title: Trypanosoma cruzi: the expansion of NK, T, and NKT cells in the experimental infection.
abstract: T and NK cells play a key role in resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infections, mainly through IFN-gamma production. The expression of T and NK cells surface markers was studied in NWNA spleen cells of resistant C3H and susceptible BALB/c mice that release IFN-gamma in the early and late acute infection, respectively. In the progressively enlarged spleens, we found: (a) an increased percentage and number of NK blast cells as early as at 2 days post-infection (pi), (b) an enrichment of T and NK cells, in both the total and blast populations, during the late acute phase. At 17 days pi, there was also an accumulation of TCR- alphabeta+DX5+, NKT cells, mainly in resistant mice. At 21 days pi, the enrichment of NK cells ceased, while spleen cells and the T cell compartment continued their expansion. In the chronic stage, TCR-alphabeta+ blasts were expanded in both mouse strains, but NK blasts increased only in BALB/c that, unlike C3H mice, release IFN-gamma. As T and NK cell proliferation is not always associated to IFN-gamma release the experimental downregulation of their expansion to avoid tissue damage could be explored.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. M. Fatala Chabén," ANLIS "Dr. C.G. Malbrán," Av. Paseo Colón 568, 1063, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Antúnez
authors.forename: Rita L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cardoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma