Parasite Specific Antibodies in Three Strains of Mice after Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi

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Abstract
Three inbred strains of mice (BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ and NZB/BInJ) were infected with trypomastigotes of T. cruzi. Sera were taken at different times after infection and radioimmunoprecipitationassays used to detect antibodies against individual T. cruzi epimastigote and trypomastigote antigens. The mouse strains differed in regard to the spectrum of antibodies and the time after infection when the various epimastigote specific antibody species appeared. NZB mice had antibodies against at least 25 polypeptides ranging in MW from 20,000 to 90,000 D [daltons] at 3 wk after infection, and these persisted until at least 10 wk post-infection. C3H and BALB/c had antibodies against < 5 antigens at 3 wk after infection; whereas by wk 10, antibodies against at least 25 polypeptides were detected. C3H mice that were most susceptible to infection (but not NZB or BALB/c mice) had antibodies against a 25,000 D MW epimastigote antigen. The antibody response against trypomastigote polypeptides was more uniform. Sera from all mouse strains at 3 wk after infection precipitated the same polypeptides and the radioimmunoprecipitation patterns did not change as a function of time after infection.