Cellular immune response to common mycobacterial antigens in subjects seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi.
The immune response is impaired in the silent stage of Chagas' disease. We used quadruple skin-testing with new tuberculins in 37 adults who were symptom-free but seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi and in 37 matched seronegative controls. Whereas 19% of controls responded to common mycobacterial antigens, none of the Chagas' seropositive group responded to them (p < 0.006), demonstrating specificity in their unresponsiveness. The enhanced tuberculin reactivity after BCG vaccination in the control group was suppressed in seropositive subjects (p < 0.002). Selective loss of response to common mycobacterial antigens may have implications for the autoimmune pathology of Chagas' disease, and for susceptibility to tuberculosis, leprosy, and HIV disease.
Bottasso
O A
OA
Division Inmunologia, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, University Nacional de Rosario, Argentina.
Ingledew
N
N
Keni
M
M
Morini
J
J
Pividori
J F
JF
Rook
G A
GA
Stanford
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*; D014374:Tuberculin Test
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan