Susceptibility to acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection in autoimmune strains of mice.
We previously observed that mice bearing the autoimmune associated lpr gene exhibit increased susceptibility to challenge with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. We have now tested two other autoimmune prone strains of mice, BXSB and NZB, and found that these animals also show increased sensitivity to acute T. cruzi infection. When challenged with a standard dose (10(2)) of Y strain trypomastigotes, BXSB males (BXSB-YSB), which develop early onset autoimmune disease, suffered high mortality, while late onset autoimmune BXSB females and minimally autoimmune male BXSB mice whose Y chromosome was derived from C57BL/6J mice (BXSB-YB/6) also recover. NZB mice were found to be highly susceptible to challenge while NZW and NZB/W were resistant. A finding common to all groups of susceptible autoimmune mice was increased plasma levels of T. cruzi specific antibody, especially IgM. The data indicate that in two of the three autoimmune prone strains examined, increased T. cruzi susceptibility appears to be linked to restricted genetic elements (i.e. lpr gene and the YSB associated factor) which also influence the rapidity of onset of autoimmunity.
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
D007075:Immunoglobulin M