was significantly lower that of the CTB and Vero cells (p < 0.05) which coincided with a significantly increased mortality of parasite cells in the culture medium and trypanocidal levels of nitric oxide. We conclude that the syncytiotrophoblast, the first placental barrier, is the main barrier of the chorionic villous that limits the infection by T. cruzi. This work opens the possibility of a new mechanism for placental infection when there are discontinuities in the first placental barrier.