Biodemas de cepas do Trypanosoma cruzi isoladas de humanos de três áreas endêmicas de Minas Gerais / Biodemes of Trypanosoma cruzi strains isolated from humans from three endemic areas in Minas Gerais State

RESUMO

In order to study the biological behavior of T. cruzi strains and to determine a putative association between their biodeme and the clinical forms of Chagas disease, 14 strains isolated from humans were evaluated. The individuals were from the municipalities of Pains, Iguatama and Berilo (Minas Gerais State). The biological behavior was evaluated in albino swiss mice, weighing 10 to 15 grams, which were infected with 1x10(4) blood tripomastigotes. The infectivity, parasitemia, tripomastigote morphology, virulence and the tissue distribution of the protozoan were analyzed. A behavior similar to biodeme II (SÒo Felipe strain) was observed in 9 strains, while 5 stocks were characterized as belonging to biodeme III. It was not possible to establish a relationship between the biodeme strain and the severity of the disease in the patients.