ISSN:
1574-695X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with severe chronic Chagas heart disease showed a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of the Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2β protein, previously named JL5. The main linear epitope of this polypeptide was mapped to the 13 C-terminal amino acid sequence EEEDDDMGFGLFD (named R13), which is almost identical to the mammalian ribosomal P consensus sequence EESDDDMGFGLFD (named H13). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements demonstrated that sera from patients with chronic Chagas heart disease presented a very specific anti-P humoral response with high anti-R13, but low H13 antibody levels. We attempted to develop an animal model that would reproduce, at least partially, two features of the human infection: (1) the serological pattern of the anti-P response, and (2) specific cardiac symptoms. To this effect, mice were immunized with T. cruzi P2β recombinant protein. Immunization reproduced the typical anti-P antibody profile defined for chronic infections, but did not induce cardiac inflammatory lesions. However, it altered significantly the electrocardiograms of immunized mice. It is suggested that this assay represents a functional test for assessing the biological activity of antibodies against T. cruzi ribosomal P protein on cardiac muscle.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-695X.1997.tb01030.x
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