Dehydroepiandrosterone increases resistance to experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi

Dysregulated Network of Immune, Endocrine and Metabolic Markers is Associated to More Severe Human Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy

“…Although BMI adjustment rendered the cortisol/DHEA-S insignificant, the fall in DHEA-S together with the slightly reduced cortisol levels of CCC patients points out to a partial deficiency of them to cope with the protracted inflammatory response and the subsequent myocardial affectation. Studies in the context of acute T. cruzi experimental infection demonstrated that administration of DHEA exerted a clear protective effect [38], whereas glucocorticoid blockade increased mortality [39].…”

A high corticosterone/DHEA-s ratio in young rats infected with Trypanosoma cruzi is associated with increased susceptibility

“…Because DHEA has been shown to protect against other protozoan infections, such as malaria (Kurtis et al 2001) and leishmaniasis (Galindo-Sevilla et al 2007), a decrease in DHEA could weaken the ability to fight the T. cruzi infection. Furthermore, Santos et al (2008Santos et al ( , 2010 showed that DHEA supplementation exerted stimulatory effects on the cell-mediated specific immune response during T. cruzi infection, which decreased the parasite load in blood and tissues; this suggests that DHEA-s can be used as an adjuvant for the host's immune response against infection. The results of the present study suggest that the high CT/DHEA-s ratio (Fig.…”

Endocrine Immune Interactions in the Host-Parasite Relationship: Steroid Hormones as Immune Regulators in Parasite Infections

“…The macrophages infected with T. cruzi express different hormonal receptors and secrete more TNF-α, IL-12 and NO after treatment with DHEA. This cytokine secretion results in a decreased trypomastigote load in blood and suggests its protective role is a result of potent immunoregulatory actions during infection [149,150].…”