title: Presence of antibodies to the major surface glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes in sera from Chagasic patients.
abstract: The surface of amastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi is covered by a stage-specific glycoprotein, Ssp-4. We show that Y strain-derived Ssp-4 is recognized by antibodies in sera from Chagasic patients. All 51 sera reacted with the surface of amastigotes by indirect immunofluorescence assays and immunoprecipitated Ssp-4. The human antibodies inhibited the binding of monoclonal antibodies to Ssp-4 in immunoradiometric assays, suggesting that the corresponding region of the molecule may be conserved among distinct strains of the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Einstein
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nussenzweig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma