Additionally, as seen in animal models of Chagas disease, there is a strong thymic atrophy characterized by loss of thymus weight, massive death of CD4+CD8+ DP cells by caspase-dependent apoptosis (32), alterations in the double-negative (DN) T-cell population (74, 75), depletion of thymic Treg (16) and also an abnormal and premature escape of immature and potentially autoreactive DP and DN thymocytes from the organ (17, 26, 74, 76). This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and Chagas disease.