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Cross-Reactivity between Trypanosoma Cruzi and Insect Trypanosomatids as a Basis for the Diagnosis of Chagas' Disease^*

Immunological cross-reactivity between Trypanosoma cruzi and insect trypanosomatids was demonstrated by immunofluorescence and confirmed by complement fixation, direct agglutination and cross-absorption experiments. As antigens, the following organisms were surveyed: Crithidia deanei, Crithidia fasciculata, Crithidia luciliae, Herpetomonas samuelpessoai, Herpetomonas megaseliae, Herpetomonas muscarum muscarum, Leptomonas seymouri and Blastocrithidia culicis. Sera from patients with Chagas' disease or sera from rabbits immunized against various trypanosomatids were used as sources of antibodies. The demonstration of cross-reactivity was followed by a survey of 500 human sera (from normal persons or Chagas' disease patients) by immunofluorescence using insect trypanosomatids (H. muscarum muscarum, C. fasciculata and L. seymouri) as antigens. With H. muscarum muscarum 98.7% coincident positive results and 100% of coincident negative results were obtained. These findings may validate the use of insect trypanosomatids as an alternative source of antigen in the serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease by indirect immunofluorescence.

Accepted for publication April 4, 1981.

^* This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científica e Tecnológico—CNPq, Brazil.