Experimental chemotherapy of Trypanosoma cruzi infection: persistence of parasite antigens and positive serology in parasitologically cured mice.

Mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but parasitologically cured after specific chemotherapy, continued to exhibit positive indirect immunofluorescence serological tests 3-6 months after the therapy. Treatment of trypanosome antigens with monospecific antisera produced in rabbits, and examination by immunoelectron-microscopy following peroxidase labelling disclosed the presence of membrane deposits in cell processes in the spleens of the mice. Similar deposits were observed in the external membranes of T. cruzi amastigotes in the spleens of acutely infected mice, but not in normal control mice. No reaction occurred in tissues not previously treated with the monospecific anti-T. cruzi serum. Positive cells in treated and cured mice, as well as in the not cured or untreated control mice, were located in germinal centres of the splenic white pulp and presented long and branching cytoplasmic processes, which are indicative of dendritic cells of the lymphoid follicles of the spleen.