title: Trypanosoma cruzi: Immunological predictors of benznidazole efficacy during experimental infection.
abstract: C3H/HeN male mice were infected with a lethal population of Trypanosoma cruzi and treated with benznidazole (Bz). Parasitemia, body weight and survival rate were registered during the therapy with significant improvement for T. cruzi-infected Bz-treated animals. Besides, flow cytometry resulted a useful method to discriminate between cured animals from those not cured by monitoring IgG(1) bound to live trypomastigotes levels. At the end of Bz therapy, the LT splenocyte compartment was studied for activation/memory cell surface markers (CD(69)(+) and CD(44)(+)). Cytofluorometric analysis showed that T. cruzi-infected untreated mice increased their activated LT numbers and this effect was completely abolished only in cured mice at the end of Bz administration. The same behavior was observed for the memory LT subpopulation correlating to an effector memory (CD(62L)(-)) displayed by T. cruzi infection. Bz treatment was able to modulate the immunological response by reducing the deleterious effect of the acute phase in all T. cruzi-infected mice.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Stella M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: González Cappa
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Solana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C009999:benzonidazole