Total and specific anti-Trypanosoma cruzi immunoglobulin E in pericardial fluid samples from patients with chronic Chagas disease.
Levels of total and specific anti-Trypanosoma cruzi immunoglobulin E (IgE) were determined by immunoenzymatic assay among 101 samples of pericardial fluid from patients who had died in one trypanosomiasis endemic area in central Brazil. These samples were divided into 6 groups. Group I, 17 samples from patients with the cardiac form of Chagas disease; group II, 11 samples from patients with the digestive form of Chagas disease, presenting megaoesophagus and/or megacolon; group III, 41 samples from patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease; group IV, 4 samples from patients with both cardiac and digestive forms of Chagas disease; group V, 5 samples from patients who suddenly died and were seropositive for T. cruzi antibodies; group VI, 23 samples, used as a control group, which came from patients seronegative for T. cruzi antibodies. Significantly high levels of total IgE were observed in groups I, II, III, IV and V when compared with group VI (mean concentrations 708-1157 iu/mL compared with 394 iu/mL). In groups I-V, 32 samples (41%) had specific anti-T. cruzi IgE antibodies. The individual percentage positivity rates in these groups were 64.7% (group I), 45.4% (group II), 34.1% (group III), nil (group IV), and 40.0% (group V). A significant correlation between total IgE and specific anti-T. cruzi IgE was observed only in the samples from patients with the cardiac form of Chagas disease (group I).
Mineo
J R
JR
Laboratory of Immunology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Rocha
A
A
Costa-Cruz
J M
JM
da Silva
A M
AM
Silva
D A
DA
Goncalves-Pires
M D
MD
Lopes
E R
ER
Chapadeiro
E
E
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000276:immunology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007073:Immunoglobulin E