Effect of elevated environmental temperature on the antibody response of mice to Trypanosoma cruzi during the acute phase of infection.
When held at 36 degrees C, Trypanosoma cruzi-infected C3H mice survive an otherwise lethal infection with significantly decreased parasitemia levels and enhanced immune responsiveness. Treatment of T. cruzi-infected mice with the immunosuppressive agent cyclophosphamide indicated that the positive effects of increased environmental temperature were primarily due to enhancement of immunity. A parasite-specific, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis were used to examine the effect of elevated environmental temperature on the production of anti-T. cruzi antibodies. Both the reactivity and diversity of anti-T. cruzi antibodies were found to be lower in infected mice held at 36 degrees C than in infected mice held at room temperature. However, reactivity and diversity could be enhanced by vaccination with culture forms of the parasite.
Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109.
K A
KA
Dimock
C D
CD
Davis
R E
RE
Kuhn
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015151:Immunoblotting; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D003520:Cyclophosphamide