Immunoregulatory mechanisms and Chagas' disease

Abstract

During the course of experimental Chagas' disease, several immune disorders occur. In the acute phase, T and B cell plyclonal activation is associated to immunossupression. At the chronic stage. T cells - of the TH2 subset - participate to the pathology characteristic of Chagas'disease. Data obtained after infection of BALB/Xid mice suggest that polyclonal activation may be dependent on B1 (CD5) cell activation. Moreover, these mice fail to develop the pathological features of the chronic infection. Control of lymphokine secretion might play a key role in the clinical status of Chagas'disease.

Keywords

• Trypanosoma cruzi
• B cell polyclonal activation
• immunosuppression
• TH1 and TH2 subsets
• B1 (CD5 B) cells
• immunopathology