Cruzipain, a Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, conditiones the host immune response in favour of parasite.

GIORDANENGO L, GUIÑAZU N, FRETES R, STEMPIN C, CERBAN F, GEA S

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY

Año: 2002 p. 1003 - 1003

0014-2980

e recently demonstrated that humoral immune response to cruzipain, a majorantigen of Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, is implicated in the pathogenesis ofexperimental Chagas´ disease. In the present study, the spleen cell phenotype andthe cytokine profile induced by cruzipain in immunized mice were analyzed. Theresults showed that cruzipain increases the number of spleen cells with largesize and granularity. Splenocyte populations with CD19(+), Mac-1(+), Gr-1(+) and CD11c(+) positive surface markers significantly increased in immune mice comparedto controls ones. Histological study revealed the presence of high number ofmegacariocyte and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, indicating extramedullaryhemopoiesis in spleens of immune mice. The finding of high levels of IL-4, IL5and IL-10 and low levels of IFN-gamma and IL-12 in supernatants of immune cellsstimulated with cruzipain indicates a preferential activation of T2 type c