CIRCULATING ANTIBODIES TO PERIPHERAL-NERVE IN AMERICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS (CHAGAS-DISEASE)

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  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (1) , 8-15
Abstract
An antibody [Ab] reacting with Schwann sheaths of myelinated somatic and unmyelinated autonomic peripheral nerve was found in 61 of 71 chronic and 9 of 10 acute Chagas'' disease sera. Indirect immunofluorescence (IFL) was carried out on rat, mouse and human somatic nerves and rat sympathetic nerve with initial serum dilutions of 1:10 and the staining reached a final titer of 1:320 in some cases. The Ab fixed complement and were absorbed out by lyophilized epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Lipid extraction of the tissue sections enhanced the staining of myelinated nerve, whereas unfixed unmyelinated sympathetic nerve was strongly reactive. CNS tissue did not display any positive staining on neurons, glial cells or periaxonal sheaths. A double-labeled IFL technique showed that a rabbit antiserum raised against guinea-pig spinal cord and Chagas'' anti-nerve Ab reacted with different structures in the rat sciatic nerve. The reactive antigen(s) [Ag] could be located on Schwann cells. Most Chagas'' individuals with anti-nerve Ab showed the sarcolemmal and endothelial staining (EVI) previously described in Chagas'' disease. The possible recognition of Schwann cell Ag by circulating Ab in Chagas'' disease could be relevant, since an autonomic denervation was postulated as a pathogenic mechanism of cardiomyopathy and megaviscera in this condition.