title: Influence sexual dimorphism on the persistence of blood parasites in infected Calomys callosus.
abstract: Gender has long been known to be a contributory factor in the incidence and progression of disorders associated with immune system disregulation. The aims of this experiment were to verify the influences of sexual dimorphism on the persistence of blood parasites out of the acute phase of infection. Male and female Calomys callosus were separated and infected with two strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, and let age until 120 days. Xenogiagnostic, culture of organs and blood, histopathology and lytic antibody percentages were evaluated on late chronic phase. Xenodiagnosis, hemoculture and lytic antibody percentages were positive from 45 until 120 days. For both strains in adrenal and heart, amastigote burdens were present until 45 days, scarcely found on 60 days and absent on 120 days. Steroid hormones, although having a protective role, does not enable animals to get completely rid of the infection. Even without showing apparent signs of pathological unbalance, parasites persists, hidden throughout the host's body.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Xenodiagnóstico, Instituto de Cardiologia Dante Pazzanese, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Antônio Marcos A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Leony Cristina
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Ana Amélia
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carraro Abrahão
authors.forename: José Clóvis do
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Prado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi