Prevalence of anti‐R‐13 antibodies in human Trypanosoma cruzi infection

• Published in: FEMS immunology and medical microbiology 1995-12, Vol.12 (3‐4), p.231-237
• Main Authors: Aznar, Christine, Lopez‐Bergami, Pablo, Brandariz, Silvia, Mariette, Christine, Liegeard, Pascale, Alves, Maria do Carmo de Deus, Barreiro, Erika Luna, Carrasco, Roxana, Lafon, Sonia, Kaplan, Dan, Miguez, Hortencia, Camacho, Clara, Levitus, Gabriela, Mariano Levin, J., Hontebeyrie, Mireille
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; Antibodies, Protozoan - biosynthesis; Argentina; Base Sequence; Blood Donors; Brazil; Chagas Cardiomyopathy; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - diagnosis; Chagas Cardiomyopathy - immunology; Chagas Disease; Chagas Disease - congenital; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - immunology; Chagas disease diagnosis; Chagasic cardiomyopathy; Chronic Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Immunoglobulin Isotypes; Immunoglobulin Isotypes - immunology; Infant, Newborn; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Molecular Sequence Data; Myocardites; Parasitology; Protozoan Proteins; Ribosomal P protein; Ribosomal Proteins; Ribosomal Proteins - immunology; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Synthetic peptide; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology
• ISSN: 0928-8244; 1574-695X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1995.tb00197.x

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 pateints 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.