title: Natural CD4(+) T-cell responses against Trypanosoma cruzi KMP-11 protein in chronic chagasic patients.
abstract: Trypanosoma cruzi kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11) is able to induce protective immunity in mice. In humans, T-cell immunity during Chagas disease has been documented using parasite antigens allowing the identification of specific CD8(+) T cells. However, little is known about the CD4(+) T-cell response during the evolution of the disease. In this paper, the induction of a natural CD4(+) T-cell response against the KMP-11 protein in T. cruzi infected humans was studied to assess whether this parasite-derived protein could be processed, presented and detected as a major histocompatibility complex class II restricted epitope. The results show that helper T cells from 5 out of 13 chagasic patients specifically produced interferon-gamma after exposure to the KMP-11 antigen, whereas healthy donors and non-chagasic cardiopathic patients did not respond. This is the first description of T. cruzi KMP-11 protein recognition by CD4(+) T cells in chronic chagasic patients.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuellar
authors.forename: Francia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolaños
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Carmen Thomas
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Manuel Carlos
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: John Mario
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puerta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015800:Protozoan Proteins