Acquired Immunity in Rats against Trypanosoma cruzi

Cell‐Mediated and Humoral Immunity to Protozoan Infections

“…Passive transfer of immune serum has produced somewhat contradictory results. According to Goble (1970), Culbertson & Kolodny (1938) have been able to protect 10-15 day-old rats by administration of sera from rats which had recovered from the infection. Following prophylactic administration of the immune serum, only a low grade infection developed.…”

Trypanosoma cruzi:Protective Immunity in Mice Immunized with Paraflagellar Rod Proteins Is Associated with a T-Helper Type 1 Response

“…Infection with T. cruzi may be either acute or chronic, and the immunologic mechanisms which influence both survival of the vertebrate host and clearance of the parasite during the acute phase are not well understood. Several studies (Culbertson and Kolodny 1938;Krettli and Brener 1976;Rodriguez et al 1981;Kierszenbaum and Howard 1976) have indicated that lytic antibodies against the parasite may play a key role in reducing parasite burden and enhancing the survival of mice infected with the parasite. These studies have been advanced, and more recent data (Takehara et al 1981;Rowland et al 1992;Powell and Wassom 1993) argue that antibody isotype also may be of particular importance in the clearance of blood parasites by circulating serum antibodies.…”

Passive transfer of a monoclonal antibody specific for a sialic acid-dependent epitope on the surface of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes reduces infection in mice

“…Most individuals carry this infection for life. During the chronic phase of Chagas' disease in humans, mice, and rats, reinfection with trypomastigotes, even at large doses, fails to generate a second patent parasitemia or casualties (6,12). More than half a century ago, it was suggested that acquired immunity in rats was due to antibodies, since passive transfer of serum from chronically infected animals could protect naive rats from acute-phase infection with bloodstream trypomastigotes of T. cruzi (6).…”

“…During the chronic phase of Chagas' disease in humans, mice, and rats, reinfection with trypomastigotes, even at large doses, fails to generate a second patent parasitemia or casualties (6,12). More than half a century ago, it was suggested that acquired immunity in rats was due to antibodies, since passive transfer of serum from chronically infected animals could protect naive rats from acute-phase infection with bloodstream trypomastigotes of T. cruzi (6). In subsequent years, it became well established that like the immunoglobulins in these rats, immunoglobulins obtained from chronically infected humans and mice could passively transfer immunity against experimental acute-phase infection (14).…”