Trypanosoma cruzi induces tissue disorganization and destruction of chorionic villi in an ex vivo infection model of human placenta

Congenital Chagas’ disease, endemic in Latin America and also present with lower frequency in other countries, is associated with premature labor, miscarriage, and placentitis. The mechanism of tissue invasion and infection of human placenta by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) remains unclear. In order to explore some morphological aspects of this infection in the placenta, we incubated chorionic villous explants from normal human placentae ex vivo with the parasite and studied the resulting effects by immunohistochemical and histochemical methods. Infection of the chorionic villi with the parasite was confirmed by immunofluoresence and PCR. T. cruzi induces syncytiotrophoblast destruction and detachment, selective disorganization of basal lamina and disorganization of collagen I in the connective tissue of villous stroma. These effects are a function of the number of parasites used for the infection. Our results suggest a participation of the proteolytic activity of the parasite on the placental basal lamina and connective tissue in the mechanism of infection of the fetus by T. cruzi.