Characterization of Trypanosoma rangeli Strains Isolated in Central and South America: an Overview

Action of Trypanosoma rangeli in infections with virulent Trypanosoma cruzi populations

“…Despite its non-pathogenic characteristics for vertebrate hosts, T. rangeli infection induces a humoral immune response resulting in high levels of cross-reactive antibodies with T. cruzi, due to the similarity of their surface antigens (Grisard et al 1999). On the other hand, mice immunized with fixed T. rangeli epimastigotes had significantly lower parasitemias and longer survival than controls when infected with virulent T. cruzi trypomastigotes (Basso et al 1991, Introini et al 1998).…”

“…The presence of T. rangeli in the same distribution area as T. cruzi in almost all the countries of South and Central America, has been largely considered a serious complication for the Chagas disease diagnosis (Grisard et al 1999), since false-positive results can be expected from the cross-reactivitiy between both parasites. However, the results presented here suggest that occurrence of single and/or mixed infection in vertebrate hosts may have beneficial effects in evolution and epidemiology of Chagas disease.…”

Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) rangeli Tejera, 1920: an updated review

“…For example, each tissue of mice infected with T. rangeli were histologically cross-sectioned; no tissue lesion or intracellular form was found in the 150 mice examined (Herbig-Sandreuter 1955). Grisard et al (1999) recently studied several T. rangeli strains' interaction with mouse peritoneal macrophages, VERO, L-929 and J-774-13 murine promonocyte cells, observing that less than 10% of such cells presented intracellular forms similar to those of amastigotes. These parasites disappeared 2 to 5 days after being infected without new free flagellates appearing in culture.…”

Molecular karyotype and chromosomal localization of genes encoding ß-tubulin, cysteine proteinase, hsp 70 and actin in Trypanosoma rangeli

“…Its transmission to the vertebrate host mainly occurs by inoculation of infective metatrypomastigotes formed in the salivary glands of the insects. The geographical distribution of T. rangeli is overlapped with T. cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, and comprises almost all the countries of South and Central America (Grisard et al 1999b). Reports of T. rangeli in Brazil have been made from the northern region of the Amazon basin to the southern country, precisely in the State of Santa Catarina (Miles et al 1983, Steindel et al 1991, Coura et al 1996.…”