ABSTRACT
Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi develops in three phases: acute, indeterminate or asymptomatic, and chronic phase (with cardiac or digestive manifestations). Moreover, transmission may occur from infected mothers to newborn, the so-called congenital form. In the present study, humoral responses against T. cruzi total extract and against the 13 amino acid peptide named R-13 derived from the parasite ribosomal P protein, previously described as a possible marker of chronic Chagas heart disease, were determined in chagasic patients and in blood bank donors from endemic areas. While in sera from acute phase, only IgM anti-T.cruzi response was observed, both IgM and IgG anti-T. cruzi antibodies were detected in sera from congenitally infected newborns. The percentage of positive response in sera from blood bank donors was relatively high in endemic regions. Antibodies against the R-13 peptide were present in a large proportion of cardiac chagasic patients but were totally lacking in patients with digestive form of Chagas' disease. Furthermore, anti-R-13 positive responses were detected in congenitally infected newborns.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Protozoan/biosynthesis , Chagas Disease/immunology , Protozoan Proteins , Ribosomal Proteins/immunology , Trypanosoma cruzi/immunology , Acute Disease , Animals , Argentina , Base Sequence , Blood Donors , Brazil , Chagas Cardiomyopathy/diagnosis , Chagas Cardiomyopathy/immunology , Chagas Disease/congenital , Chagas Disease/epidemiology , Chronic Disease , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Immunoglobulin Isotypes/immunology , Infant, Newborn , Molecular Sequence Data , Seroepidemiologic StudiesABSTRACT
Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with the severest clinical form of Chagas disease, chronic Chagas heart disease, presented a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of a Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P protein. Parasite P antigens identification led to characterize the ribosomal P protein system in T. cruzi. Their exposed location on the ribosome, and the "amplification" of their parasite specific, serine free C-terminal domain, generate a strong parasite specific anti-P response, that in certain cases may induce anti-P autoimmunity.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Protozoan/immunology , Autoimmunity , Chagas Disease/immunology , Protozoan Proteins/immunology , Ribosomal Proteins/immunology , Trypanosoma cruzi/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Chronic Disease , Epitopes/immunology , Humans , Molecular Sequence DataABSTRACT
Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with the severest clinical form of Chagas disease, chronic Chagas heart disease, presented a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of a Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P protein. Parasite P antigens identification led to characterize the ribosomal P protein system in T. cruzi. Their exposed location on the ribosome, and the ®amplification® of their parasite specific, serine free C-terminal domain, generate a strong parasite specific anti-P response, that in certain cases may induce anti-P autoimmunity
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Antigens, Protozoan/immunology , Autoimmunity , Chagas Disease/immunology , Protozoan Proteins/immunology , Ribosomal Proteins/immunology , Trypanosoma cruzi/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Chronic Disease , Epitopes/immunology , Molecular Sequence DataABSTRACT
Five sera from Bolivian individuals chronically infected by Trypanosoma cruzi, and suffering an active Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis metastatic mucocutaneous lesion were characterized. They reacted with the T. cruzi recombinant antigens that are currently used as Chagas diagnostic reagents, and with several L. b. braziliensis proteins as assessed by Western blot. These sera showed an intense reaction with a T. cruzi and an L. b. braziliensis polypeptide of about 70 kDa. Expression cloning techniques demonstrated that the target of this immunologic reaction was a cross-reactive antigen, the 70-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP 70). High levels of anti-HSP 70 reactivity and positive reactions with all or some of the T. cruzi recombinant antigens JL7, JL8, and JL5, defined a serologic pattern that was characteristic of the T. cruzi/L. b. braziliensis mixed infection.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Protozoan/immunology , Chagas Disease/immunology , Heat-Shock Proteins/immunology , Leishmaniasis/immunology , Amino Acid Sequence , Antigens, Protozoan/genetics , Base Sequence , Chagas Disease/complications , Cloning, Molecular , Cross Reactions , Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics , Humans , Lac Operon , Leishmaniasis/complications , Molecular Sequence Data , Recombinant Fusion ProteinsABSTRACT
A workshop organized by the Ibero-American Project of Biotechnology evaluated the diagnostic potential of several cloned Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant antigens for Chagas' disease serodiagnosis. A set of recombinants, Antigen 2, Antigen 13, SAPA, H49, A13, JL5, JL7, JL8, JL9, and RA1 provided by three different South American laboratories were probed with a panel of 236 South American serum samples. Antigens JL7, H49, Antigen 2, and A13 scored as the best diagnostic recombinant reagents. The results suggested that the main advantage of using cloned peptides for chronic Chagas' disease diagnosis resided in their highly specific immunoreactive properties.