Characteristics of patients with chronic Chagas' disease Cardiomyopathy.

aF: female, M: male.bPatient's heart failure was classified according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification. Class I: Patients with cardiac disease with slight functional alterations but resulting in no limitation of ordinary physical activity; however, elevated activity causes symptoms, such as fatigue, palpitation, or dyspnea (shortness of breath); Class II: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity; comfortable at rest, but ordinary physical activity results in symptoms; Class III: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity; comfortable at rest, but less than ordinary activity causes symptoms; Class IV: Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity, unable to carry out any physical activity without discomfort; symptoms of cardiac insufficiency at rest.Patients with cardiac disease without any functional alteration were classified as Class 0.cThe level of antibodies directed to T. cruzi lysate was determined by in-house ELISA as described upon Methods.dT cruzi lineage was analyzed by TSSA recognition as described upon Methods. Results are shown in Figure S1. ND: not detected.